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Are you inspired or nauseated by this photo?

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No, it’s not a personality test. Let it rip, Broketown.

Faye :Faye Penn is the founder of Brokelyn and publisher of the Brooklyn and Queens Beer Books, the Brooklyn Cocktail Book and other stuff you ain't seen yet. She lives in Ditmas Park. Get at her at brokelyn@gmail.com

View Comments (19)

  • This is Elspeth Gilmore, co-director of Resource Generation. It's an organization that engages young people of wealth in social justice philanthropy. So, she certainly does more than just make signs and hope for higher taxes. :)

  • This is a perfect example of what people are fighting for- get money out of politics and into the hands of people who will actually use it for good. This took some bravery.

  • Seeing as how a moronic, sub-literate strain of Randian libertarianism has driven the debate in this country the last couple years, it's nice to see someone with a heart, This country needs more Eliot Rosewaters.

  • I'm conflicted because while she's far more charitable than I'll ever be, I think it's gauche to announce your wealth, no matter what the cause. I read up on this gal, assuming it's Elspeth, and everything is all about her and her personal journey and discomfort around the million bucks she inherited at 21, and the second trust fund she still stands to inherit. I appreciate that she intends to redistribute it, but I think it's only because of her wealth that she feels entitled to so much attention for what she's trying to do. 

    In Judaism, anonymous giving is one of the highest forms of charity because nobody feels superior and nobody feels diminished by it. Her approach, on the other hand, has the whiff of noblesse oblige to me, sorry to say.  Here's her story: http://www.boldergiving.org/stories.php?story=Elspeth_Gilmore

    • I agree with the Judaic anonymous giving as being the highest form of charity  but in this case, I think what Elspeth is doing can hopefully be seen as an inspiration for other people in a similar position as hers to give charitably (anonymously or not).    Though in Judaism people have the leadership and teachings of their elders/synagogue heads to guide them...  a lot of young Brooklyn trust-funders do not.  

    • But she's putting herself out there in order to make a point. If she had just contributed monetarily and anonymously, then it would hardly resonate with all these people commenting or the protestors themselves. I think it's appropriate to announce her wealth in this situation only, where it might help others to realize that even if someone has money, they can share your ideology and attempt to give back to those who deserve it. 
      Kudos to her, that takes serious nerve and self-awareness.

    • i appreciate Elspeth's effort, i think u calling it gauche and noblesse is you're own deal, don't project you're own discomforts to sour this women's actions. It's a good move on Elspeth's part, she is making a point. 

  • I find this incredibly unproductive. The Occupy Wall Street movement is not aimed primarily at individuals' wealth. It's aimed at a tax structure that allows entire classes of people to gain while other entire classes lose. To me this is off message and detracts from the bigger issues we have to combat to create real change. 

    • If you were to evaluate the "productivity" of everyone's signs at OWS, it would take ages. I wouldn't consider this detracting at all, in my opinion. OWS is about a more even distribution of wealth; having allies in all classes is important. It's empowering to realize there are people in the 1% that support the 99% and use their money to work actively and create "real change".

  • I find it unequivocally inspiring - compare her to the wall street frakkers drinking champagne in front of Occupy.

    .... that having been said, I hope she buys everyone there a beer & a sandwich.

  • If Elspeth wants to squander her inheritance that's her business. Naive, silly and smacks of vainglory if you ask me.