Charity begins at home

Someone came to my door tonight requesting a donation for the Haiti earthquake fund. She asked very politely and explained that the Education Committee here had organized the collection, and the amount of cash in her bucket showed that people had already been giving very generously.

Equally politely, I explained that I would not be making a donation.

Now, don't get me wrong, I think that what has happened in Haiti is truly awful; I feel nothing but sorrow for all those affected, and as I have mentioned before, two of my colleagues here have friends and family there. No, the reason I didn't give is that, in my opinion, a charitable donation should be a personal choice made on one's own terms and should not be something that is solicited on a doorstep.

Does this make me a bad person? I don't think so. An old teacher of mine once put forward the argument that charitable giving could be seen as counter-productive as it took the burden of responsibility off the government's shoulders and put it on those of the public instead, and whilst I would not necessarily subscribe to this point of view, when I make a donation it will always be out of choice, not out of guilt. There are collection boxes in school and at both the stores here, so I know exactly where to go. Maybe I have been already.

I am not trying to demean anyone's efforts here or to criticise anyone who has already made a donation, solicited or otherwise, as the people of Haiti need all the help they can get. It's just something I feel strongly about. Please understand that.