July 8th, 2011, Bloomberg reported that Warren Buffett donated 1.5billion dollars to Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in annual donation event. Buffett had promised that he would have donated his most property to Bill & Melinda Gate Foundation and the charitable institution named after his wife.
Bill Gates donated 28 billion dollars until now. Recently, world-wide people are surprised at the fact that he will give only ten million dollars to each child and he will return the residue of his property to the society.

What is the most different thing between U.S. and Korea? Amount of money? Or their popularity? Or simply the name of the country? It is not important how much money and how many times they donate or who they are. The biggest difference is the attitude of donators and the view of the public.

At first, donations do not mean their property.
In dictionary, there is a definition of donation. Donation means donation is a gift given by physical or legal person, typically for charitable purposes and/or to benefit a cause. Donations are gifts given without return consideration. At first glance, they donated money without consideration. However do they really donate with pure mind? If you look closely, they are given much benefit through donation. Many celebrities would get good image and they gain more popularity. This also applies to enterprises. By donating the money, government reduces the tax of companies. Don’t they know the secret of donation? No. They know well that by doing this, in short time perspectives, they may waste money but in long term, they earn much money. Though, look at the U.S. Were Buffett and Bill Gates afraid of the public’s gaze and donate money? Of course, they could because of that reason. However, looking at their behavior, the public thinks of the word “Noblesse oblige”. Don’t they have greed of their property? If they donated their property for this reason, they would have donated a little for the public to see. However, Buffett promised that he will donate 85% of his estate. Is his behavior the purpose of showing off? They know the exact meaning of “DONATION” and put into practice. Donation is one of the ways to help people rather than above the people caring for those people who are poor.

Next, the public’s view on the word ‘donation’ is not correct.
Most donators want to give money with pure mind. However, if the fact that they donated their money is revealed, the public recognize them as an “ANGEL”. Because of this, the intent of the donator is distorted. As it happened over and over again, the meaning of donation is altered and it discourages donation. People recognize money as not means of charity, but money itself. There is an episode about this. One entertainer appeared on TV and said “I donate more money than other entertainer that is popular of giving much money to poor people. But the public don’t know the fact!” Many people are disappointed about what he said, because he said that out of his own mouth.

Celebrities are also ordinary people. Therefore, we shouldn’t be concerned whether they donate or not and for what reason they donate. They may donate for the reason that their behavior attracts the public. However, as you see above, the mass media encourages this trend. Therefore, they should not identify who the donators are and the public should stop considering deifications of them.
Celebrities have more possibility that they become a role-model of the public. Thus, they should know that they affect the public and they become an example to them and act accordingly.

 

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