Oprah, Bill Gates, etc. (NOT judging them!)

[Freyja]

It is none of our business and everyone has the right to pick and chose their own charity, but that said, I heard this morning that Bill Gates donated $1.25 million dollars. What is pathetic is that China only donated $1,000,000. I think we can hold countries to a different standard.

So, it´s none of your business and everyone can pick and choose as they please, but still you feel you can hold countries to a different standard based on how much they donate to one specific cause at one time? Interesting to say the least...

 

[DawnCt1]

So, it´s none of your business and everyone can pick and choose as they please, but still you feel you can hold countries to a different standard based on how much they donate to one specific cause at one time? Interesting to say the least...

Yes. As a member of the United Nations, we supposedly have an obligation to the rest of the world. China is also a member and should be held to that standard.

 

[snapppyd]

Well, now you made it political, thanks

 

[Carly_Roach]

Well, it wasn't really a very good thread anyway.

 

[snapppyd]

Well, it wasn't really a very good thread anyway.

Thank you for your opinion

 

[Freyja]

Well, it wasn't really a very good thread anyway.

Nothing wrong with the original post. However, some people DECIDED to turn it into an ugly debate.

 

[DawnCt1]

Well, now you made it political, thanks

How is political to say that China, as a member of the UN, has an obligation to send aid within their means?

 

[Aisling]

Nothing wrong with the original post. However, some people DECIDED to turn it into an ugly debate.

I don't think this is an ugly debate.

The fact is that China IS a member of the United Nations, and there ARE certain responsibilities which go along with that. Not a political opinion, just a fact.

Some people are bothered by the donated amounts, some aren't. There's no right or wrong. It's all opinion.

 

[luvmy3]

Nothing wrong with the original post. However, some people DECIDED to turn it into an ugly debate.

I know this has been pointed out, but the OP has been edited after the thread was going.

 

[DawnCt1]

Nothing wrong with the original post. However, some people DECIDED to turn it into an ugly debate.

So it wasn't "ugly" when it was appropriate to question what private citizens should donate. It only got "ugly" when it was suggested that member countries of the UN should donate?

 

[Carly_Roach]

I suspect it's going to stay ugly until it's finally closed.

 

[snapppyd]

So it wasn't "ugly" when it was appropriate to question what private citizens should donate. It only got "ugly" when it was suggested that member countries of the UN should donate?

Please show me where anyone suggested what private citizens should donate?

 

[Freyja]

So it wasn't "ugly" when it was appropriate to question what private citizens should donate. It only got "ugly" when it was suggested that member countries of the UN should donate?

Please point out to me where it was discussed how much private citizens SHOULD donate? China, a UN country, did donate, so it isn´t a question of whether or not they should or did.

 

[clovergirl5]

I admit it did sound, well, odd, that Disney is only giving 100,000, but I when I further think about it, there are so many donations going into Haiti, everything added together will be a tremendous amount. So it's all good.

Every little bit counts and helps!

 

[luvmy3]

I don't think this is an ugly debate.

The fact is that China IS a member of the United Nations, and there ARE certain responsibilities which go along with that. Not a political opinion, just a fact.

Some people are bothered by the donated amounts, some aren't. There's no right or wrong. It's all opinion.

Just curious if it is know how much China recieved in aid when they had their last devastating Earthquake? In 2008 almost 70,000 people were killed, I wonder how compassionate the rest of the world was and if their contributions were enough to prove it?

China donated, key word is donated, there is no requirement or set dollar amount that they have to give, unless Miss Manners has a new book dedicated to humanitarian ettiquette

 

[FireDancer]

I haven't read the thread, just the OP. I don't think they or anyone else "owe" anything to anyone. They both employ plenty of people and pay a ridiculous tax rate so even without giving a cent they are helping with their taxes, just like all of us are.

Of course if they choose to give I think it is great. Anytime someone with the means goes above and beyond and contributes to charity or even sets one up it is great and I applaud them. I do feel though that it is and should be a choice, not an expectation from anyone.

I also don't think they need to give to everything. There are some charities I donate to and some I don't. No one can give to everything and there is no reason to think that people who do give to one cause don't care about the causes they don't give to. Any of us who donate have our own reasons for donating to the charities we choose. There are also a lot of people who give anonymously. For all we know wealthy celebrities donate all the time to causes but we don't know because they don't feel the need to stand up and broadcast that they do.

I also don't think what one gives is dependent on what another gives. What I choose to donate to a charity is not dependent on what my friends or a celebrity donates and vice versa. This is also true of an organization or a country. Just because we give doesn't mean we should expect anyone else to follow suit.

Bottom line, charity is great, needed, and if you can give you probably should. It should always be a choice though and not a mandate by any of us.

 

[snapppyd]

I haven't read the thread, just the OP. I don't think they or anyone else "owe" anything to anyone. They both employ plenty of people and pay a ridiculous tax rate so even without giving a cent they are helping with their taxes, just like all of us are.

Of course if they choose to give I think it is great. Anytime someone with the means goes above and beyond and contributes to charity or even sets one up it is great and I applaud them. I do feel though that it is and should be a choice, not an expectation from anyone.

I also don't think they need to give to everything. There are some charities I donate to and some I don't. No one can give to everything and there is no reason to think that people who do give to one cause don't care about the causes they don't give to. Any of us who donate have our own reasons for donating to the charities we choose. There are also a lot of people who give anonymously. For all we know wealthy celebrities donate all the time to causes but we don't know because they don't feel the need to stand up and broadcast that they do.

I also don't think what one gives is dependent on what another gives. What I choose to donate to a charity is not dependent on what my friends or a celebrity donates and vice versa. This is also true of an organization or a country. Just because we give doesn't mean we should expect anyone else to follow suit.

Bottom line, charity is great, needed, and if you can give you probably should. It should always be a choice though and not a mandate by any of us.

If you read further you would see *I* did not think they *owed* anything. It was pretty much a hypothetical question.

 

[FireDancer]

If you read further you would see *I* did not think they *owed* anything. It was pretty much a hypothetical question.

I wasn't really referring to you as much as the societal opinion which often seems to be that the wealthy are obligated to donate to help those less fortunate. Perhaps they should and it is nice when they do but I don't feel anyone is obligated to give to charity.

I was sort of anticipating where this would go from past experience but didn't feel like wasting time reading the whole thread.

 

[snapppyd]

I wasn't really referring to you as much as the societal opinion which often seems to be that the wealthy are obligated to donate to help those less fortunate. Perhaps they should and it is nice when they do but I don't feel anyone is obligated to give to charity.

I was sort of anticipating where this would go from past experience but didn't feel like wasting time reading the whole thread.

Believe it or not I agree with you.

 

[wvjules]

See here, you are just trying to continue a debate. I edited my post with good intentions when it was pointed out to me that is was confusing. You are the one who said "who cares". A lot of us care.

I think she went back in and edited because she realized that not everyone was understanding her original intent. Sometimes our thoughts don't come out quite like we intended them do and some people misunderstand them.

She was just curious. It's human nature to be curious, doesn't mean that curiousty is judging though.

Why are you trying to pick a fight? You´re the one who asked "who cares"? You for one obviously do care about some parts of this subject, since you want to debate it. I never said you don´t care about Haitians, so if you say someone else doesn´t do it either, you must be the one saying you don´t care about them.

My post was in response to the ORIGINAL POST not the edited, cleared-up version. I was not judging the OP, nor am I trying to pick a fight, Freyja. I was thinking the same thing about you when you posted "However, you don´t seem to care." and this "And so people can´t be interested in things that aren´t their business? "