Questions on Charity

["Edward T. Baczewski" <edwardb@carroll.com>]

I do not favor a government sponsored privatized system not for any
economic reasons, but because partisan government finds it difficult to be
objective.  That in and of itself is not bad, it's the delays in decisions
caused by the inability of self seeking party members to make judgements
that are not one sided.  So, make the System as simple as possible, so that
no one can screw it up.

Charity organizations are not a universal answer.  They can be, and are
today, very helpful, but there is no consitency in their programs, and
efforts are usually redirected to areas of immediate greatest need.
Besides, this puts the recipient in the category of a welfare recipient
with the usual unfortunate diminution of self esteem that follows.  

We have a System that needs attention more than overhaul.  It needs to be
put back into the shape it was intended to have when it was created.  Then,
we can be in a better position to determine its shortcomings.  

Its obvious that families should help our elderly.  However, in America
this concept seems to have less validity than it does on the continent.
It's the outgrowth of the weakness of the family.  So, reestablishing the
value of the family as a community is a most important ingredient in
solving not only the problems of the elderly, but many of the ills of our
society.  

Ed Baczewski