Monday, November 28, 2016

C'mon, pitch in, I can't buy presents for ALL these kids!

  


     Modesty demands that we truly generous individuals refrain from bragging about our good works. So I've never written about founding the Chicago Sun-Times Charity Trust's "Letters to Santa" program, nor about my purchasing countless presents for Chicago children, nor about prodding my reluctant colleagues to get off their kiesters and pitch in which, to their credit, they generally do, eventually.
     But it's a big city, and we need help. Last year the program gave more than 10,000 children Christmas presents. I can't buy them all. So while I'm gathering gifts for the, let's see, one, two, three, four, five, six ... 27 needy kids I've taken under my wing this year, I'm hoping that you'll pause from staring, stupefied with distress, at the day's political headlines and make Christmas brighter for just one child who, believe it or not, has it tougher than you do.
     Oh, that isn't true. Well, the getting gifts for 10,000 kids part is, as well as the hoping you'll join part.
     Otherwise, for the record, a) I did not start the Letters to Santa Program. b) My colleagues leap to help, far quicker than I do. And c) it's a big deal for me to buy a few gifts for one child, never mind tackle 27.
     But I figured, blatant lies are in vogue. If Donald Trump can hold a gala promising veterans millions of dollars, ballyhooing his supposed generosity, then fail to cough up a dime of his own until the lying media points out the lapse, and almost half the country votes for him anyway, then why not puff myself up as a philanthropist? Worrying about the actual truth has become an antique pastime, like churning butter.

To continue reading, click here.

3 comments:

  1. You had me going there: 27 kids? Wow! There may be something better than buying a needy kid a Christmas present, but I can't think of it right now.

    John

    ReplyDelete
  2. At first I thought you were pulling another April Fools type thing, then I got to the lies being in vogue. Nicely done. Could we call this new language of lies Trumpese? Trumpish? Trumpian?
    By the way, good choice on the Lego set, the three min-figs included are cool.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I think it's great people offer to answer a child's gift wish for a toy or game; answering individual letters to "Santa" is a worthy cause. But, in my profession, we are more concerned with providing needed clothes (especially for winter), toiletries, and pantry food supplies. Especially of concern are the homeless students in my district. Whoever you are or support, give. It's the human thing to do, not just a Christian or any other religious goal.

    ReplyDelete

Comments are moderated, and posted at the discretion of the proprietor.