Letter: Approach to charity divides political parties

Saturday, Jan. 13, 2001 | 10:36 a.m.

Republicans think charitable acts must be voluntary and individual whereas Democrats think giving should be shared by all, and therein lies the cause for the bitter contention between the parties.

Now that we agree that both entities are equally generous, we need to decide which idea is the most efficient and equitable, and once again we come back to the sharp clashes between the parties. But it seems kind of silly that these disagreements over the process have to overshadow and obstruct the principle of charitable action in general, doesn't it?

I see the voluntary and individual approach as being too selective, too capricious, too inequitable and generally inadequate, while the right sees the collective approach as being too bureaucratic, too oppressive and wasteful and I guess never the twain shall meet -- but it would sure solve a lot of problems if they could. Don't you agree?

DAN OLIVIER

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