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Motives and complexity
Ok Liztang and Chuck, while it's true that this Paris thing could simply be a publicity thing for her, there's no need to attack people that practice overseas philanthropy in general. Charity doesn't start at home, it starts even closer: Charity starts with your own personal motives. It's is an action as well as a personal characteristic. A lot of people are doing a lot of good overseas, and for the right reasons too. Would you attack their contributions simply because there is suffering at home in the USA too? Of course not. Truth is, the people helping out overseas usually help out at home too. What about the poor parents that decide to give to a beggar even when their own children have very little? Are they wrong to do this? I think not. Parents like these teach their kids to give and to sacrifice, to look out for those that have even less. Parents like these get it. I think that what bugs us all about Paris going to Rwanda is the fact that we don't trust her motives. And she's given us good reason to not trust them. But motives are hard to ascertain, and you've gotta be careful not to judge too quickly. She deserves a shot to give charity, like all of us. I think the Rwandans have every reason to fear her coming, and I would feel a lot more comfortable if I trusted her. But if she's gonna change (big maybe!), she's gotta start somewhere. Sigh. The question is, who wants to let her in?