Count me in for Friday and Sunday! I think its a great cause and a great way to lend a helping hand to those in need.

I admire anything that anyone human being with more attempts to do, and eventually does do to improve the lives of other human beings...

However, GIVE ME AN EFFING BREAK. Ante up for Africa? How about ante'ing up for Africans here in a America (African Americans). Ante up for my younger brother who is 32 credits from his B.S. and can't afford to attend his senior year of college. He's forced to find a "decent" job with an incomplete education and save money in the most expensive City in the world (New York) to complete his degree. If he didn't have me and his ability to rape micro SNG's there would be little to no means to his end....

I'll take it one step further, ANTE UP FOR AMERICANS. All of them, white, black, yellow, green, and purple. The middle class is being starved and shrunken. We as a nation are in no position to focusing our energies on the plight of other nations until we re-strengthen ourselves...

I view the involvement of prominent Americans (particularly white) in the plight of Africa with curiosity and suspicion. How much of this energy comes from "white guilt?" If you were not a successful poker player, how much would you be ante'ing up for AFRICA? I speak from a position of congnitive dissonance, not one of disrespect.

all the best Ms. Duke.

-Bagz

It's dumb though. If we want to help, why not oust the governments/leaders oppressing these people? This is like bringing a million buckets to contain a leak instead of fixing the leak itself.

Should we help our own first? I personally think so but I'm not going to slam someone for helping anybody.

I think the better question is, are you really helping them. How many trillions have been sent in aid to Africa in the last 40 years by govt's and private organizations around the world? Does not look like money is the answer, as it rarely is the solution.

 

Originally Posted by LordPye

It's dumb though. If we want to help, why not oust the governments/leaders oppressing these people? This is like bringing a million buckets to contain a leak instead of fixing the leak itself.

well said

 

Originally Posted by LordPye

It's dumb though. If we want to help, why not oust the governments/leaders oppressing these people? This is like bringing a million buckets to contain a leak instead of fixing the leak itself.

This is exactly what !Enough does and why half the money goes toward them. They are a charity about political activism because AUFA realizes thst all the money in the world that goes to the refugees is just sticking your finger in a dam if nothing is done about what is causing the refugees to be created. If we don't raise awareness with the voters and get these issues to be on the radar of our own government nothing will ever change. The good news is that there was a unaminous vote of the UN Security Council to create a peace keeping force in Sudan and for the first time China and Russia did not either vote against or abstain. That is progress and politcial organizations like !Enough help to create that progress. Thus 50% goes toward direct aid to the refugees and 50% toward politcal pressue.

As for looking toward America...I agree that there are terrible things happening within our own borders. But I think it is a world of difference between trying to live on $20K a year and dealing with a government killing its own people (over 500k) and forcing over 2 million of its own people into refugee camps where they have no food or clean water or medical supplies. I imagine they would consider it a luxury to have the high class problem of trying to figure out how to finish out their senior year of college. Not only that, I think it is jingoistic to assume that borders matter in the human condition. We are all people and no matter what country we live in, those borders are artificial and atrocities are atrocities no matter where they happen. An starving Sundanese is no less hungry than a starving American.

That being said, I am on the board of Decision Education Foundation (http://decisioneducation.org/) which is devoted to giving young people to tools to better their lives through good decision making skills in America. I also devote myself to Make-A-Wish. I am a political activist for civil liberties in America through the PPA. Still, you must pick and choose your battles and picking the battle of the biggest humanitarian crisis of the 20th century and one that has very little political or world focus right now (unlike Iraq) seemed like a decent place to start.

I hope you will support the cause but if you choose not to please respect the work that others are doing and don't belittle the good work being done.

Annie

When I see replies to threads like the ones I'm seeing in this one I am embarrassed to admit I play online poker. The audacity that you people have to belittle a charity and someone who is devoting there time and energy into helping out people who the rest of the world has left behind is extraordinary.

Every single one of you people who seriously can't deal with the notion of helping out anyone that doesn't live in the USA need to crawl back under the rock you live under and simply not post in this thread. If you don't agree with the charity that's fine and you have every right not to participate. However to actually go so far as to try and bring people down for participating is ignorant beyond imagination. *STAFF EDIT*

Annie, I don't have any money on UB and I'm playing like dog crap lately, is there anyway I can just donate to the charity directly?

Annie, much respect for your reponse to lordpye' it echoes my feelings. I will
help any way i can GLGL....

 

Originally Posted by dimebagz00

I admire anything that anyone human being with more attempts to do, and eventually does do to improve the lives of other human beings...

However, GIVE ME AN EFFING BREAK. Ante up for Africa? How about ante'ing up for Africans here in a America (African Americans). Ante up for my younger brother who is 32 credits from his B.S. and can't afford to attend his senior year of college. He's forced to find a "decent" job with an incomplete education and save money in the most expensive City in the world (New York) to complete his degree. If he didn't have me and his ability to rape micro SNG's there would be little to no means to his end....

I'll take it one step further, ANTE UP FOR AMERICANS. All of them, white, black, yellow, green, and purple. The middle class is being starved and shrunken. We as a nation are in no position to focusing our energies on the plight of other nations until we re-strengthen ourselves...

