"Nah, screw them poor black bastards. 21 25.61% "

Still in the lead! This is like watching a prejudiced horse race or something..

Let's stick to the poll itself please ...
or, if you must discuss the poll options, do so respectfully..

I haven't donated because I strongly feel that money donated to these types of charities is being abused for corrupt reasons, and I do not wish to feed that corruption. I can't prove that the money is being used for corrupt purposes, but since I don't actually know what happens when I donate money (i.e. what exactly is the money used for when it is donated?), then I refuse to donate.

I think everyone here could at least afford to donate a quarter or a dollar, even those who claim to be horribly poor; I'm not exactly rich either, but I admit that I could donate a dollar--I just don't want to.

I also didn't donate because I feel like there's no need. My taxes are alread going to the aid effort.

Another thing I don't get: Why should it be fes responsibilty to provide money relief when all the people who live in hurricane region, Florida, etc (red states) are plenty aware of the risks? Let the insurance companies and private sector and local govts. take care of it. This is ridiculous.

How about...

No, I haven't and I'm not going to because I'm still recovering financially from the five storms that hit my area last year and though I feel for those who are so devastated, had the tree I parked my car under (intentionally) actually fallen on it, instead of the neighbor's house, the POS wouldn't be sucking up all of my available funds. That, and I work in social services. And... since I work in a field that relies heavily on donations, I know that sometimes funds don't end up in the hands that really need it.

Yes, I am struggling and on a tight budget but I did donate a little bit, and helped out at a shelter. I too think we have an obligation to help others in need if we can. If you can't, for whatever reason, there's no shame in not being able. Or, if for some reason you feel like you shouldn't...well that's your choice obviously. Tragedy strikes everybody sooner or later, and it's nice to know there are people out there who are willing to step up and help out when needed.

I have to say, it seems odd to have a kind of blanket, unsubstantiated mistrust of charities. That said, there are some organizations that rate charities on their efficiency, as well as other metrics.

http://www.charitywatch.org/

http://www.charitynavigator.org/

I have not given for several reasons.
A - barely had enough for groceries this week for my family let alone leftover money. Last week I scavanged the couch for change to get milk.
B - I'm still trying to wrap my mind around ALL these people who were warned that the storm was coming, stayed, got trapped, and now want help. I can understand helping with their housing but why did so much relief money have to go to rescue. I know this is a long debate and don't intend to get into it here. I just cannot understand it and thus have less empathy for those who were able bodied and stood around waiting for someone ELSE to give them a ride. WALK - you got two good legs. Walking would have gotten them a long ways before the storm hit. I know smarter people who were hit by the storms in Fla last year - relatives. Some of our relatives did not stay there - they were not physically fit either. They found a way out and good thing they did. They lost their homes. It took a long time but they have a new home now. How you get yourself into a situation like this and don't make an attempt to get out of it yourself - I cannot comprehend it. (end of rant)

When someone can make me understand what the TRUE situation was that made these people REAL victims. Then I will give to the REAL victims what money I am able to vacuum out of my carpet.

Please, aren't there enough other threads that deal with this debate? If you don't think they are worthy of even your sympathy, much less your money, just say so, and leave it at that.

If I had just made a post that said "Screw them poor black bastards, because I hate them" then you might have a valid point. However, since the day after the storm, I have heard nothing but how the main reason that there is a lack of aid is racism. Everyone from the mayor of N.O. to Jesse Jackson to most of the major media outlets have claimed that "hateful white folks" are not helping victims. So there are are great number of people who, [i]at the very least/i] believe that everyone who doesn't help is a hateful callous racist. So I don't know how you could have a poll and not have that as an option, when so many people claim that is the only reason people are not helping. You are absolutely right in saying that response is ignorant, which is exactly why it is worded the way it is, because someone who would legitimately use that as their reason would say it pretty much as worded in the poll (except maybe laced with profanity and the "word that shall not be named").

23-22, "Yes" is catching up!

As for my opinion.. it's mixed. I distrust charities, I jaded in the fact that anyone still trapped is an idiot for staying, and anyone starving isn't resourceful enough. That said, I'd be compassionate enough to donate if I could actually see it going to a useful cause. And yes, I voted screwing black bastards, but only in jest. :)

With any luck you'll go through life without ever having anything catastrophic happen to you. Something that might require the help of others.

I think people are forgetting that many of the people trapped were either confined to hospital beds or in wheel chairs.

I didn't donate because I think there's plenty of charity disbursed already between the Red Cross, the Feds, athletes, entertainers, corporations/big business. Moreover, I feel I have already donated through my tax dollars.

If the Red Cross makes a plea for blood or volunteers, I would consider that (if I knew for certain the Red cross wouldn't sell my blood to a hospital as is their normal policy).

I am very impressed at how America rallied together and was so generous. It appears to me, that there is no further need for me to contribute. Especially seeing how we are turning away hundreds of millions of dollars from very willing foreign aid.

I'm unsure of whether or not I want to donate.

It sucks what happened and all, but seeing as how the govt failed to provide adequate funding to keep the most important structures (read: levees) maintained and up-to-date, they should be the ones to pay.

I'm serious, too. If you have a city below sea level, flat out, your top priority is to maintain those levees for the WORST... and trust me, it's easily possible with the technology and money we have these days. If you can send a man to the moon, you can build a f'n levee to withstand hurricanes.

...and where should the govt get this money from, you ask? Well, there's a meaningless war going on that's costing us about $200 billion. In fact, money that was to go to the SELA (Southeast Louisiana Urban Flood Control Project) was diverted to help pay for it sometime in 2003. It's about time they take from the "meaningless war fun" and apply it to something that's *actually* relevant to our reality.

I donated a few dollars to the RedCross. I'm not sure of how much it'll really help, but heh, it can't hurt..

I will leave tomorrow evening for 12 hour trip to Gretna...right accross the river from the superdome.....a group of men from our church are hauling several uhaul trailer loads of steaks, fajitas, and pork loin --and a BIG barba-A-Q..we are going to cook for the
guys that are working their butts off...and maybe give them a little break.....it's not much, but everything was donated.

They said to bring a sleeping bag and be completly self suffiecint....hmmmm sounds like we are on our own here...we will
see what the BIG GUY has instore for us.....more later..
Oh yea, Im 71 and I will sleep on the ground if thats what it takes...I just pray that it is enough..VG

I give the government a ton of money every year to deal with just this kind of thing. Of course, they piss it awy on pork and phony wars and arguing about whether or not they evolved from monkeys (they didn't, I did.) and then the pittance left over for disaster planning they put in the hands of a man who's chief qualification is that he once arranged a horse show....

I am philosophically apposed to charity. Doing together what we can't do individually is what government is <i>for</i>.