Holiday Giveaways

  Toy Drives, Food Drives, Clothing Donations- One of the most endearing part of the Holiday Season is being kind and generous to our poorest citizens. This is one of the reasons that people look forward to the arrival of November and December each and every year. Some will argue that this deep and powerful concern for the poor should be the case all year long.It is hard to argue against this noble thought. Yet, It can be argued that a caring and giving season that lasts for 1/6th of a year is , after all, MUCH!!!! better than no such season existing at all.

Those of you who see my Facebook page will know that I brought up a current dispute between Giant Foods and The Former Mayor of The City of Washington DC, Marion Barry. Mr. Barry hosts an annual Thanksgiving Turkey Give Away every year in the Anacostia  Section of the City. Barry ordered 2,000 Turkeys from Giant - the Total Bill for this - TWENTY SIX THOUSAND DOLLARS! Barry told Giant that he had 16,000 Dollars on hand and he asked them to deliver all 2,000 turkeys and that he would get them the remaining 9,000 Dollars. Giant's response- We will Deliver SIXTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS worth of Turkeys!

Barry said that his give away cause has already turned away 200 people. He also reminds us that Giant is a mutibillion dollar corporation that needs to demonstrate MORE concern for the needs of the destitute.The counter-argument is that both parties KNEW that there was an agreement for Giant to sell THESE turkeys and not donate them. The price of 26,000 Dollars was know by and agreed upon by both parties as well and thus- A DEAL IS!!!! A DEAL!

We'd all feel warm and fuzzy if the very wealthy simply donated tremendously desirable gifts to the poorest among us. We'd enjoy knowing that these were TOTALLY love and generosity gifts. Yet. We know that charities make deals with large corporations to secure donations for each and every Holiday Season. Sometimes, not as commonly as we would like , companies make generous and anonymous donations to charitable organizations. Other times, The Company may provide their products at reduced price. It also might be that the Company says - You will need to buy these items from us as anyone else would - AT FULL PRICE. This is simply reality. The negotiations between companies and charities does not start in November, they are done months earlier sometimes as early as days or a few weeks after the last Christmas has passed.

 It can feel REALLY Great to say, " You have so much, Why don't you just give. That is what a truly!!!! good and caring person would do!!!". I hate to break this to you but, if you really believe this , You ARE a major control FREAK! Remember, The only person that anyone has any say over is the person that we see in the mirror! So, Yes, It is great that people are generous and bighearted! The more it occurs the more we are all blessed and truly enriched. Yet, People have the RIGHT to choose to be generous or not generous. I also believe that any sense that others MUST be MORE generous may be a sign that the person saying this may be the one that truly needs to be more bighearted and generous!

Putting what you believe on others as a MUST for them is really misguided ! Living as you believe is right is always admirable! Ordering other people to live as you insist they must live is obnoxious and dictatorial!

A Very Happy Thanksgiving to each of you, unless- wink- you've made other plans!

- Johnny -