Every day I see this charities ad. The guy basically tried to guilt you into sponsoring a child. What I really hate is the guy saying "you're not too busy right now, so pick up the phone".. while I'm working, cleaning, doing some parenting chore or doing something which pretty much makes me busy.
He also says that 27,000 children "died last night". I see this commercial every weekday, for the last 8 or so months. This means they are saying 4,320,000 children have dies (at least, since this is just considering 5 days a week) in the last 8 months. OVER 4 MILLION!! I couldn't find any numbers like this on the website, though. But, it does say they help "more than 7.6 million" children. If 27,000 die every night, then they aren't doing too well.
I went to the website and asked them to break-down these numbers. I'm not sure if my submission made it or not. Once you click you want to submit the question, it takes you to an account creation form and doesn't say if it was submitted or not. I'm certainly not creating an account! We'll see if they answer... if it went through.
Posted by Kevin at March 23, 2004 03:08 PMI agree that 4 million kids dying in the past eight months is a little ludicrous. Based on that, the company loses all credibility. The facts are not in favor of organized charity. Welfare. Does our nation's system of getting people back on their feet work or is that not their objective. How much money is wasted in the buerecratic mess known as the US government.
The most effective charity i have seen has been at my local church. I know all you atheists must be rolling your heathen eyes(just kidding), but my church runs a food pantry. No money changes hands, a number of people from the church donate non-perishable food items that are stored in a room. Anyone in need simply talks to the pastor and takes home a weeks worth of groceries. No 800 number, no guilt or interruption, just giving out of the goodness of one's heart anonymously. The way it should be.
As far as people in need that live overseas, i think that there can be no peace without victory. Situations like our involvement in somalia. The somalian people were having a civil war. Yes people were dying, people were starving, children were suffering; but if a foreign nation suddenly unveiled its unmatched military prowress during our civil war, how would we have felt. The Europeans sold ships and arms to the rebel south and the federals were fuming. What were we to expect, open arms?
We would have recieved open arms if we had just air dropped small packages of toaster pastries, cereal bars and medicine all over the place. That would be charity. Sorry for the tangent, my rant is done.
I agree that 4 million kids dying in the past eight months is a little ludicrous. Based on that, the company loses all credibility. The facts are not in favor of organized charity. Welfare. Does our nation's system of getting people back on their feet work or is that not their objective. How much money is wasted in the buerecratic mess known as the US government.
The most effective charity i have seen has been at my local church. I know all you atheists must be rolling your heathen eyes(just kidding), but my church runs a food pantry. No money changes hands, a number of people from the church donate non-perishable food items that are stored in a room. Anyone in need simply talks to the pastor and takes home a weeks worth of groceries. No 800 number, no guilt or interruption, just giving out of the goodness of one's heart anonymously. The way it should be.
As far as people in need that live overseas, i think that there can be no peace without victory. Situations like our involvement in somalia. The somalian people were having a civil war. Yes people were dying, people were starving, children were suffering; but if a foreign nation suddenly unveiled its unmatched military prowress during our civil war, how would we have felt. The Europeans sold ships and arms to the rebel south and the federals were fuming. What were we to expect, open arms?
We would have recieved open arms if we had just air dropped small packages of toaster pastries, cereal bars and medicine all over the place. That would be charity. Sorry for the tangent, my rant is done.
I hate those ads, too. Get this, I received a letter from another similar children's charity last week! I began to tear the envelope, as usual, to pitch it into the trash. When I ripped open the envelope there were 3 coins glued on to the enclosed form! A shiny nickel, and two shiny pennies! How asinine! They were giving ME money, and pleading to save the children!
Posted by: janine on May 16, 2004 11:34 PM