Who are the highest and mightiest?

It seems wrong to abuse the good. When people do good in this world, we must support them, maybe even love them. But down deep inside we may think the people who do good, especially if they announce it with pride to the world, a little suspect. Maybe there's a selfish motive behind those apparently high acts of charity. And of course there's not a little human nature in wanting to see the high and mighty taken down a notch or two. That's why I'm re-reading the "Talk of the Town" in October 4th's New Yorker. Under the heading "Dept. of Haves, The Real Thing," the author makes gentle fun ofMelinda Gates. Mrs. Gates was in New York appearing at events and commenting on the work of the eponymous Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the (as if anyone needed to be told) richest charity in the world, and getting richer. Mrs. Gates, it turns out, is particularly emboldened in her charitable work by the thought that toilets are lacking all over the world, leading to the transmission of disease. The article concludes with Mrs. Gates repeating an anecdote she'd heard about clever women putting their Indian village's new latrine in front of the village elder's home so that "he would keep it clean." Mrs Gates commented "And I thought, How perfect. The women knew exactly where the power sat in the village."