Charity and Christmas
I'm not certain why this has been on my mind lately, if it is the bell wringer or the Santa anonymous boxes everywhere I go....
I am not a fan of charity. If someone I love is in trouble and needs help, I am MORE than willing to give what I can. If even a friend of a friend needs help, I'm there. So it isn't like I don't want to give or help, I just don't want my generosity taken advantage of.
I worked with a gal a while back who actively sought gifts for her children through the Santa anonymous program. She came with a list for the kids, wanting a certain Barbie doll, a certain movie, very particular. She lived in subsidized housing, made more than me, had no car to pay for, no utilities (except for cable, which every pov HAS to have) She had the money to buy her two little kids presents, just spent it on other stuff because she knew she was getting the presents from charity. There was a reason she was poor. She was the reason. All of the people I have ever known that have been on assistance, were the same way. I know there are actually poor people out there, there has to be, but the majority of them are poor because they can be, and still enjoy the things that the rest of us have to earn. Pisses me off, really.
I worked with a different gal, who started having kids when she was 15 or so, and had about 4 or 5 of them. She was 30 or something when I worked with her. One day in the break room I overheard her talking with another lady about how when she went to the food shelf to get her Thanksgiving food, they gave her a turkey, yams, cranberries, cans of pumpkins etc...And she was pissed because her family wouldn't eat yams and the other stuff, and all she really wanted was 2 turkeys instead, and they wouldn't give them to her. WHAT THE HELL?? Poor, my ass. She is lucky someone like me wasn't working at the food shelf, because I would have taken away the food she had already been given, and told her to get out of the line. None for YOU! She is also the lady who would get paid at lunchtime, her husband would pick her up and take her to one of those check cashing places, pay something ungodly for the convenience of that, and buy herself a $20.00 lunch at some rib place. Just another case of making herself poor. No one to blame but herself.
That is why I don't donate to much of anything. I will NOT support people like that on purpose. I will however help anyone I see that truly needs a helping hand. Some may say that I am heartless, and cruel, but I see it as a moral issue. I think it is morally wrong to support people who are capable of supporting themselves. We aren't doing them any favors by letting them be slackers, and poor money managers. We aren't making them better people, we aren't teaching them anything, they aren't willing to become more self sufficient, because there is always that crutch available to them. I will be no part of the voluntary crutch. I am bitter enough about the tax dollars that get thrown their way.
I say all of this while wrapping up about a dozen little toys, puzzles, books, beanie babies, a puppet, play jewelry, for a little 3 year old girl whom I know her father doesn't have a whole bunch of money, and this Christmas might be a little skimpy over there. I am far from heartless, for people who just try to take care of themselves. Try is all I ask.
I am not a fan of charity. If someone I love is in trouble and needs help, I am MORE than willing to give what I can. If even a friend of a friend needs help, I'm there. So it isn't like I don't want to give or help, I just don't want my generosity taken advantage of.
I worked with a gal a while back who actively sought gifts for her children through the Santa anonymous program. She came with a list for the kids, wanting a certain Barbie doll, a certain movie, very particular. She lived in subsidized housing, made more than me, had no car to pay for, no utilities (except for cable, which every pov HAS to have) She had the money to buy her two little kids presents, just spent it on other stuff because she knew she was getting the presents from charity. There was a reason she was poor. She was the reason. All of the people I have ever known that have been on assistance, were the same way. I know there are actually poor people out there, there has to be, but the majority of them are poor because they can be, and still enjoy the things that the rest of us have to earn. Pisses me off, really.
I worked with a different gal, who started having kids when she was 15 or so, and had about 4 or 5 of them. She was 30 or something when I worked with her. One day in the break room I overheard her talking with another lady about how when she went to the food shelf to get her Thanksgiving food, they gave her a turkey, yams, cranberries, cans of pumpkins etc...And she was pissed because her family wouldn't eat yams and the other stuff, and all she really wanted was 2 turkeys instead, and they wouldn't give them to her. WHAT THE HELL?? Poor, my ass. She is lucky someone like me wasn't working at the food shelf, because I would have taken away the food she had already been given, and told her to get out of the line. None for YOU! She is also the lady who would get paid at lunchtime, her husband would pick her up and take her to one of those check cashing places, pay something ungodly for the convenience of that, and buy herself a $20.00 lunch at some rib place. Just another case of making herself poor. No one to blame but herself.
That is why I don't donate to much of anything. I will NOT support people like that on purpose. I will however help anyone I see that truly needs a helping hand. Some may say that I am heartless, and cruel, but I see it as a moral issue. I think it is morally wrong to support people who are capable of supporting themselves. We aren't doing them any favors by letting them be slackers, and poor money managers. We aren't making them better people, we aren't teaching them anything, they aren't willing to become more self sufficient, because there is always that crutch available to them. I will be no part of the voluntary crutch. I am bitter enough about the tax dollars that get thrown their way.
I say all of this while wrapping up about a dozen little toys, puzzles, books, beanie babies, a puppet, play jewelry, for a little 3 year old girl whom I know her father doesn't have a whole bunch of money, and this Christmas might be a little skimpy over there. I am far from heartless, for people who just try to take care of themselves. Try is all I ask.
posted by Sarah at
10:06 AM
