> > It strikes me that it is better to spend your money helping those 
> > directly in your own back yard or those you know well.
> 
> The reason for my replying again is this.
> IF there are blood covered people in your backyard with 
> broken limbs and/or lacerations, people wading through water 
> intermingled with sewage and miscellaneous body parts, 
> children who have been sitting in your yard for the last 2 
> days covered in blood and mutilated in ways that would make 
> you weep if they were your children, people in your yard 
> whose house looks like yours would look after a D8 had run 
> over it several times and then scraped the site half clean 
> for good measure, people who don't know where their children 
> are or, if they are lucky, do know where their children are 
> because they are carrying their bodies, then by all means, 
> get off the net right now and go and attend to them.

<SNIP>

When the fire came a mile or so from my house, and there were injured
firefighters at the local red cross station, we donated what we could to
help. If you give now, to people many miles away, who may or may not see any
benefit from it, you do not have that to give when the disaster is closer to
home.

Actually, donating to the Red Cross is probably the best option at this
point. They will use it where it needs to be used in the future. Possibly
including next door, or xxx forbid, at your door.

P.S. A good education in charity can be had by looking up the founder of the
Red Cross and examining the beliefs SHE held. 

---
James.
 


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