Change, Not Charity

I’M AFRAID THAT just when some wealthy individuals are organizing to ensure that their charity helps to reverse the unjust economic policies of our nation, Ted Turner’s widely publicized gift and public declarations as reported in "Putting the Rich on Notice" (by David R. Weiss, January-February 1998) is helping give charity a bad name. Your readers will no doubt be interested that the newly formed organization Responsible Wealth provides a platform for its wealthy members to speak out "in favor of government and corporate policies that promote economic fairness."

Another aim of the organizers is to assist the wealthy in linking their concerns about economic inequality to their charitable giving. So let’s hope that Ted Turner joins up and that his next billion-dollar gift will be made with the intention of underwriting social change in this country.