It’s finally here (which is more than you can say about the promised article on the Gibraltar £20 coin), and in just over three hours it will be Christmas. It seems like a lot of effort goes into just one day.
It also seems like a lot of guilt goes into it, as we are emotionally blackmailed into giving money to the homeless, foreign children and donkeys. Now, I have great sympathy for the homeless, and for foreign children who are needlessly blind, or in need of fresh water, but I don’t appreciate the tactics of the charities in swamping the Christmas TV screens with these adverts.
As for the donkeys, I may sound heartless but compared to a child I don’t really see the suffering in the same league. I also think that on charity quiz shows the celebrities should be prohibited from raising money for animal charities, but that’s a personal view and as the RSPCA raised £81 million from legacies last year it seems there are plenty of people who are happy to give.
It’s an interesting document, the RSPCA report, though I notice that , once again, it fails to call for the prosecution of people who deliberately breed faults into dogs in the name of breed standards. Another personal point there. I must be careful not to rant.
I give to two charities monthly One is for children overseas and one for children in this country. I’ve been thinking of transferring the former donation to the homeless in this country, but after seeing the adverts I’ve decided to leave it. I may transfer the second one, as I’ve had words with the charity over the years about their tactics in trying to bully me to give more. It shows the power, and wisdom, of the TV adverts, where one has stopped me withdrawing support, and the other, which doesn’t advertise, might lose out. On the other hand, as it’s the charity and not the kids that have upset me, I may leave that too.
I’m in better financial shape than I have been for the last few years, so I may just have to give more, as I’m beginning to think about the homeless and the Salvation Army. Their adverts at Christmas always make me feel that way and General Booth came from Nottingham so I should support the local man.
And that, via a circuitous route, takes us back to the beginning of the post. It looks like the adverts, irritating, and cynical as they may be, do serve a purpose.
I will now wish those of you who celebrate Christmas good wishes for the holiday. Those of you who don’t celebrate Christmas can have my good wishes too. If you don’t hear from me tomorrow, imagine me eating a large lunch, with turkey and Hasselback potatoes, and snoozing in front of a feast of variable quality TV.
Dog Show Prize Medal
Merry Christmas to you, Julia and the family, Quercus!
Thank you. Hope you, Rick and the cats had a good one!
Interesting reflections. I approve of having a regular charity to support and Mrs T has done this for years. I have been more erratic and spasmodic and probably less generous than her. My tendency of late has been to support public interest internet organisations like Mozilla and Wikipedia to try ensure that there is an alternative to online corporate greed available.
I have been known to give Wiki money but see it as the purchase of information rather than a charity.
https://pacificparatrooper.files.wordpress.com/2018/12/christma-e1545394521475.jpg
Those are very profound thoughts on charities at Christmas. The one I dislike most are those that send you packs of Christmas cards or ball point pens which make you feel guilty about either using them or throwing them away
Fortunately they stopped doing that to us years ago, but yes, I used to hate that.
Happy Christmas, from us and kids in Blackheath!
I hope all is going well for you. We are eating chocolate and watching poor quality TV while a late lunch cooks. I didn’t realise you had a Blackheath too. 🙂
We don’t in USA, but son and family live in Blackheath London😉
Ah, that explains it! Hope you are having a good time. 🙂
Merry Christmas. Good on you for regularly donating to charity.
Everyone has their favourites…. I once knew someone who took the view that it was his duty to support animals over humans since the latter were under the protection of us. My preference is for random payments to a whole range of charities.
I had to sign up to do it regularly because otherwise it mainly remained a good intention. In addition, after years of bag packing, I always give to groups who are bag packing too, as I know it can be heart-breaking work.
🎄
Rant away, I agree totally on the dog thing, I know people with dogs that can’t walk more than a block, have to have surgery to correct their breathing difficulties and who absolutely cannot not whelp except by cesarean section, all faults deliberately breed in, what the hell is wrong with people. Sorry now I am ranting.
Enjoy that lunch, merry Christmas and may the new year bring much happiness and success.
Thank you for the best wishes, and the rant. 🙂 Happy Christmas too.