The Spirit of Holiday Giving-by Default
Am I a bad New Yorker because I do not trust the red aproned Salvation Army bell tinkerers? Perhaps too many reports of charity frauds have tarnished me. Or maybe it's because, in general, the solicitors are a disheveled lot, barely capable of completing only a few weeks of labor per year. I prefer to give directly and avoid any organized group thumping for a handout- and I'm no charitable purist either. If a homeless man decides to buy a squeeze bottle of low grade booze with my money, I'm okay with that. Too often, charities squander finances in far more unethical ways. So, to me, buying a beer for a homeless vet is superior to sponsoring some "not-for-profit" organization's upgrade to penthouse offices In fact, I'd prefer to buy a deck of heroin for a struggling musician before I give another penny to those adolescent scam artists looking for a free summer sports vacation. What kind of negligent parent would send their kids into a dangerous inters