Exactly.

Christ, everyone knows that people die all the time, but there are a billion other charities for that. You're doing one of the most annoying things people do on the internet, where you're saying ''Oh yeah, this is terrible but check out what I know, worse things happen''. Obviously there's always worse, even if you're dying of starvation in Sudan or something, there's still worse than that. It's totally irrelevant to the topic, because this is about how a charity did an awesome thing for a kid, and if you can't just accept that for what it is without bringing in and focusing on something negative then I feel sorry for you. Sometimes you have to forget the bad for awhile and just appreciate the good in the world that's there, not complain that the good is in the wrong place.

Exactly again.

Don't argue. This kid is in the hands of doctors and hope. The charity, god bless em, will continue to be awesomely illogical. I guess most of us secretly wish they would do it for us. But money in the long run probably would be better spent on research. It's a matter of priorities. we all have different views on that. I happen to see the right in everyone. And the bitterness you all show a bit of. We all got it.
Personally I never cried for superheroes. Until now.

I approve.

Yup, a much better one with a lot less suffering. :shrug:

As I said, it's a nice story, I just don't think it's justified to applaud humanity because of this. Ultimately the donor's money helped 1 person at the potential expense of many, and I just don't think this is hugely applaudible. It's like despite humanity's colossal failures, mass starvation and sickness and death on the scale of hundreds of millions, we're able to forget all that in the face of 1 child being helped and say "Woohoo, yay for humanity!".

So I'm not objecting to helping the kid, but to this particular attitude about it. Stories like this might inject us with our daily feel-good dose, but sometimes I worry that this dose skews our perspective on how much suffering is truly in the world and how little is being done about it.

An appropriate attitude to this is certainly approval - but reserved, unemotional, critical approval.

Well said, that last sentence was almost quote-worthy. I do feel that we consistently brush problems that aren't right in our face under the carpet, but I'll concede that this isn't the thread to discuss it. Well done to all of the kind people who got involved, and I hope the kid had an amazing day. I suggest you guys have a look at the http://www.wish.org/, there are some good stories there.



Complaining about a cynical and "edgy" post by being very cynical and "edgy" probably isn't the best way to go about it.

Yeah both of you. Let's be happy for the kid, cos it already happened.

Such a nice thing to do!

Thanks for the link.

I'm glad to live in a world where dying kids become superheroes and men dressed as Spiderman foil robbers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxW3-xGTqPE&feature=related :twirl:

this.

So why aren't you out in the field working for the Peace Corps, the Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, or some other similar organization? Because the time you are spending on the internet trashing the Make-A-Wish Foundation could be much better spent doing that.

At one point in the story I kind of felt uncomfortable with them making up something like that and having the kid believe it was real. But as long as the kid is happy I suppose that's what matters. Unless he didn't believe that and was just happy to play along. Then great.

:shrug: I wasn't trashing the Make a Wish foundation and actually said I wasn't objecting to helping the kid. Secondly, I didn't say people had to do everything within their power at all times to be charitable; that wasn't my argument.

I was arguing that people should have a reserved attitude about these things, and not let it skew their perspective. A reserved attitude but still an approving one. I dunno who you're replying to.

You, who are doing nothing, are getting down on people who are doing something because they didn't do more.....

It isn't the Make-A-Wish Foundation you should be upset at that people in the world go hungry or die of disease. We, the first world nations have enough wealth in food, medicine, natural resources, and available manpower to cure almost all of the world's ills. The only thing stopping us is our selfish indifference. Our whole society is to blame, and berating some of the only people who actually give a damn is extremely counterproductive.

At least they are doing something positive with their time and energy.

I was talking specifically about the "+1000 humanity" thing (:P). Saying I don't think it's appropriate to applaud humanity because yes, we're not curing the world's ills and yes, it's selfish indifference and yes, our whole society is to blame. My point was that I don't think it's appropriate to applaud humanity over this, because humanity on the whole is still doing very badly at this stuff (as you agree). That lead to my second point - we shouldn't let these things, good as they are, skew our perspective from that fact, and stop us from promoting the help of everyone else.

I haven't seen anyone in this thread (including myself) condemn the Make A Wish foundation and say that what they are doing is bad, so please stop mischaracterizing and trying to make people look heartless. Yes, humanity on the whole can be doing better (as we agree) and yes, things like this can distract us from that fact (i think you don't agree on that one, but hey), but no-one's saying that foundation helping this kid is a bad thing. :angry:

.........?

What they do is not a logical error; there is no set amount of charity money that they are stealing from. People have to help in the ways that they know how to. If they hadn't raised that money, it most likely would not have gone to another charity. Besides, they use a lot of volunteers in what they do.

So, no, the money could not, in all probabilities, be better spent.

....? None of those people are saying it's bad. All I see is people suggesting something better could be done. Using pretty mild and sympathetic language to boot!

By your logic, if someone said "Coke is better than Pepsi" you'd say they were condemning Pepsi. Which of course is not the same thing - they're just saying they like Coke more. You'd need to clarify to find out more on their opinion of Pepsi.

In all those quotes you posted I see people suggesting that there could be better options, but I can't see anybody saying the first option was a bad thing. In fact, they ALL say the first option is a quite nice thing. There's just another option they prefer more. At the very least, I can confirm that my quotes are of this opinion.

If you seriously can't see that...

Arnt they better off using that money for humanity as a whole rather than individuals?



Im not the only one who thinks this haha

@Northwind, you dont know where that money would be if that foundation didnt exsist, another charity, maybe, peoples pockets maybe, maybe even a different fundation woulda have taking its place.

The fact is, the money went where it went and im saying it could have been better spent, and much as this prompts people to go "awwww" "cute" "so nice" "yay humanity" Saving one person doesnt really do much other than prompt these responses.

:lol: Perish the thought! Apparently by saying that you think there's a better option, this automatically means you're condeming what they did - and are a cold, uncompassionate person who doesn't want a terminally ill kid to be happy. Some people can only see an either/or.

There's nothing bad about what they did, it was nice and it made a sick kid happy. Good job. But that doesn't mean we can't try to find even better ways to make even more people be happy. There's so many who need it, and lots of us probably know one who is not getting help.

Curing his illness so he lives. Its nice they granted his wish, but it would be better if they could save/cure him.

And yes it could help more people and would be the more utilitarian thing to do, but I dont like saying that because hey the kids happy, and saying it could be used for other reasons is kinda depressing because he wouldnt be happy. So instead of saying its beter used a different way we should just like the fact they brought some happiness ito that kids life.

True Zeeno but it could have made lots of others happy, or even saved them. We cant have both someone will be dissapointed... This thread sure is depressing now.

that's cool, but they left out the fight scene..

Way to go giving out his secret identity. Now he'll never be able to fight crime effectively.

How did you enjoy taking a piss on the parade?

Good for the kid, nice to see something like this. Wish I saw more stories like these infact.