Special Note: The Next Great Generation of Thinkers Youth Think-Off Competition has also been completed. The four winning essays will be posted here on Monday, June 21, 2010.

MP3 files of the 2010 debate are available here. 2010Debate

The 2010 debate question, "Do the wealthy have an obligation to help the poor?", was argued by the four finalists Saturday, June 12th in New York Mills, Minnesota. The finalists' biographical statements and the full texts of their essays appear below.

Pictured above are (from left) Barbara Betcher of Red Wing, Minnesota (3rd place bronze medalist), Rayelle Hite of Amor, Minnesota (also third place bronze medal), George Biltz, Think-Off Moderator, David Eckel of Clayton, North Carolina, gold medal winner, and Leif Wallin of Minneapolis, silver medalist. Congratulations to each of these fine debaters.

The winner of this year's debate is David Eckel of Clayton, North Carolina. David argued that there is not an obligation, although there is a responsibility, to help the poor.

David Eckel
David is a writer and philosopher moonlighting as a computer and small business management consultant.  He holds a degree in Management Science from MIT and upon graduation launched an optical arts company.  Dave subsequently worked in the plastics and telecommunications fields before founding Telephony Software Associates in 1991.  A resident of Clayton, NC, where he maintains many of the PCs in his neighborhood and teaches junior golf, Dave currently assists an oilfield services company and an antiques center both located in Houston.  This diverse background emerged from, and in turn strengthened, a core conviction that helping others holds lifes greatest rewards.

No, there is no obligation

I’m neither wealthy nor poor. How shall I ground in personal experience my argument that the wealthy do not (or at least should not) have an obligation to help the poor?

I was acquainted with someone wealthy by most standards (certainly mine) until he died of acute liver failure last November, days after his 58th birthday. John was as self made a multi-multi-millionaire as one can be these days. From a modest middle class background he rose to become founder and CEO of a highly successful natural gas pipeline company, and so fulfilled a lifelong ambition to be rich. Despite our very different paths I held his hand the last hours of his life, for I knew of him as John my brother.

But alas I did not know him well. The answers to a mountain of questions I would ask John lie buried with him down a live oak shrouded lane from the grave of Howard Hughes. The answers that remain come from John’s friends.

A few hours sleep following that awful night ended when John’s Blackberry buzzed. An Italian artist in Paris for his breakthrough exhibition was calling John to thank him for support and encouragement that had made it possible for him to realize his lifelong ambition. I found myself trying to comfort him in his moment of triumph.

Shortly Blackberry chirped with email from the founder of a Brazilian organization John supported. They help rain forest indigenous people become stewards of that precious ecosystem as an alternative to its deconstruction into pastureland and lumber.

And so it went. Your brother was all about philanthropy, one of his closest friends told me that evening. He was about giving to worthy, well managed, beneficial causes whether individual or institutional. He vetted each one as carefully as any potential acquisition for his company. And he taught us to do the same.

Yet in the face of this evidence I am convinced that unarguably generous John would object strongly to an assertion that the wealthy have an obligation to help the poor. I think he might agree with my view that fellow human beings have an obligation toward one another, but one rooted in the intrinsic worth of humanity and independent of relative means. I believe he would concur that a wealthy individual by reason of her wealth owes no more and no less to a poor man than she owes a millionaire, and our poor man has no more claim upon her than he has upon a pauper.

I began to see in the stories John’s friends told to me that what the wealthy individual enjoys but may not immediately appreciate is true privilege, the opportunity and the choice to deploy her wealth in the service of others, and with it the responsibility to do so wisely.

That privilege could be mistaken for obligation. But obligation is not a fuzzy feeling or some amorphous motive; it is a sharply edged concept explicitly backed by force of law. Therein lies its downfall.

Force of obligation deprives the wealthy giver of her choice, transforming her gift into a payment. She no longer knows the joy of giving but the sting of a taking. Her incentive, satisfaction in giving, is converted to gratification in keeping; she will reasonably turn her attention toward retaining wealth.

