Every once in a while, I have a feeling that I am a Bad Person. I don't pity the people who get flooded out for the third time in three years (even animals have mastered pattern recognition). I don't give quarters to homeless people (it's extortion of the bleeding hearts, not community service). I threw away my United Way pledge card (touching, but I won't get into the pattern of forced giving). I refused to buy a pumpkin at Applebee's last night (no cash).
Despite the large body of evidence attesting to my miserly personality, here is what I will do:
Donate to the Shriners outside of Walmart
Give to missions work at my church (where I am assured that all of the money goes to where I designate)
What I won't do:
Help people who don't help themselves
Perpetuate the recipient's sense of entitlement
Pay for someone else's systematic poor choices
I think that welfare is misused just as much as it helps. I think that given a chance, people would rather support private causes than government sponsored charity. For once, I'd like to see the government give me choice on who I am going to assist. I am even willing to accept a mandate that X% of my income goes to charity, so long as I can pick which charity it goes to.
This is one reason why I am a bad person.
