There are badges for "buying hand-made" and that sort of thing.
I get those badges--I do.
BUT
as I have said before--I am not BUYING. I am MAKING.
Where are the buttons and badges that say--I took the pledge to MAKE hand-made?
No-I am not able of knowledgeable enough to make the buttons -- although maybe soon I will decide to find some tutorials on how to do it and make some up myself.
Every time I check out on paypal lately there has been a spot to donate to this cause or that when I do my final checkout.
It's a different cause every time I check out.
Most people know I rarely give money to human causes unless they are specifically for children -- or abused women--depending upon the charity. I never give money to political or religious causes anymore. I used to donate to certain religious causes--traveling monks bring something out in me--and every church I enter still gets something from me--but those are different. I have no problem paying to light candles in a church--but then again--I haven't been inside an actual church since the last time I was in Eureka Springs, AR. But "religious" causes--not one penny shall you see from me.
I don't do politics--period. I do not support politics--I do not aid politics--and I rarely discuss politics. At any level.
I give to animal and environmental causes--every year--whether I am working or not. It may not be much some years--but I always give something.
But about 5 years ago I decided I would not give actual money to anything outside of this country. I do alot of the free click here to donate stuff -- I am ok with donating my time--and I am ok with donating fiber-related goods as well (like Afghans for Afghans)--although I prefer Warm Up America.
I saw this afternoon a blurb to donate $1 to help feed hungry children in Rwanda. Yes, I believe the children need help. Yes, I believe everyone there needs help, and food, and shelter, and whatever else can make their lives better. BUT--I KNOW there are people in this country starving--people w jobs--not just the homeless--people who can barely survive, who cannot afford clothing for their kids, people who can't make the rent, people without credit cards and cars and welfare, people who cannot afford medical insurance for themselves or their children--no matter what the governments say they are doing to ensure every child is insured.
Who helps these people? Where is the blurb to donate $1 to feed a starving American child? Where are the buttons to help save the children on American Reservations, like this one--or do we need to really look at the only actual original citizens of this country and how 'well' this country treats them yet again .....
Where are the buttons and badges and blurbs to donate to help the single mothers out there who 'technically' make too much money to qualify for insurance or food stamps--who cannot afford clothing for their children--who can't make it to a church to go through the donated clothes-- who don't get child support--who don't have family or friends -- who are too busy working to try to pay the bills they have just to keep something going in hopes one day things might be better?
Where are the buttons to help the battered and abused people--not just women--who though society says they are fine simply can no longer function within the parameters of the society around them? Where are the buttons for the homeless? Where are the badges for the starving strangling huddled American masses that everyone seeks so valiantly to ignore and deny?
No. I will not donate money to those outside this country. Time, yes. Money, no. We need to take care of the people here in this country before we get so busy over-extending our budget to help other countries. If we make ourselves stronger first, we will be that much better able to help others in the long run.
And off my high horse I come and leave this discussion for some other time.
