folks,
i hope you noticed the email below was posted to the list two days ago.
Begin forwarded message:
From: Darryl Pitt <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: July 7, 2007 11:39:48 AM EDT
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Grandstanding?
this is terribly offensive.
as i previously wrote, one does not have to be a benefactor to a
charity to be critical of the manner in which the charity's mission
is conducted.
darren has eloquently addressed the problems here. and i still
can't wrap my brain around why the media was invited to this
internal fracas.
On Jul 7, 2007, at 9:56 AM, Darren Garrison wrote:
On Sat, 7 Jul 2007 03:11:47 EDT, you wrote:
Darren!
Did you contribute anything?
No, you don't need to respond.
And I wouldn't. That would be hypocritical of me, one way or the
other.
.
The people of Greensburg need a lot more help, and using a large
check is a
way to get some attention to this cause.
It worked! You are all talking about it!
And you have the leadership of the town (and probably a part of
the citizenry)
offended, and a negative newspaper article about the squabble
going out for all
the world to see showing backbiting amongst various meteorite
collectors that is
par for course for the list. Now, no matter what, there is going
to be some
bitterness remembered for an act of charity. Not all publicity is
good
publicity.
I mentioned before (and some will choose to ignore that and only
pay attention
to the critical part) that "All the time, effort, and donations
put into
collecting that money was nobile and admirable." And the thought
behind the
large cardboard check are pure, too, I'm sure. But how people
would react to it
wasn't as well thought out, I would think (and sorry if that
offends those who
worked hard on this).
Thesis 1: Being able to give to charity makes you feel good.
Thesis 2: Having been reduced to needing charity makes you feel bad.
Thesis 3: A public presenting of a large check to a town official
implies a need
for a public reaction-- applause, a heartfelt thank you,
acknowledgement of your
being able to help and their needing it.
I imagine that, being in a small, non-rich community in the middle
of nowhere in
the middle of nowhere, the people of Haviland are pretty proud and
independant
minded. I imagine that they are humuliated to be reduced to
having to accept
handouts from strangers just to keep rooves over their heads, food
in their
stomachs, and clothes on their backs. Helping them is good.
Helping them makes
you feel good. Having some sort of ceremonial closure to the long
hours and the
money you spent collecting money makes you feel good. But being
explicitly and
publicly reminded that they NEED the charity of strangers does NOT
make the
people being donated to feel good. Sure, they are happy that
people do look out
for each other, and that they are getting help. But they feel
horrible that
they NEED help.
I just think that large cardboard checks are an item for HAPPY
occasion--
lottery and contest winners, mostly. A charitable donation to the
survivors of
a destroyed is NOT a happy occasion. It is a solemn,
embarrassing, and sad one
for those who were actually affected by the tornado. And those
always blessed
enough to be the ones GIVING charity instead of having to ever be
the ones
accepting charity Just Don't Get It.
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