Last year, around this time, I began development on a game of mine, called Cities. I remember that week I spent developing it because of the incidents that surrounded hurricane Katrina, being that I keep the news on while I'm on the computer, as to drone any disrupting noises or thoughts out of my head as I focus on something. What I also remember around that time was the sight of people walking around with small Red Cross pins.

Although I had previously donated $10 to the Red Cross, I kept gaining small hints from people that wearing those pins acted as some sort of visible receipt, noting you've donated money. Yet, it was more than simply showing that you've given a dollar to a charity organization, it's showing that you feel you're involved in a national (and as was the case with the tsunami of 2004, international) crisis, and that without one, you were either ignorant of such events, or simply don't care.

Soon after I had begun to wear the pin I had received for donating $1, the subtle behavioral signs I had noticed from people had changed. What was it about these pins? It seems as though they send a message to people, while in good intent they do, can easily alter other's perception. Originally, rather than walking around with a pin, I gave $10 and decided to leave the issue of rescue and recovery to those in charge concerning the damage left by hurricane Katrina, rather than to give $1 for a pin and walk around as if I'm more involved with the issue by wearing it.

For what those pins were worth, I learned that I was better off keeping my sense charity to myself, than to fall under the weight of peer pressure (albeit subtle), in order to show my concern for an issue I have no other control towards other than to give what I did. Simply saying you care about the issue at hand, either verbally or though such items as the Red Cross pins given out doesn't resolve much if you're just an average citizen, and I wish that people who honestly care about an issue and wish to donate their time and what they can would do more than buy pins and display to other's their sense of charity.