Timed Write

A weekly feature of The New York Times Magazine is a column by Randy Cohen called “The Ethicist,” in which people raise ethical questions to which Cohen provides answers. The question below is from the column that appeared on April 4, 2003.


At my high school, various clubs and organizations sponsor charity drives, asking students to bring in money, food, and clothing. Some teachers offer bonus points on tests and final averages as incentives to participate. Some parents believe that this sends a morally wrong message, undermining the value of charity as a selfless act. Is the exchange of donations for grades O.K. ?
The practice of offering incentives for charitable acts is widespread, from school projects to fund drives by organizations such as public television stations, to federal income tax deductions for contributions to charities. In a well-written essay, develop a position on the ethics of offering incentives for charitable acts. Support your position with evidence from your reading, observation, and/or experience.



Offering Incentives for charitable acts has many pros and cons, depending on the circumstances. Sometimes this act can benefit everyone, while other incentives can be unjust to those who work the hardest. Buying your wages or grades is morally wrong, but offering a chance for someone deserving to get ahead when they are behind is only fair.



When talking about extra credit for students, students should get an opportunity to redeem or higher their grade, if they are a dedicated hard working student. Students get sick, get in car accidents, and have deaths in the family which cause school to be missed. School is not always a first priority, there is family and health which are extremely important to an individuals well being. Therefore, those students who miss school days not always have time or the ability to complete absent work, especially if they have a strict agenda with AP and college classes. These students should have other options, such as going to a play, bringing in cans for the Million Dollar Can Challenge which our local FFA hosted, or a bringing a jacket for the Jacket Drive hosted by the salvation army. All these charitable events the West Valley High School offers throughout the year as well as numerous other high schools and it's essential for those strong willed, busy students who are unable to have a perfect attendance record.



On the other hand, students who are deserving of the low grades they receive, should not receive the chance for redemption. Someone who shows up to class once a week and does not try and ceases to pay attention should receive no sympathy from teachers towards their grades. Their needs to be a limit on how much extra credit a teacher can put towards the grade book. If a student has a "C" average year round, and brings in cans or another form of charity, their grade should be bumped up no higher than a "B". Even though, this form of extra credit does not treat everyone equally, because it's based on how good of a student they are, it creates controversy and complaints. Because each student is not the same, each have individual needs and different subjects they excel in, their extra credit should work corresponding to the way each student works.



Sports and Occupations should not give incentives. Because someone is wealthy and can afford to donate money for a team or business corporation, does not give them the right to play or work above someone else who is more deserving. In the work field, how bosses rank their employees should be by the level of skill, dedication, and loyalty, not by how much money they have or how much they donate to charity. Coaches of sport teams can be greedy and corrupt, players who work the most throughout the year and players who do the most physically and mentally for their team deserve more playing time than a player whose father donated fifty-thousand dollars to the football team. These are the moral ethics, and whether business works like this or not, this way is only fair.



In conclusion, Incentives vary on many different levels. They should be used if needed in the education field, because students don't get sick leave an other benefits. They are forced to make up what they missed. Unlike most work fields where everyday is a new day, you don't have to make up anything. Therefore work should be solely based on skill and determination, as well as sport teams and other programs.