DATELINE:
February 9, 2010, Chicago
As Eddie Haskell of Leave It To Beaver fame used to say
whenever Wally did something dumb, “Way to go, Sam.”
We’ve previously written about the ten missionaries who are
sitting in a Haitian jail due to their alleged efforts to remove orphans from
the country. As we have noted
countless times before, many who work for charities rely on the halo that they
believe comes with doing good. “We
can classify some of our employees as independent contractors.” “We don’t need to file a registration
for operating a bingo game because we are small potatoes.” “No need to follow corporate legal
formalities because nobody has ever gotten into trouble about that before.”
Well, there are...
Continue reading "WAY TO GO, SAM: WHEN AMATEURS GET INVOLVED IN CHARITY WITHOUT FOCUSING ON ALL THE IMPLICATIONS" »
Dateline: February 4, 2010, Chicago
We have been watching the story about the imprisoned Baptist
missionaries who were detained for allegedly trying to remove 33 Haitian
children from Haiti. The ten missionaries
were charged today by Haitian authorities with abduction and criminal association. Mark Lacey, Abduction Charges for Americans in Haiti, N.Y. Times (February 4, 2010). While we suspect
these missionaries will be returned to the United States shortly, we
have no sympathy for their plight.
These folks apparently assumed that their efforts to do good
would not only shield them from legal liability, but serve as justification for
ignoring the laws of another country and the rights of Haitian parents who
might still be alive. In their
view, the opportunity to live in the United States apparently justifies any
action needed to achieve that result.
The lesson in this story should be obvious and applies to
matters that extend far beyond disaster relief, children, and adoption:...
Continue reading "ARROGANCE, NOT A MISUNDERSTANDING—NO HALO IN HAITI" »
Dateline, April 20, 2007, Chicago
Charitable organizations that work with children should take note of recent events at Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago. It is closing its foster care program, which currently serves some 900 children in the Chicago area. The closure stems allegations that three children who...
Continue reading "MAJOR FOSTER CARE PROGRAM CLOSES FOR LACK OF INSURANCE COVERAGE" »