Just be good for goodness sake

As part of my responsibilities as a tax research analyst, I get emails from the state of Pennsylvania on daily Senate and House activities. A resolution was passed in the House yesterday declaring the week of Feb 9 to Feb 15, 2009 as "Random Acts of Kindness Week" in PA.

I don't mean to be a pessimist, but it's sad when the government has to pass resolutions to get people to be nice. And for only a week? I guess the government felt that asking people to provide random acts of kindness to each other for more than 7 days would be stretching it. And shouldn't this decision to be kind something that needs to come from the people themselves?

A two-page "noncontroversial resolution", as they termed it, document has been created just to make sure that the government covered all the legal bases to ensure the spread of kindness in PA this week.

WHEREAS, The goal of this event, being facilitated by the newly formed Random Acts of Kindness Week Foundation, is to raise "kindness consciousness" by
enlightening as many people as possible about the beauty and power of kind acts; and

WHEREAS, People from all walks of life support this important movement, from schools to businesses, from mayors' offices toservice and youth clubs and
from churches and synagogues to hospitals and nursing homes; and

WHEREAS, Through their participation, they hope to show others that simple kindnesses such as
words of praise, smiles or gestures small or large all contribute to the "rings of kindness" effect that will help change the focus in our country from anger to
caring and from violence to harmony; therefore be it

I don't know why I don't feel all to comfortable with this resolution. I think that kindness is a good thing, don't get me wrong. But I think that this also shows how we have evolved as a non-caring and each-person-for-him/herself-type of society. Do we really need to be reminded to choose to do good? - Yes, we do. Many of us are so wrapped up in our daily needs and in asking the rest of the world, "what's in it for me?" We often forget to look outside ourselves and see all the other people around us.

My first impression when I read this resolution was that it's sad that the government has to remind us about being kind. As I'm writing this, I'm realizing the effectiveness of this resolution. I do need to be reminded to choose kindness because I get too wrapped up in my own life drama that I fail to look around me sometimes. I needed to be reminded that simple gestures do contribute to the "ring of kindness" effect that could turn me away from my everyday anger and turn me towards caring. Although I can't say that I will be Mother Theresa for this week, I will try to be nice.

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives declare
February through 15, 2009, as "Random Acts of Kindness Week" in Pennsylvania.