A moral dilemma

[white knight]

This is a problem I have, unless the majority have and I don't. I'll explain.

Say, you own a vintage car. Your situation is that your restored it prior to retiring early and going on a disability pension. Its you and your wife's hobby to drive every so often on a club run to a café or a camping group. This 'luxury' has costs, registration, repairs, insurance. You own a modest home with a small mortgage.

Another vintage car owner heads off alone for a trip to inland Australia. They hit a kangaroo and their car is a write off. Both the owner and his girlfriend are severely injured but will make a full recovery. They are in their early 70's. 7 years ago the owner heavily modified his car and needed an engineers certificate from an approved engineer to hand into the Govt authority so registration changes could be made and the car legally be able to be driven on the roads. But this inconvenience was not pursued. Instead the owner  said to others "I'll take my chances". Subsequently no comprehensive insurance was obtained either. And in the event of an accident no TAC health cover is likely available. The owner post accident needed an air ambulance from the country to the city.

So loss of the uninsured vehicle, health costs, ambulance costs - we are talking serious money. The owner owns outright a home in inner city worth around 1.5 million dollars.

 The car club immediately commences a "pass the hat around" fund drive so the owner can cover costs including repairing/replacing his vehicle.

In anger I reply to the Facebook site, first I express hope that they recover. Then I express to others why I do not believe it is right that such fund be commenced on the moral of the above. That he could sell his home and buy his own new vintage car moral by moving out of the city a couple of suburbs. That some on pensions had to acquire such certificates at great cost and insurance on vintage cars was expensive. The owner had taken the risk and dropped his own responsibilities.

There were two types of member of the club. Those that agreed with me (in the minority) and those that didn't care the issues and just wanted to collect money. The latter believes that the like of myself to be lacking compassion. My reply to that is that it isn't about compassion.

Such a dilemma has had some fallout causing me some depression and anger. Similar situations are when houses are burned in bushfires.

Being torn as to what is right can be confusing.

Tony WK

[Neil_1]

Hi there White Knight

Oh boy, that’s a conundrum alright.

On one hand, you have this.

On the other hand, you have a watch.  Whoops, sorry – a small attempt at humour.   On the other hand, you have the other.

One hand has the majority, the other hand the minority.

I mean, the passing the hat round scenario is an interesting one in itself, cause unless the Club has well over a hundred or so members, then the return from that passing isn’t going to be all that much, or is it?   I mean, even if there’s a 100 who put in money and say they put in $20 each (as a pure and wild guess), that’ll be what?   $2,000?

Sure that would help, but that wouldn’t cover all their bases, would it?

I guess one last thing to mention – did the owner seek for the Club to do the fund-raising or was this something that the Club initiated by themselves?

I’m not sure if any of the above has been helpful or not, but just thought I’d chip in and have a go.

Cheers

Neil

[white knight]

Hi Neil, my friend, good to hear from you.

The club initiated the fund idea. The sellable value of the vintage vehicle would exceed say $30,000. It is unlikely the club will be able to fund the loss or anywhere near it. They have say 90 dedicated local members and a few hundred international Facebook members.

[Cherpieus]

Hi White Knight

That is a hard one. 

The first thing that comes to mind is that I have made decisions in my life that were wrong.  I have paid dearly for them both emotionally, physically and financially. I did not receive help or ask for it. It would have meant a lot if someone had helped me but I certainly wouldn't expect it and would probably refuse it because it was my bad choices that caused the issues.

People have compassion and think things are right and wrong for differing circumstances all the time and just because you feel the situation you've described is wrong doesn't mean that you are not compassionate. Other situations/people you may feel are right other people wouldn't. 

Sometimes it's better not to share, particularly on facebook, if you don't feel an action is right. Just not doing anything (ie not contributing) can make the statement without getting people totally offside. I hope I'm making sense.

I think you are very brave standing up for what you believe and unfortunately you probably wear the consequences of that which is very hard when it contributes to depression. 

Take care and be kind to yourself.