[Fwd: Iraq Dispatches: Inside Abu Hanifa mosque during attack

[Gabriel Sechan]

>From: Jaron Omega <jaron at hitechcrime.net>
>On Wed, 1 Dec 2004, John H. Robinson, IV wrote:

>This seems typical.  Could it be, deep down we don't want to take
>responsibility for our own actions?  Maybe, acknowledging a problem
>isn't exactly the same as observing the problem.  Be wary of the
>person who claims benevolence tossing assistance at you from a
>distance.  As if they aren't man enough to look you in the eye;
>out of sight out of mind, what are his intentions right?
>
>Would it be better, had you taken your contribution and lay it
>in needy hands?  Instead, we prefer to lay our contributions
>in greedy hands, who seems honorable enough to trickle change
>for the cause.
>
>It feels wierd, to take a hundred dollars and just hand it to
>a bum that appears half starved.  Doesn't it?  What, is it more
>the norm to hold our nose and toss a few quarters?  Well, why
>pat a man on the back for giving a hundred dollars to an
>organization?
>
Once upon a time, I was a poor college student.  I went to campus town to do 
some grocery shopping  Some bum (cause camputown crawled with bums) asked me 
for 5 bucks.  Being a poor college student, I didn't have it- but I did have 
groceries.  He wouldn't take them.

This pretty much ended me giving direct money contributions.  He didn't want 
money to pay for food, or he would have taken my food.  He wanted to get 
drunk.  Well sorry- I'll give you money for clothes, I'll give you money for 
food, I'll give you money for a bus pass or shelter or something to help you 
get a job.  I won't give someone money so they can get drunk or high and 
perpetuate their problem.  Since then I refuse to give money to individuals- 
I only give to organizations or I buy items like food and give to the 
individuals.

There's also another benefit of organizations you miss-  bulk.  Its a lot 
cheaper to build shelter for 50 or buy food for 100 than it is to do so for 
one.  If you give the money to a good, trustworthy organization you're 
probably doing more good than a direct payment.

Gabe