...The penny should definitely continue to be used in the United States. Eliminating the penny would be a bad choice because pennies can easily be given to charity, when people have too many to carry. Also, if we eliminate the penny there would be inflation, many Americans are attached to the penny and wouldn't want our currencies to change because the history we have with the penny in the United States. If we stop using the penny there will be inflation. Money wise, it is a bad idea to stop making the penny. Eliminating the coin could cost consumers up to 600 million dollars a year. Without the penny, prices would have to be raised or lowered to the nearest five cents, rounding could never be done fairly. Either the business is losing money,...
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...to help. Should we help our fellow people at home before we help those in other countries? Should who we help be determined based on need? It is up to each of us to determine our stance on this moral dilemma based on our personal values, morals and ethical outlooks. Some people believe we are morally responsible to help those who...
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...English 101 01 Aug 2012 World Hunger Someone knocks at your door. When you open the door you see a child, he seems small and malnourished. The child says that he has not eaten for two days. You are a little skeptical of the situation and ask where his parents are and he says, that they are homeless and that are living in a field nearby. As for you, you have just enough food to make it to your next payday yourself. You know that you could survive skipping a meal during the week to give up the child, surely the child is still alive after not eating for two days. A thought enters your mind, why should I give up my food or resources to this child. It’s not your fault that he has not eaten and why should you make yourself uncomfortable by giving up a meal. You send the child on his way. Garrett Hardin an ecologist and author wrote, “Lifeboat Ethics: the Case Against Helping the Poor” for Psychology Today (1974 Sept).Hardin would have also undoubtedly sent the child on his way. Hardin would argue that it not your fault and that you would not be helping the child by giving your recourses or food to help him. On the other hand an Australian philosopher and author Peter Singer wrote, “The Singer Solution to World Poverty” for The New Times Magazine, (1999 Sept) would have certainly given up the food and more to help the child and his family. Different as it may seem both Hardin and Singer are using the same philosophy just...
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...American people donate half of their fortunes to charity by joining the organization founded by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and billionaire investor Warren Buffet in June. In a conference call Wednesday Warren Buffet explained more of the purpose behind founding the organization, saying that he, Bill Gates, Melinda Gates and others, have been calling other rich American people to join the organization and to give a helping hand by calling some of their friends while they are at it. To make it more nationwide there will be held small dinners, to spread the word but they are also planning to meet with groups of wealthy people outside of America, such as China and India. Some of the generous donating people have decided to stay anonymous, while others were simply not interested in joining. Even though they agreed, those who did agree, to pay half of their fortunes none of them will be told when or how to give their money. Text 1 is written by Jon Swartz in form of an article where he explains the idea behind The Giving Pledge. It is written in a way where the project is set in a positive perspective, and he has a couple of statements from the founders themselves, but also some of those who give half of their fortune to charity. In text 2 we get a more personal view of this project because it is written by Warren Buffet, who is one of the founders of The Giving Pledge. He gives us a personal explanation about why he chose to start such a project and what his really...
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...Salinas Mrs. Urquhart English 11 May 14, 2012 Should English be the official language in America? A very intense discussion now a day is if we should make English the official language of America. Most American’s say yes, but there are also American with a foreign back round that say no. There are really good arguments for making English the official language, but there are also really strong reasons to why English should not be made the official language in America. I will give my reasons on why I don’t think it matters if it is made the official language or not. If English was made the “official” language of America it would make more sense to many foreign people. It would get them to realize that they should know how to speak English along with their native language. It won’t mean that they’ll forget about their culture, but they will have to learn many new things if they plan to stay in America. Many American complain about foreigners talking in their native language because they think we’re talking about them. There are many small reasons on why it should be made the official language, but there is one big reason that I had never thought about until I talked to Mrs. Thompson. When you go off into a huge business the most common language we use in America is English! Even when we are making business overseas we still use it as the official language. When we go to the stores, pharmacies, schools, and even big events like charities or special events we speak English! English...
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...to understand what is expected of them or the physician and/or medical office are unable to explain it. Connie C. Chan writes of the frightening ordeal that these non-English speaking women are forced to face. Imagine walking into a medical office where you are unable to fill out the forms, are given 3 minutes with the physician and come out unable to explain what it is that has brought you there. This scenario isn’t fiction, it happens every day. The Statue of Liberty states to “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses, yearning to breathe free”, but what it doesn’t say on the bottom line is you can have these benefits as long as you can speak English. We are supposed to be a land of equal opportunity, but that just isn’t true. Chan writes when speaking on the issue of Asian-American immigrant woman and their lack of available healthcare for abortions that “they do not speak English; they do not demand equal access to health care; their needs are easily overlooked.” But why are they overlooked? I would argue that they do not demand their rights because they do not know they have them. It is a sad state indeed when women, such as Chan must personally advocate for women’s health issues without even the support of her medical office simply because no one else will. However, even though a significant portion of the problem, as I see it, has to do with the lack of communication, I also believe it has to do with an economic issue. These women are being discriminated...
