holly commented:we have decided that you are absolutely right. I would have to say that this encapsulates (is that a word - or correctly spelled?) what I believe as well. I think that one of the biggest changes in society these days has been a steady shift to a culture that believes in 'me and got mine.' Volunteerism and giving to the poor is something done at holidays, and is becoming an increasingly liberal value. We are having the toughest time getting donations for things like tissues and pencils for the school year. Parents in the wealthier areas of San Diego have been making donations with the stipulation that it only goes to their own school. How frustrating that we no longer deem it important to care for all of our own.on Thu Aug 30 23:41:04 2007 |
David commented: But I think this addresses nicely one of the reasons I believe in a political solution, as opposed to a personal one. The tragedy of the commons is real. Even were it not the case that people would feel it unfair if only they were contributing, it would still be more efficient to have someone whose job it was to figure out the best way to use the resources in question. Thus we give the job to the state, which can, in theory, be neutral (or at least more neutral than the parents of a child in district X). Equally, I don't think we should ask our imaginary parent to be neutral. But I do think we should all recognize that neutrality can be a good thing in questions of this nature.on Mon Sep 3 14:46:15 2007 |