I view the involvement of prominent Americans (particularly white) in the plight of Africa with curiosity and suspicion. How much of this energy comes from "white guilt?" If you were not a successful poker player, how much would you be ante'ing up for AFRICA? I speak from a position of congnitive dissonance, not one of disrespect.

all the best Ms. Duke.

-Bagz

Bagz- And anyone else that might hold this attitude:

(Intended with clear differences, not as a personal attack)

IMO there are certainly many problems affecting untold numbers of demographic sub-slices here in the states, all of which are worthy of charitable efforts. Your point is cetainly well taken that there are people suffering here to different degrees and I won't try and rate group A higher than group B (though I think it's pretty clear in my mind in many cases)

What I don't get is the victim mentality.

-Do you or others saying *americans first* do anything charitable of your own on behalf of the causes you mention?

-Why tear down the efforts of others? It's not a zero-sum game. You or anyone for that matter is free to join/help/start charitable efforts on behalf of whatever group you might like. If annie's project isn't your thing devote the energy to what is your thing rather than questioning someone else's motives or principles. I might or might not want to give money to this cause - there are really so many out there and we each have our own budget of time and/or money to give - but short of a klan/nazi charity I'm not going to knock people's efforts.

-And before anyone asks, yes, I'm not yapping and doing nothing. I do a LOT of charitable work in my city as a volunteer in the Jewish community - that's *my* thing. I give time or money to the things that my friends or family find important, even if it's not my first choice, but I know it matters to them. And I'm proud that in my jewish community involvement here we've even done fundraising for the Darfur situation. It's certainly not from white guilt* as you put it, but rather recognizing a situation that hit's pretty close to home. Perhaps it takes having a deep feeling for genocide to appreciate just the horror that's going on over there and do something about it, I don't know. We could have spent that time on our *own* but didn't, because we felt it important.

I too am a bit embarrasssed as others were by the level of ignorane about world affairs or the number of *americans first* posts. I'd hope we all flip to the news websites now and again and not just read about poker. Makes me a little sick frankly, but that's just me. The US is the strongest country in the world, economically and militarily speaking. -and we certainly disregard many of our own. But part of strengthening ourselves is to help those that can't help themselves, that noone looks out for, even if they are half a world away.

If anyone wants to stay domestic feel free- just do it.
BUt don't knock other's efforts elsewhere.
In fact, just do anything other than knock down other's efforts...make some of your own - whether it's through dollars or time.

And for those that disagree? Let's agree to disagree. Take the energy and put it onto that productive thing.

Annie? I tried to donate my UB points, but they had a minimum of 1500 and I only have 1038. If there is any way that you can use them, you're welcome to them.

Plus! I agree with Susie & others who said, if you don't want to help, fine, but don't knock others who do.

Annie... I am in for Saturday and Sunday for sure.

I actually just watched the documentary on Darfur that Don Cheadle had created called "Darfur Now" a couple days ago. What's happening over there is horrible.

People always say stuff like, "well what am I going to be able to do?" and in the words of Don Cheadle, "Well, one thing is for sure you can do more than nothing!".

So come on everyone, Ante up for Africa!

May I make a suggestion�.

Many people are aware of the atrocities in Sudan (and the world over for that matter) but there has been a long history of millions of dollars in humanitarian aide being intersected by the government and not ever making its way to the people.<span> </span>Perhaps you could give more insight into how you guys actually deliver the aide to the people so that contributors do not feel they are throwing good money after bad.<span> </span>

Also, I do not know if it already exists, but a PSA (public service announcement) that runs on YouTube would help.<span> </span>I would imagine you have plenty of friends in L.A. with editing equipment, but if you do not, I will be more than happy to cut a :30/:15/:10 spot for you when I get time.<span> </span>You can also submit the PSA to the networks for rotation. <span> </span>

 

Originally Posted by dtools22

When I see replies to threads like the ones I'm seeing in this one I am embarrassed to admit I play online poker. The audacity that you people have to belittle a charity and someone who is devoting there time and energy into helping out people who the rest of the world has left behind is extraordinary.

Every single one of you people who seriously can't deal with the notion of helping out anyone that doesn't live in the USA need to crawl back under the rock you live under and simply not post in this thread. If you don't agree with the charity that's fine and you have every right not to participate. However to actually go so far as to try and bring people down for participating is ignorant beyond imagination. *STAFF EDIT*

Annie, I don't have any money on UB and I'm playing like dog crap lately, is there anyway I can just donate to the charity directly?

And what we the people of the US are saying is its great to give and all just start at home 1st then expand to others i hope all the best for the people that need ours or anyones help to get to just a decent place to live .All we are saying is we hope there might be a tourney for the folks that need help here too.We all hear about the warloards over there i hope for the charity's sake that the help goes directly to the people that need it and not to the warlords to sell the food and buy more guns whats to stop them anyway the U.N ?

I think a lot of our American readers here are forgetting that not everyone on this site is American--not even close, really. It's about a 50-50 split between Americans and members from other countries. PocketFives.com is an international community, and people need to be respectful of the fact that not everyone here is from the same whereabouts or background as themselves.

They are pretty cool susie...This is a great way for us as poker players to give alittle back to help a great cause. Hope to cya all there this weekend....H0