This Conversation Died A Premature Death

(I work as a delivery driver for a well-known pizza franchise in Australia. It is currently after hours, so the manager and I are cleaning up the store before we leave. Having already counted out my tips, I throw a few coins into a donation box we have set up on the counter.)

Manager: *poking his head out* “What was that?”

Me: “I was just putting some of my tips into the donation box here.”

Manager: *with a strange look on his face* “I see…”

Me: “Is something wrong?”

Manager: “Well, it’s just that I don’t believe in supporting that sort of thing.”

Me: *looking at the box* “Cancer research?”

Manager: “Yeah. You see, people are living longer than ever now, so I think we need diseases like cancer to function as population control.”

(I’m pretty dumbfounded by this explanation, because normally this manager is a very reasonable guy. Not wanting to be rude, I decide to discuss the topic rationally.)

Me: “Okay. But what would happen if you or someone you cared about got sick from one of these diseases? Would you still feel the same way then?”

Manager: *almost proudly* “Yeah!”

(That was pretty much the end of that conversation.)