Opinion and Research

Russell Shortt asked:


The Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB), or the Fenian organisation was founded simultaneously in Dublin and New York in 1858 by a number of individuals who had been connected with the 1848 rebellion in Ireland, which included - James Stephens, John O’Mahony, Charles Kickham, John O’Leary, Thomas Clarke Luby and Michael Doheny. They organised the movement along the lines of ‘circles’ which was comparative to a regiment, it was very secretive with each rank only knowing the one above it. The Fenians believed that armed revolution was the only way forward and they therefore prepared for an uprising for when Britain should be at a disadvantage. They soon established themselves in Australia, South America, Canada and particularly in America as well as in the large cities of England. When a rising was at last attempted in 1867, the government were well ahead of the conspiracy and nearly all the Fenian leaders were in prison, it was really nothing more than a gesture. However, the movement received a fresh impetus of recruits, they kept the channels open and waited for the day that revolution would occur. They would have to wait fifty years but during this long period, Fenianism was an ideal that nationalists could cling desperately to. However, by the start of the twentieth century the movement had largely stagnated, becoming more interested with Dublin municipal politics than the establishment of an Irish Republic. A younger generations of nationalists began to change all this from 1905 on, by 1914 the Supreme Council of the IRB was largely purged of its older, jaded leadership. The new blood helped establish the Irish Volunteers in 1913 and were very influential in the subsequent Irish War of Independence. Following the Civil War, the Supreme Council voted to dissolve the organisation, deeming that it’s goals had been achieved.



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Andrew Torchon asked:


Charities will take almost anything to help the cause from money, clothes and even a car donation. California as the leading car ownership state in the United States has a lot to give.

Consider the number of older vehicles traveling on the freeways of California. The Automobile industry has thrived in the excess of the Los Angeles drivers need for better and newer cars than what they had the year before. But the value of trade ins when trying to get a better deal on a brand new car often isn’t worth the time it took to drive it on to the lot.

It is common knowledge that once a new car or even a used car, has been driven off the car lot and hits the street, its retail value for resale drops considerably. For the car owner who wishes to extract some monetary worth from their trusted mechanical steed the choices of either a trade in or resale can look fairly grim.

The dealer isn’t going to give a real market value for the vehicle because that would take more profit out of his pocket. Trying to sell the car yourself isn’t the easiest thing in the world either. First you have to make sure the auto is in proper working condition which can mean pouring more money into something that you want to get money from – doesn’t make a lot of sense. Of course then there’s the weekends spent putting the car out on the street with a sign or answering the phone calls from the ads you had to pay for in order to let people know what a bargain you have.  At this stage there has been more time and money spent trying to get a buyer, all of which eats away at profit made once the car has actually been sold.

Let’s face it. Trading in a car or selling it to someone else nets only so much in dollars and not much else. But there is a simple, easy and soul satisfying way to get rid of your car and help someone less fortunate in the process.

Donate your car to a worthy charity that will do some good with the old rust bucket. When you donate a car, many things happen that provide excellent advantages over reselling or trading it in.  First and foremost, when you donate a car, you are giving something or real value to the community at large. Cash is nebulous, but a vehicle that can take a person who is down on his luck to work or shuttle kids to a local community center are absolutely priceless.

Finding non-profits that are willing and desirous of acquiring your auto have become more prevalent and the benefits when you donate your car include tax deductions and sometimes even cash. Some charities will do a split where you can get half in cash for the blue book value of the car and the other half as a charitable donation.  Many organizations will come and pick up the vehicle from you and even tow it away if it’s not running.

One charity that has been accepting automobile donations for years is called Donate For Charity.  Donate For Charity gives 70-80% of all the net proceeds directly to the non-profit which is the highest percentage of donation among all the leading national vehicle donation programs.  By maintaining an extensive network of the nation’s best auction facilities Donate For Charity shortens the average towing distance and lowering the expense in the process.  The high volume of cars donated through their “Car Donation California” program gives them better negotiating powers for towing and auction fees allowing for more of the auto’s value to go to the charity where it will do the most good.

“We maximize the sale price of your vehicle and the amount of your charitable contribution by running the best car donation processing system in the country.”

To learn more about the Donate For Charity donate a car program and to select a charity, click on www.donateforcharity.com or call them toll-free at (866) 392-4483.



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