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filkertomA political day today. Probably with many volatile comments So let's plunge right in, shall we?
First, NYT columnist Nicholas Kristof quotes a report saying liberals are stingy donors to charities, preferring to work for government-based solutions.
It takes a couple of mouse clicks to get to the comments on the column. They are fascinating, and mostly confirm my first thought, which is that Mr. Kristof is, shall we say, missing a bigger picture.
I could get into a snarky riff on how Of Course Conservatives Give More To Charities Than Liberals They've Got All The Damn Money (even though there is a bit of truth in that, and certainly liberals are likelier to need charities). There's also the philosophical argument, that conservatives give to private charities because they support less government (and giving to private charities "shows they work", bolstering their argument). There are other institutions people give to, such as museums, college endowments, and public broadcasting, that don't necessarily show up as "charities". You can even mention the social aspect, how some people give for the sake of looking like they're giving -- not because they're not generous, but because they want the recognition of how generous they are. They get their name on the letterhead or a plaque or the program book or announced on the air or something, and therefore they are Good People. I'm not sure those don't apply equally to both sides, but they're out there.
I know that I don't have a lot of money. I also know that that's why I give.
I have never had a lot of money; I never expect to. (Especially with the medical bills, but that's another issue entirely.) Thankfully, I have never been in so dire a strait that I was in danger of missing a meal or sleeping outside except by choice. But I have been close enough that I know how it hurts, both physically and emotionally.
It's humiliating.
Back at a point when I was younger, stupid, didn't have a car, back living with my mom (who didn't have a lot herself), I stood by the side of the road and broke a young woman's heart. She was heading back to her college for graduation, and she really really wanted me there, and I gave her two hours of bullshit and made her cry and made her drive five hours one-way alone and depressed... because she wasn't driving back right away, and I didn't want to tell her I didn't have the $35 for a bus ticket back home, and I didn't want to ask her or anybody else for charity. That was around twenty years ago, and it's still one of my lowest points, one of my biggest mistakes, one of the things I'm most ashamed of. Not being short the money, but doing that to her. She was and is a great lady, and she didn't deserve that, and I was a jerk twice over. It would've taken thirty-five stupid bucks to fix everything, and I had too much pride to ask anyone for it, and I hurt her. I see her now and again; it took me years to get up the guts to apologize to her.
And that's the thing: That wasn't an emergency. That was a social situation. I had some investment, or so I thought, in maintaining my pride. When you're really up the creek, pride is the first thing to go.
It has to be, if you're going to eat.
We have an advantage, here in Michigan; we have a deposit bottle bill, and every pop bottle or can is a dime waiting to be redeemed. While loading a bag or two of Pepsi bottles into the van, I have seen homeless people going through cans and dumpsters looking for deposit bottles, and I have given them my bags rather than be embarrassed by watching them dig through the garbage.
I've stopped to give a five or a ten to the guy beside the exit ramp with the Will Work For Food sign.
I kick in a buck or two here, a buck or two there all the time. Goodness knows everybody begs for help, especially this time of year: pretty much every line at Kroger and KMart has St. Jude or The United Way or the local food bank or something at the register, Best Buy and certain car dealerships have the toy donation boxes up front, the clothes donations boxes are more front-and-center, every gas station has a coin can. I kick in. About five weeks ago, some guy in line ahead of me at Kroger was seven dollars short at the register, and he was paying in rolls of coins. It was no effort at all to help him out.
I do not say this to show how wonderfully generous I am. I say this because I hate the fact that all I can do is this pittance of a dollar here, a dollar there. I wish to Christ I could do so much more, and this is all I can do.
I'm not in physical shape at this point to help in a soup kitchen. Or shlep stuff in a recycling center. Or stand outside a Planned Parenthood clinic and help women get past protesters.
And I know that there's a decent chance of any money I give to a street person going to booze or smokes.
But, y'know? I don't even mind that. Because if they do that, they're trying, at least for a moment, to escape where and what they are now. Attempting to regain a smidge of dignity.
As I'm writing this, I'm realizing that I could have a charity concert. And I think, sometime this year, I will. Maybe a house filk or something. I don't know. Something that will help somebody.
I'm in okay shape. I have very generous friends who helped me out when I needed it this year, and I'm very grateful, and I'm getting so much more music ready for you all because that's really all I can do.
But I give when I can, even if it's only a little, because if you can give somebody something to eat and a little of their dignity back, it's a very good thing.
If you have any particular charity you'd like us to help with, please link to it here. Mine is Planned Parenthood, with an extra nod towards Kiva. I also visit The Hunger Site (which is actually six different sites, click on all of 'em) and Free Rice. If you know of other click-to-donate sites, please share them with us. Thanks.
