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the saddest Christmas wish lists ever
LA Times ^ | December 8, 2013 | Diana Wagman

Posted on 12/08/2013 5:18:06 AM PST by yldstrk

I was overwhelmed. Many of the letters — even the ones from kids — asked for groceries and shoes, clothing and shampoo. One child wrote: "Please bring my mommy some food. She's been good this year."

Elf Cleo sat beside me at the table checking in a new batch of letters. She told me 90% of the Santa requests sent to the post office never get answered. Many are written at homeless shelters and city food banks and after-school programs. (I found one letter in which a young teenager asked for gifts for the shelter workers.) Cleo said that every once in a while a family's gift comes back unopened, marked address unknown. She wonders: Have they moved into a shelter? A car? Onto the street?

I read a lot of letters, and I felt worse and worse. I didn't know how to choose. The single dad who needed diapers? The 17-year-old asking for a backpack for her little sister? I believe in holiday magic, but there just didn't seem to be enough of it to go around.

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/commentary/la-oe-1208-wagman-christmas-santa-letters-20131208,0,5227666.story#ixzz2mtBPetRU

(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy
KEYWORDS: obamaseconomy
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obama has driven the economy to the ground
1 posted on 12/08/2013 5:18:06 AM PST by yldstrk
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To: yldstrk

Actual title uses correct capitalization.


2 posted on 12/08/2013 5:20:41 AM PST by humblegunner
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To: yldstrk

Someone should tell the kiddies to write Santa a pathetic letter asking for a new president to end this suffering in America. I’ll bet the LAT wouldn’t print that sob story.


3 posted on 12/08/2013 5:21:28 AM PST by txrefugee
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To: yldstrk

Promising the cure, they kill the patient. Of course, some believe they intend on killing the patient in order to gain control of the world.

Personally, I believe in rainbows, unicorns and fuzzy feelings.

Sometimes, I feel alone on the site.


4 posted on 12/08/2013 5:22:04 AM PST by WorkingClassFilth
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To: humblegunner

oh it’s you


5 posted on 12/08/2013 5:23:29 AM PST by yldstrk (My heroes have always been cowboys)
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To: yldstrk
The LA Times should take this opportunity to sit down with these ungrateful kids and their parents to explain to them that ‘Obama Claus’ has already given them the GREATEST gift of all OBAMACARE!
6 posted on 12/08/2013 5:25:59 AM PST by Kartographer ("We mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.")
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To: yldstrk
The LA Times should take this opportunity to sit down with these ungrateful kids and their parents to explain to them that ‘Obama Claus’ has already given them the GREATEST gift of all OBAMACARE!
7 posted on 12/08/2013 5:25:59 AM PST by Kartographer ("We mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.")
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To: yldstrk

There are working poor who, after paying for groceries, rent, and other necessities, don’t have enough money to buy gifts for their children. For low skilled people, it has always been, and will always be this way. A poor economy makes it worse because there is no upward mobility in jobs.

Most churches and communities offer programs where you can sponsor a child or family for Christmas.


8 posted on 12/08/2013 5:28:38 AM PST by randita
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To: WorkingClassFilth

I believe in unicorns, rainbows, and ceiling cat. With her Cheezeburgers.

Every November go to a toy store and spend about 100 on small toys, each about 1ten dollars each. Go to Toys for Tots and deliver them. Go to the pet store and buy a huge 20 pound bag of doggy and kitty food and take that to the shelter where I got my fur kid from.

In addition I do answer a letter from Santa. This is in addition to volunteering at the local food bank, as well as donating to said food bank; and some other charities I send small donations to.

I wish it was more. The idea of children being hungry upsets me, or not having holiday presents.

If anyone knows how to deliver care packages to those who are currently serving so they can get some holiday goodies please let me know.


9 posted on 12/08/2013 5:38:14 AM PST by Gefn (More Cowbell)
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To: yldstrk
I'm getting the All-New Kindle Paperwhite. :)

I was very good!

10 posted on 12/08/2013 5:47:27 AM PST by Berlin_Freeper (Revelation 6:10)
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To: randita

Which is why Obama’s war on America must be publicized more broadly. Obama did this, along with his crony capitalists and the Democratic Party. This is their policies of misery.


11 posted on 12/08/2013 5:55:21 AM PST by 1010RD (First, Do No Harm)
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To: yldstrk

LA Times... my guess is “planted letters” like so many liberal hate crimes that are fabricated to fuel another cause. This sounds like the need for a living wage for people who refuse to get a head in life and want a 6 figure salary for flipping burgers.


12 posted on 12/08/2013 6:05:26 AM PST by maddog55
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To: Berlin_Freeper

something happened to me and I can’t sit around and read anymore


13 posted on 12/08/2013 6:15:08 AM PST by yldstrk (My heroes have always been cowboys)
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To: maddog55

Yep. Right behind you thinking the exact same thing. This story is contrived bullsh*t.


14 posted on 12/08/2013 6:15:52 AM PST by 98ZJ USMC
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To: txrefugee

Thanks for the laugh, even though it’s enough to make you weep.


15 posted on 12/08/2013 6:19:13 AM PST by Catmom (We're all gonna get the punishment only some of us deserve.)
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To: yldstrk
This is what the majority of voters that votes said, via, their votes, they wanted. Not once, but two consecutive times. Now that they are getting it, they are crying the blues. If they think it is bad now, wait until next year.

With obamaphones, section 8 housing, free clinics, and EBT cards, they are not hurting that bad yet. Wait until they have served the purpose that the Democrat Party had for them to accomplish and the EBT cards are shut off, the obamaphones are switched off, the Section 8 houses are closed, and obamacare eliminates the free clinics. Then they will weep and wail and blame President Bush, Ted Cruz, and the Republican Party.

16 posted on 12/08/2013 6:25:51 AM PST by sport
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To: maddog55

LA Times... my guess is “planted letters” like so many liberal hate crimes that are fabricated to fuel another cause.

&&&
Bingo!


17 posted on 12/08/2013 6:27:16 AM PST by Bigg Red (Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage. -Ps27)
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To: yldstrk

Do you know that you can cut and paste headlines/titles?


18 posted on 12/08/2013 6:30:20 AM PST by mad_as_he$$
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To: maddog55

I live in one of the poorest counties in the nation. We distribute food for Thanksgiving and Christmas and choose families for gifts. We could hardly find anyone who needed the food for Thanksgiving and we had food running out our ears. I made the snarky comment, “So much food and so few hungry”.

There are so many freebies out there that the “poor” don’t need a thing.

The real poor children are those in drug and alcohol addicted families whose parents spend anything they can get on drugs.


19 posted on 12/08/2013 6:39:31 AM PST by tiki
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To: randita
Last year, the company I work for sent gifts to our military. This year, my employer took up gifts for needy children overseas. I told them I would not be participating this year, I'd rather give to American children.
20 posted on 12/08/2013 6:50:04 AM PST by Razz Barry (Round'em up, send'em home.)
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