Charity
By Brandon Astor Jones
"Those who would administer wisely must, indeed, be wise, for one of the serious obstacles to the improvement of the [human] race is indiscriminate charity." — Andrew Carnegie (1889)
The Scottish-born US industrialist and philanthropist's words are poignant even today. At various times of the year many good and truly caring people give what they can to one or more of their favourite organisations in the name of charity.
That is a good thing, but too often some give to those who don't really need charity. That is especially so when they give a dollar to an organisation so huge that it requires 90 cents of that dollar to pay the upper middle class "volunteer" to get the other 10 cents to a person who may or may not be in need.
I do not discourage charitable behaviour — quite the contrary — but I am urging all who would be charitable to also be discriminating with their charity. Do not give a dollar to an organisation that will use 90 cents of it administratively to determine who the remaining 10 cents will go to. Please be wiser than that.
Give where you feel that you can do the most good. Give as much as you can, and, while you are in that benevolent state, I hope that some of you will also think of people in need like me. Yes, I need your help, and I am not ashamed to ask for it.
This prison does not allow us to work for pay, nor does it supply copy services free. It does not supply postage stamps, paper, envelopes, pens or pencils. It sells all of those things to us via the prison store. We are allowed to spend $50 each week.
Writing, the way I do, is a very costly endeavour in a US prison. I need your help. Immediately. I can assure you that every dollar that you share with me, I will spend more than 90 cents of before taxes. However, do not send money to me. Make the money order out to: Mr Del Cassidy,142 Wilmer Street, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA. He will see that I get every cent.
Be sure to put a note on the envelope, "For Brandon"; and please include your full name and address so that I can acknowledge your kindness.
[The writer is a prisoner on death row in the United States. He welcomes letters commenting on his columns (include your name and full return address on the envelope, or prison authorities may refuse to deliver it). He can be written to at: Brandon Astor Jones, EF-122216, G3-77, Georgia Diagnostic & Classification Prison, PO Box 3877, Jackson, GA 30233, USA.]