us, some didn't even give us the courtesy of a yes or no. Some people walked into the other door, hiding behind their phones or jackets, trying not to make eye contact. Now, I do understand that not everyone donates to the same causes, some people give their time and money to other organizations that they are involved in. This is how Emerson is with his causes, and while I do acknowledge this and agree that it is their choice, the way that some blatantly ignored us seemed unnecessary. After buying a $4 drink, I wondered if people simply wanted to use their money on their causes, or just didn't donate at all (which is also their choice). Standing out for two hours in this 20° weather (some people were out there for longer), I thought about Emerson's views on the topic in Self-Reliance:"I tell thee, though foolish philanthropist, that I grudge the dollar, the dime, the cent, I give to such men as do not belong to me and to whom I do not belong. There is a class of persons to whom by all spiritual affinity I am bought and sold; for them I will go to prison, if need be; but your miscellaneous popular charities... though I confess with shame I sometimes succumb and give the dollar, it is a wicked dollar which by and by I shall have the manhood to withhold" (22).
Emerson doesn't donate to a cause to look good to others, he believes in his causes and does what he needs to do for them. While this is probably true for some of the people who did not donate, I wonder if the majority had the same beliefs or just didn't want to donate. If someone had told us that they donate to another cause and that's why they didn't to us, that would be different than being completely ignored. Emerson believes that he shouldn't have to donate to causes just because, but I have to wonder whether these people had his views, or were just to uninvolved to acknowledge us.
1 comment:
Mimi, I can completely understand where you are coming from because I participated in asking for donations for Special Olympics this morning (in Winnetka). It is really interesting to see the different types of people and their reactions. I was very suprised to find the number of people who said they would donate on the way out and ended up using the other door to avoid donating. Personally, I think many of them were just trying to avoid giving up their money instead of prioritizing their charities. Although many people were very generous (one woman even bought me a hot chocolate), I do not think that the majority refused to donate due to the same reasons as Emerson.
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