With the financial situation that is going on across the U.S. a lot of people are pinching their pennies, cutting back on expenses, and spending more time planning for financial security…

And then there are those people who seem to not have a care in the world. They are well off and believe that anyone who isn’t is in that position because of choices they made, or because they have a lack of work ethic. These people are feeling great and strolling along with money to burn.

Here’s a case of someone taking that a bit too literally.

Now I admit that it’s tempting to tell people what they should be doing with their money. Whether they have a lot of money, or a little, it’s hard to not butt in. However, people are either going to be responsible and generous, irresponsible and selfish, or they will be somewhere in between.

Given that, I don’t really know what to think about this video clip of Edwina Rogers wrapping presents in money. Rogers is a former Bush White House aide and wife of DC lobbyist Ed Rogers. Obvious, she has lots of cash.

On one hand there are people starving to death, getting kicked out of the homes, and working 18 hours a day while still drowning in debt, so there are better uses for money.

But on the other hand is it arrogant and self righteous of me to point that out? It’s her money, she can do what she wants, and I don’t think we sign a moral code when we earn a living. Besides, what am I doing with my money?

I do find the sentiment to be a bit obnoxious and very ostentatious, yet I’m having a hard time figuring out if it’s my place to say so.

Here are some comments that were made on the video:

“She should really be ashamed of herself”

“This woman is obscene. I can’t believe she’s actually doing this for the world to see”

“That money she’s wasting could go to the homeless people in her own country”

“Absolutely distasteful. This only shows how completely out of touch some people are. It’s not about the amount she wasted, symbolically it’s a slap in the face to all the families who struggle to get by day to day. There are Americans who are still homeless because of Hurricane Katrina and this woman is gleefully cutting up money. Disgraceful.”

What do you think?

_{Spotted at Womanist Musings}