Houston toy drives check the immigration status of families before handing out gifts.

[Are_grits_groceries]

Several charities in the Houston area are checking the immigration status of needy families before giving out toys this holiday season. The charities claim that given the jump in demand this year — over 30,000 children have registered with the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program, an increase of over 20 percent from last year — they want to be “good stewards” and get the donations to people who are in the country legally. From the Houston Chronicle:

In a year when more families than ever have asked for help, several programs providing Christmas gifts for needy children require at least one member of the household to be a U.S. citizen. Others ask for proof of income or rely on churches and schools to suggest recipients.

The Salvation Army and a charity affiliated with the Houston Fire Department are among those that consider immigration status, asking for birth certificates or Social Security cards for the children. <...>

The Outreach Program requires parents to show photo identification and birth certificates or Social Security cards for the children. Young said she makes an exception if parents can show they have applied for legal status or that a child is enrolled in school.

http://thinkprogress.org/

Yeah, that's the Christmas spirit. Baby Jeebus wouldn't get a toy either.

[Brickbat]

1. This is one of the saddest things I've read all day.

[lapfog_1]

2. Baby Jeebus would be declared a middle eastern socialist / terrorist - n/t

[Ruby the Liberal]

3. Because these kids chose to be here illegally?

How incredibly gut wrenching.

[Are_grits_groceries]

4. It's just mean.

Nothing but mean. If they got a toy, it might be the only thing they would get at Xmas.

Nasty hypocritical fuckers.

[Ruby the Liberal]

6. It makes me sick to my stomach.

Christmas is for kids. They are already living a hard life. Why add this to it?

Its maddening.

[leveymg]

5. Pathetic, Texas.

[dgibby]

10. Ain't THAT the truth! n/t

[Neecy]

7. Salvation Army is horribly right wing

I used to work with a young woman who was in the Salvation Army. She played the tambourine in a Salvation Army band in Hollywood every weekend...I'm sure it was quite a sight.

She hated pretty much everyone who wasn't white, uber-Christian and Amer'kan.

They're also, as an organization, very anti-gay. I walk by their bellringers every single Christmas season.

[MissB]

65. And for the second year in a row, the large company I work for has chosen

The Salvation Army for the holiday toy drive. They always put out the blah blah "doesn't discriminate" crap. I nearly fell for it this year, but I think I'll check out the local tv station's toy drive to see who they are distributing to.

[Generic Other]

8. And it came to pass in those days that there went out a decree

that all should be counted unto their own city...and each went to be counted. And those who were not citizens of the city were told that there was no room at the inn.

[Stevenmarc]

9. Does it come as any surprise that the homophobes are also zenophobes

[dgibby]

11. I wouldn't spit on the Salvation Army if it was on fire.

They sure do give Christianity a bad name. Bah! Humbug!

[Love Bug]

12. What would Jesus do?

To the Samaritan woman at the well: "Oops, sorry, you're the wrong nationality."

:sarcasm:

[blondeatlast]

13. For Christ's sake... (and I suspect that He would agree with me.)

After all, the Houton SA would turn Him away as well--but those turned-away chiildren would know Him without a word.

I pray they heal their toxic thoughts and do as He would. Amen.

[Feron]

14. That is disgusting. nt

[ORDagnabbit]

15. if I have limited resources who would I chose to help... legal needy citizens or illegal needy non

citizens?

[Are_grits_groceries]

17. I'd help whoever damn well needed it.

Pain and loneliness don't know legal from illegal. I don't remember Jesus checking anybody's status on anything.

[blondeatlast]

19. Amen. Santa doesn't check for green cards (and I KNOW he's damn liberal on the whole

naughty/nice thing--he always delivered for me....)

[ORDagnabbit]

37. I dont care what your god says. you help who you can starting with your own first.

[pampango]

70. The real question is "Who is "your own"?". Should I first help people of my own race, gender, sexual

orientation or nationality? Is citizenship (or perhaps legal status for an immigrant) the only acceptable criterion for a liberal to judge who is "my own"? If so, you have plenty of company with most conservatives, though many of them would also feel free to discriminate based on the other criteria as well.

[blondeatlast]

18. WWSD?

Um--these are KIDS--and Santa doesn't card, last time I looked.

:eyes:

[ORDagnabbit]

38. santa is make believe... citizens are real

[Shell Beau]

53. No---people are real. Children are real.

[blondeatlast]

67. And forgotten children shed very real tears. nt

[Neecy]

20. Do you really categorize children this way?

As citizen and non-citizen?

Big hearted of you.

