Charity

I hate and love charities.

I remember working at ATL and every year we would sell these little pink cards that supported the breast cancer research. They were honestly a great deal for those who shopped regularly at ATL, they got their money back in discounts and a magazine subscription and more money was spent on finding a cure for this form of cancer. I won't deny breast cancer its place as a horrible disease that causes pain and suffering for more than just those suffering from it but how do we decide that this cause is so much more important than others.

I understand the need for some motivation to part with our hard earned dollars to charity. Most of us would much rather have that new dress, kitchen appliance, etc than give $25 to the latest charity to ask for it. I understand that connecting with an emotion or a past experience of the person giving encourages the decision and increases the amount of the donation. And I know how this shapes American charities.

1 in 3 of us has or will be affected by cancer. Few of us that have money to give have ever truly been hungry, truly in need when compared to our counterparts outside of the developed world. So it is easy to see why campaigns connected to disease we see, arts we enjoy, our friends, our experiences hit home and get our support. It is just as easy to see why campaigns about world poverty, hunger, & the developed world's continued explotation of the undeveloped world seem unable to get traction. Seem to start bright and then fissle... or never really start at all.

I have a hard time giving to American charities. Those that research cancer, a disease where those living with it here still have a higher standard of living than most of the world's population, instead of providing services for diseases we can cure. Those that support the arts instead of reducing the # of people worldwide who live on less than a $ a day. Those that keep kids off the street instead of keeping them from dying due to lack of food and shelter. Somehow how it seems if we aren't covering the basic needs of life in a world fully capable of providing for all of its citizens we have failed and how good can we really feel about our American charities.

I guess this is why I'm so saddened by ONE's lackluster presence in the states. Why I like Adra's The Original Very Useful Gift Catalog. Why I feel torn when approached for something like the Children's Cancer Association. An organization I like but which still seems secondary to a greater need. It's so silly, it take so much to do anything here and yet it takes so little to address the basic needs of so many. The price difference is astounding. Enjoy