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...pennies a day, $7 a month or $50 a year seems so easy to do and you wouldn’t miss that money anyway right? But should you? Feed the children is one of the most popular charity organizations in the United States. This charity was created by Reverend Larry Jones in 1979. The Oklahoma City headquarters buzzed with activity After the Haiti earthquake, as donors sent in a million dollars in cash. According to CBS News investigative correspondent Sharyl Attkisson, most donors have no idea about the nasty accusations that is tearing apart the billion-dollar a year charity. Millions of donators ask themselves one simple question, where does my money really go? Do we want to give charities the benefit of the doubt that they are indeed honest? Do we hope that the hard earned money we give out of our pockets really go straight to those poor suffering? Those whom are moved by the sad and desperate TV commercials asking for our help would be appalled to find out, only 10% of the money they donate actually goes to those suffering. Feed the Children ask for a mere $7 per month to provide: food, medical, education and other needs. The non-profit takes in roughly $1 billion annually in cash and in-kind contributions, making it one of the nation's largest charities. The charity's claim that it spends 91% of donations on programs[->0] and likely makes donors assume that the charity is doling out 91 cents worth of...
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...State in America What are welfare/transfer payments? It means many different things to many different people. A helping hand, robbery, support, way of life, wrong, right, and more. To me, welfare/transfer payments are charity that the government mandates upon people. While that may seem harsh to some, lets look at the facts and breakdown my definition. Charity is defined as: “generous actions or donations to aid the poor, ill, or helpless”, (Simpson 488) and mandatory is defined as: “authoritatively ordered; obligatory; compulsory”. (Simpson 1207)Those who are eligible to pay taxes must do so, and then the government uses some of that money to give to the “needy” at their discretion. We have to pay it, and it goes to the “needy” I think mandatory charity fits that description adequately. I view this as fundamentally wrong. I believe it is not the role of the government to decide how much money I should donate to others, if any at all; that is a personal choice. Imagine if the government began collecting taxes en-masse and donating them to help stop animal cruelty. There would be enormous uproar and people would cry that the government is wasting their money on a silly cause. Personally, I would not view this as silly, and think it would be an admirable endeavor, but many would not, which is my point. Each person who gives money to a charity does so because of his or her personal feelings. Why is it mandatory that I give to the government’s charity or give at all? I should be able...
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...and Morality”, is both simplistic and unrealistic. Throughout this article Singer compares the ability to give to relief funds to a situation of coming upon a drowning child. Singer mentions arguments against giving to relief funds and then debunks the logic. Many feel the idea of giving to another country seems wrong when we have so many in close proximity to us, that also need help. As Signer said, the relief need of places such a Bengal is far worse than what we have in the United States. Any of Singer’s attempts to change the views of charity vs. duty seemed very radicle. To say we all have an obligation to assist in every situation is absurd. Everyone can agree that suffering and death from lack of food, shelter, and medical care is bad. If we have the power to prevent these bad things, are we not obligated to sacrifice everything we can to do so? This seems clear that morally we are obligated to prevent things we have the power to prevent. Yet there are so many situations that people make exceptions on and where morality and reason is challenged. Singer gives a scenario, a child drowning in a pond; you sacrifice the $70 worth of clothes that you are wearing to save the child. Then he says child in Bengal is in need of food, shelter, medical care, and $70 would go a long way for this child to also save its life. Yet people are less likely to send money through charities to save the starving Bengal child due to proximity. Singer believes the moral answer would be the same for...
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...200, 1994 Dr. England 9 April 2015 The Invisible Force The Psychological Drive to Give Charities have become a prominent form of giving in our society, but what drives us towards these mediums of exchange? Is it for our own satisfaction? Peer pressure? Guilt? My research shows that the conscious state of an individual plays the most important role when engaging in donating, it serves as the pendulum which is pushed by outside forces into contributing to charities. My definition of charitable giving is donating and allocating a portion of your assets for an underprivileged group of individuals with the intentions to better their lives. By assets I do not only mean money, I also mean any valued resources such as time and knowledge that can greatly enhance another individuals living standards. Participating in charities has an array of advantages, from the uplifting feeling it brings to the donator, to the benefits received by those in need, it serves as a mediator of joy and happiness for all those involved. Most of my research shows that the majority of disadvantages with charity stems from the consciousness of an individual, as noted earlier; if a person is not in the right state of mind, he or she will be liable to falling prey to countless scams and pressured donations. Fortunately, there are several solutions available in order to quell these fears, such as researching the charity beforehand, tracking what kind of impact your donations makes, and checking the legitimacy...
