<p>I was reading an article in our local paper this morning interviewing local Santas, and they said a lot of kids ask for things like bringing a dead parent or grandparent back, bringing a relative home from Iraq, etc. I have to say it almost made me cry.</p>
<p>That is sad.<br>
It’s better than the secret Santa tree with the wishes of children from our area. Every single one of the wishes were for Wii’s, PS3s, iPods nothing practical. I was really surprised/disheartened.</p>
<p>We have always helped in the fulfillment of at least one wish list from a different child every year at a home for abused kids. Every year each list starts with things they want for their parents…“a new pair of pants for daddy”, " a new coat for mom" etc. These are presents they want to give the very people that landed them in the home. So sad.</p>
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<p>I don’t think that’s so bad–why should kids from poorer homes have different holiday “wants” than kids from richer homes? Needs, maybe, but what’s wrong with wanting the same things?</p>
<p>There is nothing wrong with “wanting” those items but the possibility of them receiving those I’m sure will be slim. Does this mean they won’t receive anything for Christmas? That’s what makes me sad.</p>
<p>Coming from a poor home myself, I can tell you that many poor kids are more likely to get their “wants” than their “needs”. Failure to distinguish wants from needs is one of the fundamental problems in poor American families.</p>
<p>“I want to put money in the bank, but how can I, when we need a Wii for Christmas?” I’ve seen it a thousand times in my own family.</p>
<p>Now, the kids who get neither their needs nor their wants break my heart. That’s different.</p>
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<p>It highlights what a horrible betrayal child abuse is. Here are these kids who would do anything for you, and this is how you treat them. If I ever commit an act of violence, it will be against someone abusing a child.</p>