Force presents the poor recipient with Mephistophelean temptation. Gone is his genuine gratitude in receiving a gift, his resolve to make the most of it and to give back in turn, resolve borne of realization that his good fortune did not have to happen. Instead he must either refuse the taken property or accept it with guilt or worse, a sense of entitlement. His dependence and resentment soon follow; he will naturally turn his attention toward demanding more.

Among organs the liver is unusual for its capacity to regenerate. Though the techniques are poorly developed a portion of healthy liver can grow into a complete organ and do so with surprising alacrity. This begs the question, technical issues aside, whether someone with a healthy liver had an obligation to help John by donating part of her liver even though the donor would have incurred some inconvenience, pain and risk. Most would say “Obviously not, unless she chose to!” John would have been the first to agree, poor in his hour of need, despite the fact that a life-his life-hung in the balance.

Wealth has dimensions beyond the material.

Leif Wallin

The silver medal and second place was won by Leif Wallin. Leif graduated from Concordia College with degrees in Economics and French.   He earns his paycheck as a contracts negotiator.     As his long time hobbies of handball and biking started to take a toll on his body, he realized he needed to find less physically demanding activities.  He took up the piano and writing, both of which fueled his artistic side.    Now Leif takes pleasure in selecting adjectives and creating metaphors that paint the perfect picture.  Leif has great support (and good source material) from his wonderful wife Karen and their children, Erin and Cole. 

Yes, there is an obligation

When I was a boy, I loved GI Joes. The swiveling joints, the scar on the cheek, the heroic image; to an 8 year old boy, what wasn’t there to like. Eventually, they came out with GI Joes of different nationalities. I collected four Americans to do battle with three Germans. One day I invited a new friend over to play. My new friend didn’t have any GI Joes. He gawked at my abundance. I gave him one. It felt right. On that day, that poor boy benefitted from my wealth.

When I turned ten, I crossed a magic line. I achieved big kid status. I was old enough to ride my bike out of the neighborhood. On hot summer days, the destination was the paradise of Oak Park swimming pool. All I needed was that sweet 16 cents for the entry fee. Then I was off on my bike, master of my world. I remember a fateful day when I asked Dad for the entrance fee. He dug through his pockets. With a smile, he pulled out 16 pennies. I could

handle it; after all I was a big kid. I wrapped them in, of all things, a Kleenex, sealing it with a few strips of scotch tape. I pedaled off on my orange banana seat 5-speed, sting ray bike, towel over my shoulder, Kleenex purse clutched in my hand. As I arrived at the pool, I skidded on some gravel, crashing right in front of all the kids waiting in line. The Kleenex went flying. It exploded on impact, scattering the coins. Holding back tears, more of embarrassment than of pain, I picked through gravel and sand, but I could only find 15 pennies. As I dejectedly pushed my bike towards home, the pool attendant emerged from the shade of the swimming shelter. He said, “Hey kid, 15 cents will be OK for today.” On that day, the attendant gave his wealth to this poor boy.

Now I am an adult. My wife Karen, a federal labor attorney, became acquainted with Hawah, a cleaning woman in her office building. Hawah is an immigrant from Liberia which was in the midst of a civil war. When Hawah immigrated, she was faced with a horrific choice. She could stay with her four children in Liberia, passing on her chance to immigrate. Or she could come to the U.S., but she could not bring her children. If she gained citizenship and garnered the resources to support her family, she could bring them over, eventually. Hawah chose to leave Liberia. Her children remained with friends. Eventually, she did meet the requirements to bring her children.

But the immigration paperwork, a daunting task remained. Karen helped her navigate the stacks of papers and rules. On that day, Hawah benefitted from the wealth of Karen s knowledge. Later, Hawah invited us to her church. We heard Liberians asking prayers for lost family members not seen in months and asking prayers of safety for friends surviving in a war zone. After the service, total strangers greeted us and thanked us for our help in reuniting Hawah’s family.

