Comments on: Freedom of Expression & Choice

By: Writing Cave » Some good came out of it

Writing Cave » Some good came out of it — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 05:51:02 +0000

[...] Despite all the inane rhetoric one of her earlier posts generated it all culminated into something really fantastic, as more and more people are coming forward to help that kid. She talked to the kid’s father yesterday on phone, and he was really overwhelmed by the response. As I always say, and will keep on saying, the world goes on because if selected few people, the rest live off their efforts, tanding by the sideway, either cheering or jeering, or doing noting. Here’s what she’s posted on her blog: I had posted about a couple, writing to the Indian President seeking mercy killing for their son, Vijay Kumar. Their son has been diagnosed with Aplastic Anemia. [...]

By: Mridula

Mridula — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 17:56:36 +0000

Raghuveer, Alka was not looking down on AB but expressing her disappointment as people here at BBC are ‘having their say’ about Bill Gates’ decision to do charity

http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?threadID=2207&&&edition=2&ttl=20060627185230

People should go and tell the BBC not to let readres ‘have their say’ as it violates some kind of frigging rights of Bill Gates and he will stop doing philanthropy if opinions are voiced about his actions.

By: Alka

Alka — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 15:00:10 +0000

Raghuveer, I will write you an e-mail. Sorry for replying late.

By: Raghuveer

Raghuveer — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 03:14:45 +0000

Alka,

Reading further on other blogs, I find it funny that we are even debating this. As I see it, there is no debate at all.

1) Without exeption, everyone is in agreement that money is better giving to worthy causes and not to God.

2) Everyone, including yourself, says AB is free to spend his money as he wishes.

What you did was ‘look down’ on AB for doing this and exceptions were raised. I think it is a personal preference on how we see AB for this gesture and there is no need to look for a closure on the view you took. Rest of the comments are digressions on personal preferences which we do not need.

End of story.

More importantly, in this case, if you can find the hospital the kid is in, maybe all of us can sign a petition or write/email the doctors to waive/reduce the fees for this kid? And if you can please find out the status of donations and e-mail me, I will try to pool in money from my friends. Since we have spent hours discussing banalities, we can justifiably spend more time raising money.

By: Billions for Charity at Nerve Endings Firing Away

Billions for Charity at Nerve Endings Firing Away — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 22:44:13 +0000

[...] But would such magnanimous gestures be seen if rich people were coerced â€“ emotionally or otherwise â€“ into donating their hard earned wealth. Probably not, they would instantly lose any interest in doing so and rather be not told what to do with their wealth. For every Bill Gates, there might be several wealthy businessmen who do not donate a single penny of their wealth and frankly, according to me they both are perfectly within their rights to do so. There is a certain section of the blogosphere that looks down upon Amitabh Bachchan for donating a shitload load of money to the Tirupathi temple. Personally, I would donate it to a worthy charity and not to an already-worthy place of worship but mind you, I havenâ€™t earned Amitabhâ€™s millions, he has. And he is perfectly within his rights to spend it as he wishes. [...]

By: Raghuveer

Raghuveer — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 11:42:16 +0000

Alka,

I did read your article in its entirety…the debate here is what that ’something’ in ‘but once in a while we can do something for our people’ is.

For me that ’something’ is a percentage of salary every month. For someone else working full-time in an NGO, it is their entire life/livelihood. But as confused says in his blog, what someone does personally shouldn’t matter to what we are discussing. In the present example, we do not even know if AB is aware of this child’s plight. And suppose he makes a gesture and saves the child, then it would no doubt stimulate other people to seek help from him and obviously he cannot save them all. So what is he to do? Who is he to make a judgement on which lives to save? See, now this debate takes on an entire new pitch.

Our real gripe should be on our public health services that cannot seem to provide for most of its citizens. It is the hardest thing in the world to debate ‘larger issues’ when a poor child is dying for want of money.

I admire and respect what you are trying to accomplish for the kid. But you are mixing up unrelated issues.

By: Alka

Alka — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 08:36:45 +0000

Raghuveer, I like the way you write. And when you write
=================
Where does one draw the line? Donâ€™t you realize that this argument can be drawn out to the point where the only right thing is all of us eating just enough to survive and giving up everything else till all suffering is eliminated? What makes me question ABâ€™s decision when I just had a Starbucks that I could have easily avoided and provided for a kidâ€™s meal for a month in the third-world?
=====================
See I have already written,
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I am not saying that we should give up all the fun and turn into philanthropists. But once in a while we can do something for our people.
===========================
But people only read what they want to read.
But a big THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING to help the child. You are a gem.

By: Alka

Alka — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 07:14:59 +0000

Anon, stop using abusive language. Next time I will delete your comment. And you have a very sick mind. You have used my name and URL to leave this comment. Your mail is bouncing. sO ITS FAKE. And you can be traced by IP address. So don’t try to be too smart.

By: Alka

Alka — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 07:10:51 +0000

Barbarindian, thank you very much for your valuable input. And for your kind information, I am not peeking into anyones closet (here Amitabh’s). It is there for the whole world to listen and read.Its not my imagination running lose sweety that he is donating to god. Its you who is dictating and making it a dogma that people should follow.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 06:56:48 +0000

barbarindian, why don’t u call urself impotent indian? u r just a paper tiger. nothing constructive 2 offer. never have ur own children. u will fuck up thier mind like ur own. even chakkas have more courage than u.dharti ke bojh apane jaise aur mat paida karna.