Hey, people were just telling her how she can do it with less effort. Anybody who gets it from a food shelf will need it. I think it’s pompous and condescending to try to make people compete for it with an essay contest.
I am really not the type to defend Br’er’s take on charity, since I drop our outgrown toys at my kids’ school because the charity center is out of my way.
But.
I don’t think she was asking for an essay contest. I am sure that if I had sent her a PM saying “Hey, things are tight around here and we could really use some of that formula. Here is my address”, she would have just sent it without asking for my tax returns to prove income.
I might be wrong, but that is how I saw it.
That’s fine by me, but seodoa suspected the OP of doing it solely for the positive recognition. Sure, there are probably people out there who start foundations or make large donations just to give them a positive image in the media, but on the SDMB? For a poster with 361 posts in over six years? Whose last post was four months ago, when she chimed in to give friendly advice on how to impede a vicious dog attack? Yea, that just screams self-centered pompous windbag.
DtC, I understand what you’re saying, but I just feel that Br’er Lapin’s attempt at a good deed was met with undue criticism and probing. She didn’t have enough formula to feed every hungry baby in the world, so why not give it to someone she feels a connection with?
ETA: That was very kind of you to offer to match her donation.
She wants to do it her way, so why not just let her? Who’s being pompous and condescending–the person trying to give, or the person trying to bully/browbeat/pressure (pick one that fits) her into giving the way he thinks it should be given?
Who’s trying to stop her?
Wow. Are you always such a cunt, or just for special occasions?
I give stuff away to people on here all them time. When I see a thread and I realize I can help out, I do what I can. So yes, I do get to decide who’s worthy enough.
That doesn’t make me a bad person. That makes me a smart manager of my resources.
Why don’t you go fuck yourself instead of attacking a poster who was trying to do something nice for a member of her (online) community.
Pretty much always. I figure why waste it just on special occasions? Life’s too short not to use the good china and all that.
Ah well, good then.
As long as you’re spreading it around equally.
I’m drawing a parallel here (probably wrong, so tell me why) -
If a bully tries to intimidate someone in a crowd its pretty much a given that he is being a jerk.
Now according to the op, if somebody stands up to the bully, that person is also a jerk?
seodoa honestly, it looks like you waded into the thread with the intention of drawing a pitting on yourself. And when that didn’t happen, you started a pit thread about it.
I have to agree with the OP, people who come into a thread for the purpose of calling out a questionable post as threadshitting is a threadshitter themselves IMO, report the post, or take it to the pit.
ION: Baby formula is apparently a hot commodity for thieves. Just a few weeks ago someone stole a cargo trailer filled nearly 700k worth of Enfamil in GR. The FBI has linked some who deal in black market baby formula to terrorists operations!
ANyone who has cases of the stuff to give away free should be careful that 1)the formula is still safe and unadulterated and 2) they are sure of the origin of the stuff. :dubious:
Yes. They also use the powdered form to cut drugs. It is one of the most stolen items in a lot of stores. It is not needy mothers stealing it.
FTR from reading the other thread (I had to read it, it was closed) it seems that it was not closed for anything that was said by any of the above posters. It was closed because it has been long standing policy that any appeals or offers of charity have to be cleared by the mods first. There was an offer to reopen after it was cleared through emails.
Diogenes, she did NOT ask for an essay or any kind of an explanation for why they needed it, and you really should stop saying that’s what she was asking for, because absolutely nowhere did she say “write me something to convince me you’re worthy of my largesse.” Sapo is right, she merely stated that she would rather give it to someone who is needy than just anyone who might have a baby who could use it…that doesn’t mean she’s going to grill anyone, it just means that she’d like those who aren’t really needy to refrain from asking for it.
For every box you guys donate to a shelter, I am going to not donate double that amount.
Seems like lately every one of your posts has been cracking me up. Keep on keepin’ on! 
Anyone who gets it from a food shelf will be needy. Anyone who lobbies for it on the internet may or may not be needy.
I reread the linked post and find that she has a friend who has trash bags full of formula from people who were trying to help out? Trash bags full of unwanted formula? That is suspicious imo.
i guess if its given away for free on the internet no one will ask questions like maybe a shelter or WIC agency would?
See, I find this hilariously backwards. Strangers on the internet are more of a community than the actual community in which you live?
Good on you for donating to a charity. I just don’t comprehend how it’s better in your mind to donate to random people online instead of an actual local organization specifically set up for that purpose that will help people in your actual community.
Maybe, but so what? She was trusting whoever asked for it to be honest and only ask for it if they could really use the help. Food pantries pretty much do the same thing…they don’t ask to see a paycheck stub, and neither did she.
I’m not necessarily arguing that giving the stuff away on the SDMB is the best idea, but you are mischaracterizing her request with no evidence to back it up, and I think that’s pretty uncool.
I feel guilty for all the drugs I bought with the money I made selling formula I stole from food shelters. Whoever wants a few kilos, go ahead and post an essay of at least 1,000 words as to why you deserve it.
If you don’t, you can’t be my friend and I’ll never do anything charitable again. Drama.
It seems like you’re trying to stop her from donating to people here because you think it’s not good enough. Come to think of it, if you’re really being charitable, why does your donation depend on hers? It seems like you’re using your donation as leverage to make her feel bad about her donation. Such a spirit of giving!
My response to you would be “I’m giving to whoever I want. If for some bizarre reason that makes you choose not to make a donation of your own, don’t pretend that was my choice.” Your “gift” is pure manipulation.