To this day I feel the gratitude that returned. I feel it deep inside of me, in my bones and in my soul. Later, Hawah gave Karen an envelope with enough money for a plane ticket to Liberia. Hawah said, “My country is so beautiful. Someday when it is safe, take this money and visit my country. Thank you, thank you.” On that day, we benefitted from Hawah’s wealth. There is a connection that binds all people together. We love, we grieve, we care, we anger. We give of our wealth, and gracefully, we receive. Do you remember the feeling you get when you help a poor person in need? If not, go out today. Assess your wealth, and give of it. Experience the joy. Experience the gratitude.

I cannot tell you when your obligation starts or ends. Nor can I tell you how much or how little the extent of your obligation. That is an individual decision, because wealth takes many forms. Wealth may be a simple penny to a 10 year old boy, or wealth may be a stack of completed immigration papers to an anxious, fearful mother. But when you give of your wealth, you know it is right, because you feel it in your bones and in your soul. Today you give, because tomorrow you will receive. It makes us human.

Barbara Betcher
Barbara shares 3rd place in this year's debate. Born and raised in New Britain, Connecticut, Barbara came to Minnesota to teach at Immanuel Lutheran School in Hay Creek Township. She married a farmer, but has been a widow for 15 years. Her two sons are attorneys in Red Wing. Her daughter teaches at Iowa State University. Barbara has a  Master's Degree from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. For 27 years, she taught in the Title I program in the Goodhue Public Schools.

Over the years, Barbara has been a 4-H Leader, Chair of the Goodhue County Jail Study Commission, a member of the Red Wing Library Board, and a 3-term member of the Red Wing School Board. For fun, she reads a lot, plays Bridge and Texas Hold'em, solves the New York Times Crossword Puzzles, and writes whimsical verse. Barbara was the 1997 Minnesota State Senior Spelling Bee Champion.

No, there is no obligation

Do the wealthy have and obligation to help the poor? Just asking that question is, I think, demeaning and condescending to the poor. It’s like giving them the Booby Prize before the card game has even started. The poor deserve much better than that. We should give them the respect that is their right.

Are all men created equal? Or are they not? If they are, then everyone, rich or poor, should have a chance and a choice. A chance to show what they can do, and a choice to spend their time, talent and treasure as they see fit. And the wealthy should not be forced to help the poor.

Saying that, I know, puts me in the running for Scrooge of the Year, but if we are all equal, then I have no right to tell others how to spend their money, and I certainly don’t want anyone telling me how to spend mine!

Robinhood is a more popular figure than Scrooge will ever be. But Robinhood was a thief. He stole from the rich and gave to the poor, doing his charity with other people’s money. Scrooge was a much more honest person. The money he spent (or didn’t spend) was all his own. Yet Robinhood is a folk hero, and Scrooge is seen as a villain. How can we Americans agree with that?

Public officials routinely do their charity with taxpayers’ money when they vote for entitlements and subsidies to help the poor. That turns the assets of the wealthy into liabilities. What kind of bookkeeping is that? When Enron did it, the government called it theft and fraud!

In my nine years on the Red Wing School Board, I always tried to treat public money the way I treat my own . . . responsibly, wisely, and frugally. I think taxpayers should have some money left with which to support charities of their own choosing.

Likewise, at the poker table I always try to use my chips wisely. I play the cards I’m dealt, to the best of my ability. Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose. But we all know the rules of the game and we never change them just because someone has accumulated a big pile of chips. No one is ever forced to share, and no one would ever want them to. Every one of us wants the respect of our fellow poker players, not their charity.

Charity, of course, can be a very good thing. We should all do what we can to help others. But we should do it because we want to, not because we have to. I’m happy to know that Bill Gates is using his great wealth to help the poor. But it is not his obligation to do so. It is his choice.

We all have the right to choose how we will share the blessings God has given us. Christ Himself said that there will always be poor people and that helping them is not always the best use of our wealth. (Matt.26)
Each of us is free to use our treasure as our heart directs.

I give as generously as I can to many good causes: Food Shelf, Epilepsy Foundation, Salvation Army, Red Cross, and of course, my church. But I also give to civic projects like our downtown flower baskets, the YMCA, and the Humane Society. I am far from being wealthy, but I like to help where I can, and I do it with my own money, in ways that I choose.

