# Celebrities donating to charity **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 20, 2004, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-donating-to-charity/260633 "2004-08-20T01:22:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2004, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-donating-to-charity/260633/61 "2004-08-20T23:26:10Z")
You know, I’ve read this entire thread, and the one question I have that no-one has addressed is: **Why should anyone be expected to give anything at all to anyone at all?** Acts of charity are just that. Any whining about the amount or method is hypocritical, to say the least. The “Haves” are under zero legal obligation to anything at all for the “Have-nots.” That they choose to do so, for whatever reason, is their business. They are the ones who earned, inherited, or otherwise have the money. What moral claim does \*anyone else \* have on it? None. I give to charity…rather generously considering that I am lower-middle class. But that is my business, and my business alone. If I ever got the slightest bit of flack over my contribution to any cause from the recipients, it would be the last dime they ever saw from me. In fact, I would probably go out of my way to make sure that no-one else helped them out, either. Never look a gift horse, and all that. ---
**Author:** ![DefyingGravity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@DefyingGravity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DefyingGravity)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2004, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-donating-to-charity/260633/62 "2004-08-21T00:45:31Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > You know, I’ve read this entire thread, and the one question I have that no-one has addressed is: **Why should anyone be expected to give anything at all to anyone at all?** > > \ > > The “Haves” are under zero legal obligation to anything at all for the “Have-nots.” That they choose to do so, for whatever reason, is their business. They are the ones who earned, inherited, or otherwise have the money. What moral claim does \*anyone else \* have on it? None. > > I give to charity…rather generously considering that I am lower-middle class. But that is my business, and my business alone. If I ever got the slightest bit of flack over my contribution to any cause from the recipients, it would be the last dime they ever saw from me. In fact, I would probably go out of my way to make sure that no-one else helped them out, either… Wow. Well, you’re right. No legal obligation. No moral obligation, for you apparently. Ethical obligation? That’s another debate. I guess this just goes to show that everyone has their own set of values, and their own level of concern for others. I applaud your generosity. Karen ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2004, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-donating-to-charity/260633/63 "2004-08-21T14:26:10Z")
How about no ethical obligation. Why are charities inheriently better than spending your money on goods and services. Let’s say I have an extra $400 a month. I can hire a housekeeper (I used to have someone clean my house and that was what I paid her). She has income she wouldn’t have had, I have a clean house. Or I can give that money to the local art museum and they can buy some art painted 100 years ago from someone wealthy. I could patronize a local designer who hires local seamstresses. I’d be helping someone succeed while helping local people stay employed. Or I could donate it to the local food shelf so the unemployed could have food. I’d rather have those people employed and eating. Money put out in the world, in whatever form, is good. Money saved is also good, for other reasons - it provides capital. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2004, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-donating-to-charity/260633/64 "2004-08-21T17:16:07Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > Well then Munch, I suggest you donate 10% of your net worth to charity. Even better would be donating 100%! Give till it hurts, man. I say this with all due respect, **Lemur** , but what the absolute fuck are you talking about? \*\*furt \*\* gave an incorrect statement, I corrected him. What the hell does that have to do with my donation dollars? ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2004, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-donating-to-charity/260633/65 "2004-08-21T21:33:57Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > I say this with all due respect, **Lemur** , but what the absolute fuck are you talking about? \*\*furt \*\* gave an incorrect statement, I corrected him. What the hell does that have to do with my donation dollars? I think **Lemur** is trying to suggest you should donate 100% of your net worth, thereby donating a negative amount, and increasing your cash flow, y’see. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-donating-to-charity/260633.md?page=3)