author_by_night (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
author_by_night) wrote2012-03-10 08:54 am
author_by_night) wrote2012-03-10 08:54 am
Know your causes - and effects
A few years ago, a friend of mine did a presentation on Autism using Autism Speaks. Her intentions were entirely good; she cares about kids with Autism, and was sick of hearing the things people were saying. So she went to the site and gave her presentation, talking about both the organization's information and things she knew from her own experiences.
I later learned that apparently, people with Autism hate the site, as do many people with ASD family members. Why? Because according to them, it acts like anyone with it is a pariah. Based on the things I've seen from Autism Speaks... I have to agree with them. My friend of course had no idea what she was actually advocating, but she also seems to have based her entire cause on one website, which is not run by anyone actually affected by autism.
Then there's the Susan G. Komen foundation. Two years in a row I've offered it as a safe alternative to those stupid Facebook memes every October. "If you really want to make a difference, here's the place you need to look." It somehow did not occur to me that there was something wrong with stores selling everything in pink, or that "a portion of proceeds will go to research" was alarming. I was convinced that the money I spent on pink yogurt was totes going to breast cancer research. Well, if I bought five, I'm sure a penny went. The rest went to... I don't even want to know where.
I think that in the days of the internet, people find things faster, and they want to help. They're sick of internet petitions and stupid memes, and/or concerned with a certain issue, so they try and take things a step further by doing a little online research. The problem is the "little" in "a little online research." It's so easy to find a website and say "hey, this says what I've been thinking, and oh look, they tell me tons of stuff that I had never thought of! Wow, look at those shiny numbers."
But often, one site doesn't speak for all, no matter how legitimate and forthcoming it may be. It's important to know what you're supporting and what it really stands for. What is their perspective, what is their goal, and how does it match yours?
I'm all for activism, and I in no way have anything against organizations - I just think it's important to be informed as possible, rather than half informed. There's a lot of difference that needs to be made - let's not limit it.
no subject
And it doesn't hurt to stick to old-fashioned and/or local charities, to ones that have proven themselves, and where you can request (and get!) their financial statements to see what's going on.
no subject
The only trouble I've had is that some cashiers don't know how to scan them because customers apparently don't buy them often!