Emotional blackmail.
Have you noticed who the media, especially television and to a lesser extent, radio, use emotional blackmail to persuade us to part with money for some deserving cause? Often soft music will be playing in the background and pictures of starving children, children who are living in squalid conditions, children without flowing water, children getting abused by their parents or some other horrible scenario. All these things deserve attention of course but it all seems to be hinged on giving money to some worthwhile organisation trying to help in these situations. There is nothing wrong in charitable giving but there is something wrong in emotional blackmailing people to part with their cash. By all means advertise the need but do it impartially. Many of these pleas come from foreign shores and it would be more prudent to assist foreign governments in helping themselves with their domestic problems instead of asking outsiders to continually pump in money which simply gets swallowed in a bureaucratic minefield or is filtered away from it’s intended destination by unscrupulous individuals! We would all like to think that one day there will be no need of our generosity but it seems it isn’t going to happen in the near future. Every year is exactly the same which indicates that no progress is being made in alleviating the problems which now call on us for financial help. Ask for help but don’t try to blackmail me into giving it.
Shirley Anne
