Acknowledge your kindness
"Those who would administer wisely must, indeed, be wise, for one of the serious obstacles to the improvement of [the human] race is indiscriminate charity." — Andrew Carnegie 1835-1919
The words of warning above by Andrew Carnegie, the Scottish-born US industrialist and philanthropist, are poignant even today. It is a good thing that, in the name of charity, many caring people give what they can to one or more favourite causes. However, it sometimes happens that when they give a dollar to a large organisation, as much as 90 cents of it is used to pay upper-middle-class administrators to get the other 10 cents to a person who may or may not be in need. I am urging all who would be charitable to please be wiser than that.
Use discernment to send your donations where they are really needed and used for the greatest benefit. Give as much as you can, and give where you feel that you can do the most good. While you are in that benevolent state I hope that some of you will think of individuals such as myself who are in need.
Yes, I need your help. For over 21 years I have been living on death row in Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison, locked down 18-21 hours a day in a tiny cell. Those of us living under the death sentence are not allowed by the prison to work for pay, and the prison does not supply us with anything more than an austere diet and the most basic hygiene and clothing needs.
I am a writer, and writing the way that I do is a costly endeavour in a US prison. The prison does not provide pens, paper, postage stamps, envelopes or copies. In order to obtain the necessities of my work, all of which must come through the prison store, and to cover my writing and publishing expenses, it costs me about US$50 each week. I depend entirely on donations from readers and friends. I have no support, either financial or emotional, from family.
For the last eight years I have produced the "Looking out" column weekly. My international publishing credits include a column in the Atlanta News Weekly called "An Inside Look with Brandon A. Jones", as well as publication of articles and essays in the New Internationalist magazine, The Nonviolent Activist, and Skipping Stones.
I have developed an extensive correspondence network with readers from all over the world who communicate with me in response to my articles and columns. Currently, I am preparing for publication a collection of my writings, which includes an autobiographical account revealing from whence I, a middle-aged, African-American essayist, poet and storyteller, came.
I need your help. Immediately. I assure you, every cent of every dollar that you share with me will be used directly and thoughtfully to take care of my very real needs.
BY BRANDON ASTOR JONES
[The writer is a prisoner on death row in the United States. He welcomes letters commenting on his columns (include your name and full return address on the envelope, or prison authorities may refuse to deliver it). He can be written to at: Brandon Astor Jones, EF-122216, G3-77, Georgia Diagnostic & Classification Prison, PO Box 3877, Jackson, GA 30233, USA, or email <BrandonAstorJones@hotmail.com>. Brandon is seeking a publisher for his autobiography, Growing Down. Please notify him of any possible leads. Coming soon, visit Brandon's web page at .]