Tis the season - Changes in my neighborhood - A cartoon and a photo

[Mira]

I saw this on our DU Stockmarket watch this morning - and I stole it to post here.
It's a "funny depiction" of what's true around town



Last night, in search of Christmas decorations to photograph I returned to the house where I took the photo below last year.
In our Photo Forum we have a contest coming up titled "Shots in the Dark", and I thought a night scene of that house and environs might be quite startling.

As I set out to drive there finding any houses with decorations except for a few Christmas trees through the windows was not easy. I drove through streets that usually have lots of lights and action.

Nothing.

And the same held true for the house from last year. I saw evidence the same people still live there.
But, sadly, it also looked like they can't afford to pay for the juice to turn on the lights, and they had not bothered to bring out their decorations.




Friends, we're almost all hurting. But there are those around us, nearby, who hurt more. The food bank shelves stay empty.
The homeless are all around us. Freezing.

We all must do what we can to help, and keep up holding the feet to the fire to those we entrusted to bring about change.

[HopeHoops]

1. Is the little boy with the gun a soldier in the war on Christmas?

That house was nice enough to put up so many nice targets!

[Mira]

2. There is a Community Center nearby

where they put on a program every Christmas, gathering scores of neighborhood kids in the gym, talk to them about weapon type toys, and if they bring a gun toy they can pick a real toy of their choice in exchange. We ask toy stores to donate stuff, plus we bring some ourselves.

I take part in that every year, and it's one way to raise awareness.
I of course noticed the gun, and his little sister, I bet, did too. I did not feel like knocking on the door and talking to the parents about it.
:)
So much work, so little time.

[kctim]

3. Smart move

"I did not feel like knocking on the door and talking to the parents about it"

[mdmc]

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