Creating a better awareness of the rest of the world is imperative to the continued success of our nation.

A couple weeks ago former U.S. Senator Paul Simon shared this idea with students, faculty, administrators, staff and community members on Eastern’s campus.

And, while many American’s probably feel like our focus should be on our country and our problems, especially since September, Simon brings up a very good point.

He asked the audience why people in other nations hate America and its people and pointed to insensitivity, arrogance and general disinterest as reasons people outside the United States get upset with Americans.

My mind first went to all the peacekeeping missions the United States has taken part in, or led, in the past several years, to all the money we spend in foreign aid. But then Simon pointed out a few startling examples.

n Every single day 9,500 children die because of a lack of clean water. That is 630 times the number of students killed at Columbine High School. Which do you think gets more attention from the American public?

n Initial estimates of 7,000 dead after Sept. 11 left Americans expecting for the world to respond and help in the relief efforts. Yet thousands of people die every day of hunger, and the U.S. does little to help the efforts to feed the impoverished the world over.

Simon wasn’t trying to say that Americans do nothing to help their fellow humans. He was simply pointing out how we don’t always pay attention to the rest of the world but in return expect their outrage and help when we are attacked or in trouble.

Simon’s points really hit home for me. I know I was horrified by the attacks of September, as I was when the Oklahoma City bombings happened. But I have never felt that same horror for other disasters in other parts of the world.

Part of this phenomenon is nature. I don’t feel as connected to those far off places and people, so I don’t get as upset when their world is disrupted. Their world is not my reality.

But, at the same time, human suffering is the same the world over. Death, illness, hunger and pain touch all of us. Arrogance on the part of Americans, who sometimes seem to place American lives over that of people from other nations, is not going to help our global image or the role we play in a rapidly growing global economy.

Take a minute to think about the far away places and problems you read about each day in the newspaper or hear about on TV or radio, and remember those numbers are not just numbers, but people, just like you and me. Try to find a way to make a difference, not only in your community, but in the global community.

We are a part of the world, whether we want to be or not. What our nation, our people, need to do is take an active role in becoming a leader, not only economically or in force, but in the global community that is emerging. We have so much to give, so why do we keep taking?