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...campaigns, about the “high living” of Aramony? Would these allegations affect your gift giving? Why or Why not? William Aramony, president of United Way who built United Way of America into one of the nation’s premier charities. The United Way has been an umbrella charity that was created as a fundraising organization to support many smaller charities. It has been supported by many business firms by fundraising drives and payroll deductions. He had headed the organization, and under his tenure, the organization grew rapidly, nearly quadrupling donations between 1970 and 1990. On the other hand, he was milking out the organization’s fund for his personal benefits such as significant limousine expenses, high salary and uncontrolled perks, international airfare for himself and guests, personal gifts and luxury items, travelling on the charity's dime for personal reasons, affair with young Florida women, loans and diversions of funds to companies that are owned by family members, a $4 million "golden parachute” etc. When an internal investigation and news reports disclosed his lavish life style, as a potential or actual giver to United Way campaigns, I felt terrible knowing all these fact where my contribution had been misused for his lavish lifestyle. I saw a clear sense of white-collar crime under the opportunity fraud triangle. Charitable organizations depend on contributions that people give freely out of a desire to help society, with no tangible personal benefits. An image of high...
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...Introduction The book authored by Giles Bolton, is an eye-opener and a critique of the western approach to lift Africa from poverty. The author addresses - why Africa being resourceful could not lift itself from the poverty? Why is it that it needs the help of the developed countries? How the aid of billions of dollars is misused by the African Government? How the west with its unorganized aid program crippled the nation? Dividing the book into five sections—poverty, aid, trade, globalization, and change—he analyses the issues, with stories about real people in Africa and experiences from his own years in the aid industry. On his first visit to Kenya, to meet a friend, Giles Bolton ends up in deciding that he would start his aid industry career there. He through the incidents and experiences during the visit describes the scenic beauty, backwardness and poverty of the continent. He identifies that the continent needs internal reorganization more than the benevolence of the west. He says Corruption, conflict, and lack of democracy are the three major problems of Africa and poverty is the cause for these. Africa is stuck in the viscous cycle in which poverty induces corruption and vice-verse. He says “This book is written for people who are concerned about Africa but don't understand why it's still so poor. While there is quite a bit of good academic material out there, most of it isn't very accessible and it doesn't answer the direct questions most of us want answered...
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...father dying of Aids. Agnes the mother sells ribbons on the sidewalks. They are in desperate need for money. Although Collins is only eight he has to quit school to help his mother finds ways to get money to support the both of them. What’s happening to Zinenani, Collin and is mother is not unusual families every day in Africa go through this situation, some situations worse than this where both parents die and the child because homeless and an orphan. Even children not infected with AIDS are still affected which is why the charity American Foundation for Children with AIDS give hope to these children in need. This problem is difficult to solve because so many people and children are affected and infected by it, but if they are giving the help and treatment they need from this charity then the...
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...interesting concept Singer has is his actual solution to world poverty, which basically describes people donating any money not spent on necessities to charities. Although, I am in line with the fact that the U.S. consumer has been brainwashed into thinking they are purchasing necessities and have shown a lack of judgment for understanding when they are purchasing necessities versus when they are purchasing luxuries, I do not agree that is a reason to give away all of your extra income to charities around the world. This is an extremely unrealistic amount that does not align with how a large population of our society thinks about personal wealth. The words need and want are used interchangeably in American culture and this causes us to trick ourselves into believing we should be buying unnecessary items. For example, even when we are speaking about things we want, we often say we need them because it highlights how badly we want that item. Things that you want could give you a goal to work towards, but when you think about things that you need you are liable to feel bad about yourself or less than others if you do not have these items. A huge reason why many of us do not donate substantial amounts of money is because we do not believe we have the money to do so, but in fact we do have the extra money to donate to charities, we just chose to spend it other wise. We are not taking responsibility of our actions and our thoughts. As a society, we have come to think of many things...
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...parents thought that he would use the money for his education. But it turned out otherwise. “The final two years of his college education had been paid for with a forty-thousand-dollar bequest left by a friend of the family’s more that twenty-four thousand dollars remained at the time at Chris’s graduation, money his parents thought he intended to use for law school. `we misread him´, his father admitted … what nobody knew-was that he would shortly donate the money in his college fund to OXFAM America, a charity dedicated to fighting hunger” (Krakauer 20). Chris McCandless is a very caring person because not a lot of people would donate so much money to a charity, Most people would probably spend it on things that they want. But McCandless likes to make his own decisions, and that's why his parents are very surprised. McCandless is his individual person, and that is why he likes to do things...
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