Nelson Mandela, Mother Therese, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr. – these were not wealthy people, but they’ve earned worldwide respect for the things they did, and the paths they chose to follow. Why should the wealthy be denied that same freedom of choice?

Our country is not a Communist state that redistributes wealth by taking “from each according to his abilities” and giving “to each according the his needs”. That is not the American way.

If we really believe that “all men are created equal”, we Americans have to say: “Robinhood is not a hero and Scrooge is not a villain, and … the wealthy have no obligation to help the poor.”

Rayelle Hite
Rayelle also shares the third place bronze medal. She was born in Portsmouth, Virginia October 3, 1979.  She arrived in the state of Minnesota at the age of four and has called it her home to date.  She graduated high school in 1998 in Wadena Deer Creek.  She spent a short time in the Army National Guard, and in 2002 became a mother and homemaker.  She currently lives in rural Minnesota with her husband, two sons, and two dogs.  Rayelle works as a paraprofessional for a local school district.  She enjoys gardening, kayaking and spending time with her family. 

Yes, there is an obligation

Wealth by definition is an abundance of anything: such as money, possessions, or qualities. Poverty on the other hand is defined as: a lacking, an absence of money, deficit of possessions, or inequity in qualities. Throughout my life despite these definitions and my personal opinions I have more often than not seen poverty portrayed as solely a monetary issue. I challenge you to step outside this societal box of looking at wealth and poverty in terms of financial status and step into a world where finances do not put a marker on the desire, will, or ability to become a wealthy individual.

Growing up as a child of a single mother there was never really enough money to go around. Despite our lack of finances, I was raised in an environment that encouraged sharing of resources, guidance, and offerings to those less fortunate than ourselves. My mother was a shelter for the homeless, a counselor to the lost, and a friend to many despite her financial woe. As I grew I learned the value of giving, receiving, and blessing. As an adult, I look back and see that without this intricate design we would have been impoverished in more ways than one. The people we encountered that my mother gifted a hot meal, a nights rest, or the advice to get through the day allotted us a ride on a tilt a whirl we otherwise wouldn t have had, lifetime memories of a first boat ride, lessons of reliance and dependability, scenes of struggle and addiction, and so much more.

Although I was not blessed with possessions or an abundance of what society deems as a wealthy lifestyle, I was blessed with life experience that I now share as I put pen to paper. My abundance happens to be experience and although it is a moment by moment struggle because of my poverty in other areas of my life, I choose at this moment to share the wealth of experience that I have acquired over the years. I have finally come to understand my desire to become a “wealthy” individual.

There was a time in my life that I was so overcome by the areas that I lacked that I could not move forward, I could not share, reach out to others, or even be comfortable sharing any part of myself. I did not have the will to step outside myself, let alone share or acknowledge my wealth. I knew in my heart that I wasn’t being fair to myself, the people around me, or those I may possibly encounter. For several years I used a blanket of excuses to shroud the reality and torture of my poverty. I did not have the will to push myself forward. I spent the time examining and evaluating how to change, how to grow, and how to be able to step outside myself to greet the world with a smile. What I did muster was the will to endure.

Despite the poverty in certain areas of my life and those I have grown to know, we have chosen to use our abilities to allow others to take in a sum of wealth. If you should have wealth that is of financial abundance, share your finances with a group or individual with the desire to succeed.

If your wealth is experience, use your ability to share your story with those that have the will to persevere. If your wealth is knowledge, use what you have learned to teach others how to process and grow. If your wealth is justice, share with those lacking the courage to acknowledge their poverty. We all have the ability to share wealth.

Whether financial, emotional, or physical we have all experienced a poverty of some kind in our lives. During this time you most likely desired a resource outside yourself to guide you through this time. I concede that we as individuals are obligated to support each other, providing each other with resources from our individual wealth to transform not only financial poverties, but poverties of any condition. Again, I will ask you to look at poverty and wealth outside the societal box we have them cornered in. Consider that at some point in all of our lives we are put in the role of wealth or poverty. It is our responsibility to instill desire, allow self will, and encourage ability.