[GreenPartyVoter]

35. Maybe human and subhuman?

[ORDagnabbit]

39. yep... sorry the world is a tough place and getting tougher. limited resources means tough decision

help those that can be helped but lets start with our own first then help the other

[Horse with no Name]

60. I would vote YOU off the island first

You are dangerous.
After you are done excluding the "illegals", do you start with the fat ones? The smokers?
Anyone but you?
What a disgusting piece of work.
:puke:

[Neecy]

62. I think that all of these children are "our own"

They live in this country and are part of the social fabric. And many were born here.

I just don't understand holding children responsible for the decisions their parents make. Their lives are often hard and my god, to give them something small to make them feel special for even a day seems like the spirit of the season to me.

[JI7]

29. they claim to be doing it for Christmas which isn't just an American holiday

[ORDagnabbit]

40. no its a religious holiday stolen from the pagans and forced upon the world...well now its just a

marketing holiday. but the core issue is who do you help in troubled times?

[JI7]

30. if you have limited resources why waste it on toys ?

[Are_grits_groceries]

32. I'm not talking about a mountain bike

or an Ipod. I'm talking about a coloring book and a few crayons or a toy car or something inexpensive. Something to remind those kids what fun and happiness can be about. Granted, other items are badly needed too.

However, IMHO toys aren't a waste. Kids need one toy to make them smile and relieve the unrelenting grimness they probably have to live through. Toys can mean way more than you think.

Case in point. when I was growing up, my family lived in a sharecropper's shack, and we didn't have much. We probably had way more than these kids have. However, when we had to go into town for some reason, my Mama always brought enough money to take us to the drugstore.

She would buy my brother and me a coke and a comic book each. We would sit at the booth and have more fun just having that small treat. I learned how to read with those comic books. That's all she could afford, and she saved any spare change all the time.

We did go to the library, but we didn't make it often. That was important too. However, it never beat getting my comic book and coke every once and a while.

[JI7]

33. yeah,i agree with you, i was responding to the person trying to justify denying kids toys

based on their immigration status by claiming limited resources.

and yes, the toys can be inexpensive items which would allow more people to donate also.

[Are_grits_groceries]

36. Sorry I jumped.

Things like this set my hair on fire.

[ORDagnabbit]

42. so answer me this you have 10 coloring books and 20 kids... 15 are from your town and 5 are from

another country and their parents are here illegally working.

how would you divide up the coloring books?

[JI7]

44. maybe raffle, whoever comes first etc, but i sure wouldn't turn them away

based on whether their parents did something illegal

[Are_grits_groceries]

46. Here's what I would do:

I'd take the coloring books apart and put the pages in inexpensive folders. I'd cut the crayons in half and carve a point in any that didn't have one. I'd try to be as fair as possible.

I don't care if they are from effing Mars.

[ORDagnabbit]

47. we'll just have to disagree then.

[Horse with no Name]

61. There is a fucking dollar store on almost every block

Why not run to the store and buy a few more?

[blondeatlast]

68. Take the coloring book, give each child a page, and let them share the crayons. There are ALWAYS

ways to find charity in one's heart.

[ORDagnabbit]

41. anything can be a resource....you have limited toys who do you give them too?

[JI7]

45. raffle or whoever comes first

[Are_grits_groceries]

49. Your philosophy is one reason it's so hard now.

Everybody is hunkered up with 'their own.' Frightened to death of everything and everyone. Holding on to everything for dear life and not looking at anybody. Well you know what? 'My own' is anybody who needs help. I'm not going to walk by somebody in dire straits and ignore them.

Instead of fostering a chinchy, closed attitude that makes everyone a stranger to be avoided, I'm going to try to get people to help each other and share. I want 'my own' to be a big community of people who I can count on.

Everybody may not bring the same things to the table, but they can bring something. By sharing and working together, people with certain skills can help people who don't have them and need that aid.

I don't expect utopia and no problems. I'm also not talking about communal living. People can retain their separate identities and still help others.

It's a matter of morality, humanity, and community. Get people to see what they have in common, and not what somebody doesn't have. It won't be easy in hard times, but a community working together damn sure beats a bunch of cold souls holed up in their homes with their fear sealed in, and any other company sealed out.

[TCJ70]

31. Not in this case...

...especially given the mission statement. The article does state that this isn't a practice going on everywhere. I know this isn't a national policy having been involved in several toy drives over the years. I'll have to see if I can make some phone calls I think...hrm...

[Winterblues]

43. They are fucking children for Christ's sake..

get your head out of your ass and get some humanity..

[ORDagnabbit]

48. get your head out of your ass and learn to be civil.

