I may be mr bah humbug(sp), but damn some toys for tots..?

Question

The kids who benefit from toys for tots are kids who are impoverished and in my opinion giving them toys is the last thing they need in their lives..provide some scholarships, buy them some books on how to not be poor, something anything positive other than some damned toys. I know some may disagree with my feelings, and thats fine, but the issue is toys are a distraction for a kid..especially some damn xbox 360 or some video game like that. Question is do poor kids need xbox360 etc. or do they need solutions to the problems that plague their community?

Yeah, im an idiot. Youre right, it makes alot more since to have a non profit organization bringing in millions to use their money for toys to by xbox360 and whatnot playing video games all day when they cant walk outside without fear of gettting shot robbed or influenced by the conditions in which they live in. Toys are the answer. Especially for a "6 year old" who probably wont be playing video games next month when the lights are cut off. I see it daily. Evictions, lights being cut off, cars repossesed, dangerous enviroments, and believe me, the last things these children need are toys. They need for clothing and shelter, they dont need toys..making them feel good is only temporary, they still live with crack, crime, and criminals. Help them get rid of that. Toys...

FYI i didnt grow up poor, and yes they do get xboxes and ps3s..and an escape is what everyone around them is doing..getting high to escape, selling dope to escape..its time to stop escaping and playing and face the real...its jacked up and someone needs to change it...toys arent part of the solution on any level.

Any of you who say these kids need toys, i challenge you, drive through the worst part of your city and see the crime and poverty and cold this time of year and then come back and tell me "those kids over there need toys"..or "toys would be a good idea for these poor children". They dont have heat, they dont have adequate school books, they dont have food, they arent learning in school. I tell you the truth, those that feel like its okay to keep these kids in imaginary land are going to be the same ones complaining about portions of their income going to support them. Or worst, will be robbed by someone who got an xbox for xmas instead of a book or a solution to his or her problem. Toys...it saddens me that this country continues with this tradition where we bs our kids and go in debt for the sake of tradition...we are sick and toys arent the cure.

And making them happy one tiny moment in their lives does what? It is all about the need, because if your needs arent met how can you be happy? And i bet you 7 times out of 10 those toys get pawned, sold, or stolen by some cracked out uncle, some cracked out relative or parent. But you made them happy for a day..good for you, god bless you.

Dont you think being "cool" and having "cool stuff" is the reason their parents have to live there in the first place. I dont care about how old a child is, youre never too young to understand that a change needs to occur. You talk to any 5-18 year old and I guarantee you they will tell you exactly what goes on in their community. Who killed who, who sells what, the whole nine. So they are not naive to the conditions and its not that i dont want them to have toys, my point is toys for tots isnt necessary. There are way too many issues to address than some toys for tots once a year. It does nothing for poor people in the bigger scope of things. Today they have a new toy, tomorrow theyre bragging about their toy, 2 weeks from now back to reality..bad schools, burying relatives and friends, fighting parents, or one parent fighting mad, it doesnt help..it doesnt help. Please understand that. Please.

I know there's no disagreement, and I appreciate the understanding, but seriously this tradition AINT working for us. And its not helping our condition so why continue with it? Other than making some kid happy for a few weeks why dont you give that child something that will stay with 'em forever? An education. Besides have you seen a child play a video game? Hours and hours upon hours of sitting in front of a tv being passive. The reality is they get xboxs and ps3 for xmas they dont get puzzles, mentally stimulating gifts..they get whats in demand. Thats the real, and thats exactly what they dont need.

The reality is there isnt enough of the main priority which is getting these people out of this condition by educating them, enlightening them, providing them with the necessary mental tools to help themselves out of the conditions in which they live. After thats done, then lets give them all the toys they desire. There is a such thing as priority right? The real is there are too many programs like toys for tots and not enough programs that educate and change.

Answer 1

I agree with the thoughts and theories behind your statement. I do feel that for the poorer people giving them things that they need or to help them help themselves get into a better situation is the best solution. But I feel that, that help should be year round. Help them learn how to better themselves, scholarships are a good idea. Maybe even getting them into better school systems. But they need toys to, so when they go to school they can be proud that they got some cool stuff too. A small child don't really understand how scholarships and other help is beneficial. I think a balance of both would be the best way to go.


No one ever said it wasn't bad, but that there had to be a balance, helping fix the problems of poverty is not going to happen with just one christmas. There has to be a year round program of some sort to help with that. Education is one of them. So while I agree toys and toys alone are not a solution to the problem, these kids need to have things that they can be proud of besides just getting help out of their situation. Whatever problems they have at home will not be solved magically overnight, it will often take years to correct their problem.

