Who needs our money more?

Over the weekend I have been preoccupied by the relief operation in Haiti. I watched in amazement as a young man was brought out from under the rubble. Living on coke and crisps, he survived for 11 days – his brother who had not given up hope of finding him, heard his tapping and eventually he was freed.

This remarkable story of two brothers is in stark contrast to the account of the two young brothers who viciously attacked two other boys, while they were out playing on their bikes. The brothers, who from a young age saw their mother beaten repeatedly by their drunken father, were belted by the same man, who encouraged then to watch porn and sadistic films. Violence being the norm in their household.

So we have two sets of brothers. One set now face the hardship of living in a crumpled society, while the other two have been brought into care and separated for the good of themselves and society.

So who do we feel more pity for? Who do we give our money to – organisations who help those children born into a life of misery, neglect and poverty? It is hard to differentiate which brothers we are talking about.