Another Perplexing Sweets Conundrum

My neighbor who lives across the street participates in an annual American Diabetes Association fund-raising campaign, and faithfully mails me a contribution envelope each year. Never mind that I haven't seen her—even in a driveway sighting—for over two years. It's a good cause. Or is it?

I had gone so far as to write "American Diabe" on the check when I started thinking about this terrible disease that creates such far-reaching erosion of the human body. I also started contemplating that a large percentage of those afflicted, particularly with Type II, have some measure of responsibility for their plight when it is spawned or exacerbated by overweight that they personally piled on. I'm certainly on the tubby side myself right now, but I'm not asking anyone to shell out bucks to find a cure for Tight Waistband Syndrome.

I also considered this past Saturday when I turned down both the ASPCA's and Earthjustice's requests for donations, citing my upcoming layoff with no job currently in sight. To my knowledge, none of the ASPCA animals are homeless or abused due to their own acts; and Mother Earth certainly did not ask for the Bush Administration.

Of course, many who have diabetes, particularly Type I, have no responsibility for having the disease; and this does give me some measure of conflict about the issue. But there are too many worthy causes where all or most of the beneficiaries have no other recourse. For now, my money's on them.