Is 'Make A Wish' A Good Thing?

I assume you are all aware of Make a Wish, the charity that grants wishes for the terminally ill children. I seem to recall reading in the 1980s some British celebrity started it or something.

In any event (and you will notice I put it in the Philosophy and Ethics part of the boards), is it a good thing? I mean no sarcasm, I really wonder that myself in fact.

Granting people's last wishes. Sounds sentimental. In addition to curing disease, couldn't the money just be spent on general quality of life, instead of 'last wishes' ? I'm just saying. What do the rest of you think?

 

I have a friend that participated in the Make A Wish, his daughter wanted to go to Disney.

He had not seen his little girl smile or laughing in a very long time, she forgot that she was sick for a little while that day.

 

don't ask me why, but I don't like it.

The end of somebody's life is so solemn and sacred that to adjust for material possessions or experiences seems kind of inappropriate

 

Yeah. I feel like the best use of assets in this circumstance would be to either improve the quality of life as you said or to fund and finance research of the disease or ailment responsible.

 

well any expectation is an opportunity for disappointment, that's one thing, but it kind of depends on what you're wishing/praying for too.
basically if its something for everyone else, that as close as might ever be, everyone else would wish for themselves, or even if they didn't know to wish for it,
would make the world we all have to live in, a happier place for everyone living in it, that seems to me like a pretty good thing.

but if its just for yourself and for things you aren't going to be actually using all the time, well you could find yourself "burried" in them.
yes i do know about the make a wish foundation, but i tend to take a phrase in its broadest possible implications.

give a dying kid something s/he wants to play with that their parents can't afford and they would likely never otherwise get a chance to, seems like a pretty harmless good thing to me.

 

In the 70's, Greenpeace USA used baby harp seals extensively in their marketing campaigns; snow-white, furry round head, tiny nose, and huge black eyes; just think of half of all anime characters, 'Precious Moments' dolls, and how women used to dilate their pupils before a date with belladonna. It was designed from the ground up to be a science-free and purely sentimental appeal; at a time when Greenpeace America was fund-raising for it's own sake; I think back then over 75% went into administration; only a token amount went into programs (this precipitated a split between Greenpeace USA and Greenpeace Canada/Sea Shepherd, and led many to leave the organization, including me).
There are also charities which really shouldn't be charities at all...such as the Israeli Defence Forces (yeah; your donations to support apartheid and genocide are fully tax deductible).

If you want to donate to help others, examine your values and what's important to you; education, hunger, human rights, whatever; then do some due diligence with tools like Charity Navigator.

Your donations really can make a difference. The Carter Center studied many different problems vis-à-vis their resources, and settled on one where they thought that they could really make a difference. Today, the Guinea Worm, an incredibly painful parasitic infection endemic to most of Africa, has largely been eradicated thanks to their efforts and the donations which fund them.

Possibly our most important acts of charity are when we view one another with a generosity of heart; compassion, rather than suspicion, hostility, or indifference.

"One should always carry a little reasonable doubt with you, in case you encounter someone who desperately needs to be found innocent."
Robert Brault