As someone who has seen the beautiful architecture of Notre Dame in person, it is hard not to have mixed feelings as millions of dollars are poured into saving the building after the fire that burned only the building’s roof and spire. Big corporations such as Disney, IBM and L’Oreal have pledge millions of dollars to help restore the building, with total donations reaching more than $1 billion USD. Since the fire erupted on April 17, the buzz on social media began about where the donations should be contributing toward instead. People on social media have expressed how the money could be used instead to help fight things like climate change and homelessness. Some of the online debates on the funding have even turned to physical protests.
The Yellow Vest group in France has most notably been protesting homelessness and social inequality. In Paris, homelessness has seen an increase of 21 percent within the past year. Yellow Vest protests in Paris turned violent this Saturday as the outrage continued over the donations. As this occurred, it is hard to debate how other people should spend their money. While I agree, the donations could be used on other important matters, the fact of the matter is the donations are not in our control. Corporations and individuals are going to spend their money how they want. This isn’t to say stay silent on what you believe, but to put those beliefs into action. Donate your time, money and energy into the causes that mean the most to you. Avoid putting your own money toward these corporations that have donated to things you don’t agree with. As cheesy as it sounds, be the change you want to see in the world.
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Information gathered from:
https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2019/4/20/18507964/notre-dame-cathedral-fire-charity-donations
https://www.foxnews.com/us/france-yellow-vest-protest-notre-dame