Ok, so you may have noticed the new poll on this site, just below the tabs bar thingy, asking you a question:
You save up for weeks to buy a new car, but before you get to the shop, a kid comes along and steals all your money. You follow him and realise he stole the money to pay for his mother's medical treatment. She has cancer. What do you do?
Let him keep all the money, you can save up again. You'd have preferred him to ask you first. Stealing is wrong. But you let him keep some of the money. Take it all back and advise him to seek help elsewhere. It's not your fault he's in that situation. You worked hard for this money.
So, dear friends, let me elaborate for you. I myself was asked this question, (or similar, I forget) and I'm interested as to how you'll respond before and after reading my explanation. So, if you're dedicated to read this whole thing, please now vote on the above poll.
Done?
Good :)
I'll tell you what I put now. I responded with the third option. I would not give the child any of my money. This question was on a Harry Potter quiz designed to put you in a house, and I got Slytherin. But is it really so wrong to put this answer, initially yes it does seem selfish, but think about it:
Firstly, this kid hasn't asked your permission. For all he knows you could be buying this car to drive around your recently crippled spouse, who has to regularly go to hospital for check ups. This could be your first car that you've spent years dreaming about and finally saved up enough to afford. For all he knows you could have been dreaming about this day for years, or have a greater need for the money than even he does.
Secondly, what is the money even going to get him? Surely if she has cancer, she should be seeing a doctor, I can't see what he'd need money for. The NHS isn't unreasonable, if you can't afford prescriptions and stuff they'll let you off. Aren't these people on benefits?!
Also, the money would be much better served in some kind of cancer research program. Helping one person is nothing compared to the thousands you could help that way.
It's not your fault, and it's not your problem. Mean as that may sound, there are ways of dealing with this that don't involve thievery. Maybe you donate a huge proportion of your salary to charity. Maybe this is the first thing you've bought for yourself in years. Even if the mother can't get treatment from the NHS, doesn't mean you should have to pay for all of it. Certainly not if he's stolen. He should get a job, or ask people for help. And not just one person, spread the costs.
So now I ask you, am I selfish in saying I wouldn't help this kid? Or am I just more honest with myself than most people?
At the bottom of this page is the same poll again, and after reading this I would like you to put what you would do honestly. Cast away what you'd like to think you'd do and start thinking about what you'd really do. If your answers are different, and you're okay with people knowing what you put, I'd love to have you comment on this post about what changed your mind.
Please join in, this stuff fascinates me. :)
However, please don't feel obliged to vote should you find this subject insensitive or are in any way offended. I know quite a few of the people reading this will have lost a friend to cancer recently, and mean no disrespect.