Sport Relief - charity should begin at home.

I watched a little bit of the BBC's Sport Relief last night, some parts like the Frank Lampard sketch were pretty funny. But I find myself generally avoiding these type of BBC fundraisers nowadays.

Why? Well it annoys me. It annoys me that they speak about raising money for both in the UK and abroad, but never state quite how the money is divvied up. 50/50? 30/70?

The emphasis on these shows always seems to me more focused on money going abroad. But as desperate as the situations are for many in Third World countries, there are two things to point out. Firstly, taxpayers already put money into these countries via foreign aid - which I would cut to zero. Why? Well, secondly, money being poured into poor foreign nations has been shown time and again to be wasted and to become source of dependency that stops the powers that be in such countries making radical changes instead of lining their own pockets.

But most of all, it upsets me that when the packages of UK kids who have been abused, neglected and vulnerable are shown there is always talk of budget constraints. I just don't find it right that instead of looking after our own damaged people, we'll inevitably fall short of funding somewhere for someone because we sent the money abroad instead. Morally I just find that unacceptable.

Sure, kids in the UK may not be dying of famine in the streets. Abuse in this more 'developed' society is far more subtle. It lingers behind heated, closed doors - where paedophiles, abusers and violence linger. Where babies are tortured and mothers raped and beaten daily. 

Lets focus a bit more on getting our own house in order before ploughing cash into other nations. Our country really isn't perfect enough to be worrying about others' problems to the extent that we do.