Charity Begins at Home

[Keith]

It's even worse than I always feared. These days any charitable 'works' I indulge in tend to be local and direct so I can actually see where the money is going. Currently I am supporting 'Help-for-Heroes' with my 'widows mite' based about 20 miles away in Downton Wiltshire.

But this.. is wrong on so many levels.....

BBC News - Comic Relief money invested in arms and tobacco shares

I would draw your attention to this snippet in the editorial, in case you don't make it through:

"Comic Relief has now changed the way it presents its accounts and it is currently impossible for the public to tell which funds the charity currently invests in.
It declined to comment on whether any money invested since 2009 is in shares in alcohol, arms, or tobacco companies."

 

[Larry L.]

That snippet tells you all you need to know about the outfit.

'Nuff' said.

 

[Robert May Eng.]

Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut........... The sole purpose of the charity is to raise money for the said hero`s. If say you were against a profitable shares investment in tobacco because of health issues they cause would those shares go unsold??? No because someone else would buy them to profit by, its morals to the wind if its money driven.

Bob

 

[Keith]

I can assure you that no money donated to HFH goes to weapons manufacturers. Alcohol is another matter. However, Comic Relief donates it's billions to other charities, who, amongst other things, in turn donate or provide services for victims of war and alcoholism.

Stupid...immoral.

 

[Mark]

I thought Comic Relief was solely to support poor, disadvantaged Africans, particularly children. Seems odd to Invest in Arms, when it is the sale of Arms to African Despots that supports those Despots in keeping the public down in those countries?

Am I missing something?

 

[Keith]

No you're not but I'm fed up with Devil's Advocates. You've either got a position or you haven't. Empathy is brilliant - in small doses.

 

[Mark]

Well then, it is BAD. I think it is bad. That is my position.

 

[Robert May Eng.]

Ok you win Colonel. My take on the charity funding matter is money is what is needed so through fair means or foul chase it. As far as the moral issues go if folk feel strongly enough about arms or any other products and their designations they should apply pressure in a different and more effective way. A friend of mine has a port folio full of shares that he never looks at , its left in the capable hands of his friend who is a broker . Knowing him well I would say that if he bothered to look at where and on what his friends have steered his investments he would have a heart attack.

Bob

 

[Keith]

Then that is, in my view, the unacceptable face of capitalism.

 

[Larry L.]

That snippet tells you all you need to know about the outfit.

'Nuff' said.

Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut........... The sole purpose of the charity is to raise money for the said hero`s. If say you were against a profitable shares investment in tobacco because of health issues they cause would those shares go unsold??? No because someone else would buy them to profit by, its morals to the wind if its money driven.

Bob

My obviously badly made point was - judging from the snippet - the outfit doesn't appear to be completely forthcoming, open and transparent.

'Just MHO.

 

[Mark]

Ok you win Colonel. My take on the charity funding matter is money is what is needed so through fair means or foul chase it. As far as the moral issues go if folk feel strongly enough about arms or any other products and their designations they should apply pressure in a different and more effective way. A friend of mine has a port folio full of shares that he never looks at , its left in the capable hands of his friend who is a broker . Knowing him well I would say that if he bothered to look at where and on what his friends have steered his investments he would have a heart attack.

Bob

Sorry Bob, but this is what is fucked up about it all. No one gives a shit, just take the fucking money.

 

[Robert May Eng.]

We all have a choice on where we spend our hard earned and if one feels strongly enough about issues like these one can opt out. I got a whiff of info many moons ago about the founders of Mcdonnalds feeding cash to Noraid. Well to me any cash from the usa going to the then murderous IRA was something I had issues with, it turns out it could have been a rumour but for me that was that.. I flatly refused to use any of their outlets from that day to this, try that when you have seven kids. Choice`s ...use them.

Bob

 

[Pete McCluskey.]

We all have a choice on where we spend our hard earned and if one feels strongly enough about issues like these one can opt out. I got a whiff of info many moons ago about the founders of Mcdonnalds feeding cash to Noraid. Well to me any cash from the usa going to the then murderous IRA was something I had issues with, it turns out it could have been a rumour but for me that was that.. I flatly refused to use any of their outlets from that day to this, try that when you have seven kids. Choice`s ...use them.

Bob

And you lost Ten pounds:thumbsup:

 

[Mark]

What I find disturbing in your post re a friends' investments Bob, is the fact he (people/investors in general), often don't bother to look, or to find out, where their funds are being invested. As you mentioned, if he knew, he may have a heart attack!

My point is, that is the problem right there. Your choice to boycott md's seems sound and logical, if the reported funding of terrorism were true. However, most don't care where there food comes from, how there money goes to fund causes they themselves would never condone, etc. Until folks do care enough, care more than simply getting the best returns, we are screwed.

Your friend made the choice to invest. He also chose not to care who may have got hurt.