First, NYT columnist Nicholas Kristof quotes a report saying liberals are stingy donors to charities, preferring to work for government-based solutions.
It takes a couple of mouse clicks to get to the comments on the column. They are fascinating, and mostly confirm my first thought, which is that Mr. Kristof is, shall we say, missing a bigger picture.
I could get into a snarky riff on how Of Course Conservatives Give More To Charities Than Liberals They've Got All The Damn Money (even though there is a bit of truth in that, and certainly liberals are likelier to need charities). There's also the philosophical argument, that conservatives give to private charities because they support less government (and giving to private charities "shows they work", bolstering their argument). There are other institutions people give to, such as museums, college endowments, and public broadcasting, that don't necessarily show up as "charities". You can even mention the social aspect, how some people give for the sake of looking like they're giving -- not because they're not generous, but because they want the recognition of how generous they are. They get their name on the letterhead or a plaque or the program book or announced on the air or something, and therefore they are Good People. I'm not sure those don't apply equally to both sides, but they're out there.
I know that I don't have a lot of money. I also know that that's why I give.
I have never had a lot of money; I never expect to. (Especially with the medical bills, but that's another issue entirely.) Thankfully, I have never been in so dire a strait that I was in danger of missing a meal or sleeping outside except by choice. But I have been close enough that I know how it hurts, both physically and emotionally.
It's humiliating.
Back at a point when I was younger, stupid, didn't have a car, back living with my mom (who didn't have a lot herself), I stood by the side of the road and broke a young woman's heart. She was heading back to her college for graduation, and she really really wanted me there, and I gave her two hours of bullshit and made her cry and made her drive five hours one-way alone and depressed... because she wasn't driving back right away, and I didn't want to tell her I didn't have the $35 for a bus ticket back home, and I didn't want to ask her or anybody else for charity. That was around twenty years ago, and it's still one of my lowest points, one of my biggest mistakes, one of the things I'm most ashamed of. Not being short the money, but doing that to her. She was and is a great lady, and she didn't deserve that, and I was a jerk twice over. It would've taken thirty-five stupid bucks to fix everything, and I had too much pride to ask anyone for it, and I hurt her. I see her now and again; it took me years to get up the guts to apologize to her.
And that's the thing: That wasn't an emergency. That was a social situation. I had some investment, or so I thought, in maintaining my pride. When you're really up the creek, pride is the first thing to go.
It has to be, if you're going to eat.
We have an advantage, here in Michigan; we have a deposit bottle bill, and every pop bottle or can is a dime waiting to be redeemed. While loading a bag or two of Pepsi bottles into the van, I have seen homeless people going through cans and dumpsters looking for deposit bottles, and I have given them my bags rather than be embarrassed by watching them dig through the garbage.
I've stopped to give a five or a ten to the guy beside the exit ramp with the Will Work For Food sign.
I kick in a buck or two here, a buck or two there all the time. Goodness knows everybody begs for help, especially this time of year: pretty much every line at Kroger and KMart has St. Jude or The United Way or the local food bank or something at the register, Best Buy and certain car dealerships have the toy donation boxes up front, the clothes donations boxes are more front-and-center, every gas station has a coin can. I kick in. About five weeks ago, some guy in line ahead of me at Kroger was seven dollars short at the register, and he was paying in rolls of coins. It was no effort at all to help him out.
I do not say this to show how wonderfully generous I am. I say this because I hate the fact that all I can do is this pittance of a dollar here, a dollar there. I wish to Christ I could do so much more, and this is all I can do.
I'm not in physical shape at this point to help in a soup kitchen. Or shlep stuff in a recycling center. Or stand outside a Planned Parenthood clinic and help women get past protesters.
And I know that there's a decent chance of any money I give to a street person going to booze or smokes.
But, y'know? I don't even mind that. Because if they do that, they're trying, at least for a moment, to escape where and what they are now. Attempting to regain a smidge of dignity.
As I'm writing this, I'm realizing that I could have a charity concert. And I think, sometime this year, I will. Maybe a house filk or something. I don't know. Something that will help somebody.
I'm in okay shape. I have very generous friends who helped me out when I needed it this year, and I'm very grateful, and I'm getting so much more music ready for you all because that's really all I can do.
But I give when I can, even if it's only a little, because if you can give somebody something to eat and a little of their dignity back, it's a very good thing.
If you have any particular charity you'd like us to help with, please link to it here. Mine is Planned Parenthood, with an extra nod towards Kiva. I also visit The Hunger Site (which is actually six different sites, click on all of 'em) and Free Rice. If you know of other click-to-donate sites, please share them with us. Thanks.