[Are_grits_groceries]

50. Get your head out of your ass,

and learn to be compassionate.

[Posteritatis]

64. Try earning the civility you demand. (nt)

[fishwax]

51. If I had limited resources, I wouldn't use them weeding out need non-residents from needy citizens

[Feron]

56. You try to help as many people as you can.

And if your resources are running low with high demand, you can always appeal to the media and the community to help out.

Refusing to give a child a toy simply because he or she is undocumented is petty and cruel.

Don't like the influx of illegal aliens? Then go after the companies that hire them. However I can't hate people who came here simply to make a better life for themselves or their families.

Our immigration system is in need of major reform.

[Are_grits_groceries]

16. They won't give a poor kid a toy.

THEY'RE KIDS! One iota of compassion would probably mean more to them than all the gold in the world. There are few things lonelier than a child at Christmas who nobody has given a damn about. I'm sure a lot of the parents try, but they don't have anything either.

ONE act of kindness can sometimes carry someone a long way with a hopeful memory to hold on to. It's not just a toy sometimes. It's a tiny recognition that someone sees them for a minute, and thinks they do matter in a big ol' world.

I'm still trying to get over this. A toy. A donated toy. Even a ball would probably mean something because it was a Xmas gift.

These people are going to hear chains rattling at the ends of their beds soon.

[Quantess]

55. Can you imagine being a little kid

seeing other kids get a present, but being told that no, you can't have a present but all those other kids can get a present?

Can you imagine being about 4 or 5, when you first start being able to hold long term memories, when you are at the stage of cognitive development where you're just starting to form schemas about the world (what is that in Piaget stages, Permanence Stage?) At that age, you would feel that was unfair, and it would hurt your feelings. If the kid was anything like me, they would probably sit there and think about it for days afterward.

I'm not condoning illegal immigration at all. But, I think it's mean to do that to a little kid.

[Quantess]

66. Editing period expired.

That would be pre-operational stage.

[TCJ70]

21. That's stupid...

...the Salvation Army I worked with never bothered with immigration status. Must be a regional thing.

[TygrBright]

22. Setting new standards for sleaze. Wow. Amazing. n/t

[Toucano]

23. Another reason the Salvation Army can kiss my ass.

Another nutty fundy sect.

[liberal_at_heart]

24. I've given to the Angel Tree program almost every single year, not this year

Giving to charity is one of my favorite things to do during the holidays. It reminds me of what Christmas time is really suppose to be about; giving to those less fortunate. I always pick up a tag from my local Angel Tree and love shopping for that one special gift I know that child would really love to have. Angel Tree will not be one of the charities I donate to this year. I will find some other charity to give to this year. I'll find a local charity that hasn't lost its heart. How inhumane! This is suppose to be Christmas. Would Jesus really check someone's immigration status before he fed them fish or bread? Give me a break. This is absolutely disgusting.

[Thickasabrick]

25. This would make Baby Jesus cry....for real..talk about your war on christmas nt

[Zebedeo]

26. If we hand out X-mas gifts to illegals, it will just attract more illegals

to cross the border to get our X-mas gifts. :sarcasm:

This is truly sad and pathetic - and ironic.

[JI7]

27. is that supposed to be the "Christian" thing to do ?

[Cleita]

28. Isn't that Christian of them? Punish the children because you have an

axe to grind with their parents. :eyes:

[GreenPartyVoter]

34. Holy crap. That is incomprehensible, the rationing of charity and goodwill toward humans.

[Shell Beau]

52. Yep, only Americans deserve toys. Those other children should

just go back where they belong if they want toys. :eyes:

How disgusting and sad. Bring me your huddled masses my ass!! What a joke.

[liberal_at_heart]

54. The Statue of Liberty is a joke

We've never welcomed the huddled masses. Every single time there has been a mass migration to our country we have discriminated, persecuted, and oppressed the masses.

[JI7]

57. Would these people check the status of those donating before accepting the donation ?

[Horse with no Name]

58. Outrageous.

On edit:
I am going to print this story out many times.
Every time I pass a kettle--I am going to drop this article in it with a note attached:

Dear Salvation Army,

I will be giving my money to those who care about HUMANITY, not someone's greencard status.
This is the most sickening thing I have EVER read.
I wish I could have a refund for the money I have donated in the past.
Now, I will go find some of those children you DENIED and give them the money you would have received if you weren't a bunch of racist bigots.

[Stinky The Clown]

59. Time to start donating to *real* charities.

[earth mom]

63. How very Scrooge-like of them.

:puke:

[NNN0LHI]

69. The people are some mean spirited shits if you ask me

God bless America.

Don