Charity and the retrenched

Mr Tan,
What exactly is the legal definition of "Charity"? I am somewhat confused by the "We Are One" campaign which is enjoying an unprecendented TV coverage, to solicit public donations.

Why are retrenched people who can't find jobs, being lumped with the traditional Charity recipients, as in, chronic sick, aged, infirm, homeless, destitute. Is this legal? Surely a lot of retrenched people get at lease some retrenchment benefits whilst those really in dire need e.g. kidney patients, poor sickly aged people, are actually more deserving of :charity: money?

Why are "those affected by the economic downturn" now being sanctioned by the government as charity recipients?

Who isn't affected by the economic downturn, it is a question of the "degree". How do you qualify to get this charity money? Who is the judge? this is very important. Everyone would like to say he is affected terribly by the economic downturn!

I went to "weareone" website to find outmore. The FAQ just tells you how to donate, not telling how the money is administered, who qualifies to get it, how, when, who, zilch!

The website, as in the tV clips, said that the donation is for those "affected by the economic downturn". this is a very vague statement for me to part with my donation money, which could also be given to a kidney patient in financial trouble.

I am quite traditional, i still think that if retrenched people cannot find work and is in financial trouble, it is the Government's duty to generate jobs, or have a system to cushion the impact.

Is it a shift in the policy to pass the burden of supporting jobless people to the rest of the people with jobs, and the government will wash half its hands off the burden of generating jobs, by putting the jobless on charity? I wonder if the small boy on tv who felt proud of contributing the lego bricks, does he know wht he is doing?

In summary, I don't feel comfortable at all constantly being bombarded by the media in the last few weeks, and not getting any wiser going to their website.

What does everyone here think? Tell me, am I being selfish, oversensitive and unreasonable?

REX