Why don't you want these children to have any toys? Just as I have previously stated, that yes help these people with things they need but that help should be YEAR round not just at christmas, get them in better schools, get parents in drug classes, get them in finance management classes, but get the kids a few toys too so that they can have the joy of getting something that is just thiers. As I have already said it will take years to correct the problem, so start helping them and continue year round and let the kids have somethng cool for christmas too.

It gives them a since of pride which builds confidence, which will help them feel better than their situation, and if you provide that family/families with year round help then no the toys will not be pawned or sold, because the family has other resources to fall back on. That is why I said there should be a balance of both. I have been around poor and impoverished families as well and I understand that yes their needs need to be met, I never said don't cover their needsbut as a child that child needs to be proud of something. There is a way to provide for their needs and give them a merry christmas too.

That is why I said that they need YEAR round programs to help the poorer community, that will slowly better things. My question to you is why can't they have both, the things they need and a couple of things they want. You are wanting something that will cause permenant change, there is nothing that you can do in just one christmas. You keep talking about light bills and heat. Yeah we can pay those bills at christmas, but what about the next month, the problem is still there, same as if we give toys. You provide education that will be year round, you provide help to cover their needs YEAR round, and provide them with a few toys that will make them happy on Christmas, that is what the season is about.

I have stated numerous times provide them with better schools, maybe even pay tuition to go to a private school where there are many extra advantages in that. But all I am saying is, you can do BOTH. Provide for their needs and wants. I have never said that your thoughts and opinion was wrong, but you are talking about taking away christmas joy. Those memories of a happy christmas will last forever. and you throw in an education and provide for thier needs year round you are in a win/win situation. Providing toys for christmas is not always about giving toys it is about providing them with a few happy memories that will build their confidence. You can provide BOTH needs and wants and we as a community should help provide BOTH. But I am saying you shouldn't do one without the other. Take care of their needs first, provide education for the children and the parents and other adults in the household, but also give that child a little bit of happiness on christmas, because that is what it is about.


Edit 7
I agree with that statement, but it is easy to talk about it and hard to do something. Talk is cheap, don't hate on programs that do something if you aren't taking action yourself. I wish there were more program out there, the truth is there is not a high success rate. Education is the esseintial(sp) building block, step one. But the sad reality is, there are alot of people that don't take advantage of the programs that are already set up. You are complaining about how bad it is, do something. I don't know you or about the resources you have, but get out and do something. It is easy to talk about others not doing a good job of cleaning up our poorer communities, but are you doing anything? Like I said I don't know you and you might be. Reality is hard, but like I said before both needs and wants can be provided for. Everyone as a community can help. And while yes toys for tots provides mainly mostly toys which is a temporary happiness for a child, it is better than nothing at all. Start up a charity of your own in you community to help out the poorer parts of town.

Answer 2

I agree that video games and novelty toys will not help children from impoverished families with their situation in the long run. With that said, most of these toy programs are geared towards younger children who do not yet have the intellect to get through a money management novel.

I think that scholarships are definitely a great idea but I do not agree that toys are completely useless for a child. Although a source of entertainment I do think there are better things than an Xbox to be given to children from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

I put value on toys, books, and extracurricular activities that encourage socialization, imaginative play, and creativity such as blocks, modeling clay, art supplies/classes, free memberships for activities such as swimming, soccer, and karate classes etc. These things have been proven to help children do better in school thus making it easier for them to achieve higher grades and qualify for such much needed scholarships.

Finally, I think that a toy program need not be abolished from the Christmas season, children no matter what their monetary status deserve a time in their lives to just be kids but providing access to scholarships or similar programs would be beneficial.

Answer 3

Lighten up. Just because you didn't have any toys doesn't mean other kids don't deserve them. I can tell you care about these kids and their well-being. They do need toys to escape their everyday troubles as well as opportunities to escape a life of poverty and hardship. I doubt they get toys as expensive as xboxes. Kids learn through playing anyway. I agree they do need much more than toys but at least when most people are going crazy spoiling their kids during the holidays, they are reminded of those less fortunate. Hopefully, they donate more than just toys.

Answer 4

I agree with your opinion. Solving the problems of poverty should be the first priority, but a 6 year old doesn't understand that. He/she understands toys. The goals are not mutually exclusive. Giving toys is great, but it shouldn't stop there.

Answer 5

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Answer 6

Hey moron, go crawl back in a hole. Of course they need other things. It's not about need, you idiot. It's meant to make them happy for one tiny moment in their horrible lives.

Answer 7

Absolutely. I agree.

Answer 8

You're an idiot.