Amy Sherman writes foreword to Olasky book
Sagamore senior fellow Amy Sherman has written the foreword to a fifteenth anniversary edition of Marvin Olasky’s landmark book The Tragedy of American Compassion. William J. Bennett has called it "the most important book on welfare and social policy in a decade. Period." Policy.com went further to call it one of 50 most influential policy books of all time.
Seven-year-old Jamaal ran out of our ministry center, hefting two sacks even bigger than the grin stretching across his face. "Look what I got for my grandma!" he shouted at me, pulling up breathlessly and digging into one of the bags. I admired the collection of fancy bath soaps and reveled in his delight in being a giver.
Jamaal had been working hard for months in our ministry’s afterschool tutoring program, earning Blue Bucks for good behavior, consistent attendance, and homework completion. Now it was December, and time for our annual Christmas Store. There Jamaal and other kids could use their Blue Bucks to purchase presents for their friends and family members. In years past, Jamaal’s family was one of many from his inner-city neighborhood who’d be 'adopted' by some better-off, typically white family from the suburbs at the holidays. The "haves" would pull into the neighborhood and unload their Santa bags for the "have-not" kids, feeling so good about their compassion that they typically didn’t notice the parents’ mixed emotions. The Christmas Store approach returned dignity to the community. Now kids were givers as well as receivers; now there was pride among parents who could affirm their Blue-Buck-wealthy children for their hard work and accomplishments.
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