Boy's Generous Last Wish

[Vertical Gunn]

A terminally ill boy inspires people across the country with his final request.

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?cl=10831031

[Sexy Celebrity]

I'm confused. A dying 11 year old boy says, "Let the homeless have food to eat for Thanksgiving," and suddenly he's this courageous, most inspiring person ever, and everyone's gathering food because of him?

He's courageous in that he's dealing with leukemia - definitely - he has no other choice. But if a perfectly healthy 22 year old woman cries out, "Let the homeless eat!", will she be ignored and thus the homeless are gonna starve?

Just a thought... I guess it's inspiring because it was his dying wish. They didn't say if it was a Make A Wish foundation sort of thing, did they?

I would have wished for Brad Pitt.

[Lucifer Prometheus]

"When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a Communist."

[Vertical Gunn]

Is everybody making fun of this now dead 11-year-old who has now given homeless people food for Thanksgiving, thanks to him?

[Sexy Celebrity]

The question is who's gonna have to die so that the homeless can have food for Christmas?

[italkfilm]

Its amazing how nice kids are until their point of view changes when they get older.

[Vertical Gunn]

Well, we're not talking about the whole world here. It's just this was his last wish before his death, and he was only 11 years old. Does that not make you want to cry?

[Lucifer Prometheus]

Is everybody making fun of this now dead 11-year-old who has now given homeless people food for Thanksgiving, thanks to him?No, we are simply attempting to look at this story from a critical perspective. What has this boy really done and what does the reaction to it represent? His heart was most certainly in the right place. But as SC said- calls like this are made constantly- and they are usually ignored.

And while I have nothing against the child for not addressing the underlying causes of homelessness, it must be said that the homeless need more than food- they need homes as well. The underlying social infrastructure that lies behind poverty needs to be addressed.

Then there is the fact that all these people apparently needed a dying child to tell them that the homeless need help- help that will most certainly wane significantly once it's no longer "the season."

[Sexy Celebrity]

Its amazing how nice kids are until their point of view changes when they get older.

Not all kids are nice. Not all kids think about the homeless as they lay on their deathbed. Of course, I'm sure the fact that you're dying can probably change your whole outlook on life.

The kid who died was very vague and simple about his food wish -- what if he had wished that all of the homeless people could eat at Red Lobster or something like that? Would Red Lobster have opened their doors? Would this have been a story?

[Lucifer Prometheus]

what if he had wished that all of the homeless people could eat at Red Lobster or something like that? Would Red Lobster have opened their doors? Would this have been a story?Well, now you are just being silly.Its amazing how nice kids are until their point of view changes when they get older.
At a certain point, we are socially conditioned to be egoists in this society. Does that not make you want to cry?Yes. yes it does. But if I were to shed a tear for every young child who dies, and for every good person who dies while doing good, we would have a new ocean but not much else would change. If you want to honor this child's memory and the memory of everyone who has taken action to improve the condition of the underclass, then save your tears and get to work. There is much that needs to be done.

As a man who died for a cause at least as noble as this one said shortly before his death-

"Don't mourn, organize."

[Sexy Celebrity]

The point is what are the homeless people gonna eat AFTER Thanksgiving?



And don't say leftovers!

[Lucifer Prometheus]

Well, that it is most certainly a valid point. Your wording confused me.

[Swan]

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

[Vertical Gunn]

The point is what are the homeless people gonna eat AFTER Thanksgiving?



And don't say leftovers!

At least they have something to eat on Thanksgiving.

[Vertical Gunn]

Yoda just gave me a negative repp for asking a question. No I was not saying they were making fun, it's the idea that people would be trying to change the idea by being "Why do this in the first place?" like Sexy Celebrity asking what they were going to eat after Thanksgiving as in "What's the point? They're just gonna starve after Thanksgiving." Well, it's nice to eat something than to not eat something.

[Yoda]

Sorry, but I have to agree with many of the responders here; it's a lovely thought, but I don't like that we throw around positive words even if they have no bearing on the situation.

This boy sounds charitable, kind, and thoughtful, but generous is the wrong word. He may be generous anyway, but we can't infer that from this story. It sounds harsh to point this out, but if we throw any positive word at anyone we admire, they lose their meaning.

Yoda just gave me a negative repp for asking a question. No I was not saying they were making fun
Yeah, you were. I think your question was rhetorical, and misrepresented what people were saying. Just as important, though, is that it didn't really make an attempt to understand what they were getting at; it was just incredulous, basically. That's why I gave it negative rep.

[Vertical Gunn]

Sorry, but I have to agree with many of the responders here; it's a lovely thought, but I don't like that we throw around positive words even if they have no bearing on the situation.

This boy sounds charitable, kind, and thoughtful, but generous is the wrong word. He may be generous anyway, but we can't infer that from this story. It sounds harsh to point this out, but if we throw any positive word at anyone we admire, they lose their meaning.


Yeah, you were. I think your question was rhetorical, and misrepresented what people were saying. Just as important, though, is that it didn't really make an attempt to understand what they were getting at; it was just incredulous, basically. That's why I gave it negative rep.

That's fine. A negative repping doesn't bother me. It just seemed like everybody was trying to find a catch.

[Lucifer Prometheus]

It just seemed like everybody was trying to find a catch.No, I don't think that's right either.

[king_of_movies_316]

To the people who are asking why is this kid so diffrent to the millions of other people that want to end hunger.

The diffrence is the fact that this kid could have wished for any thing he wanted - eg. to go to Disney Land or for a car that turns into a dolphin, but he gave up his final wish to feed the homeless. It is not what he wished for, it was the situation he was in when he wished for it.

[Lucifer Prometheus]

The difference is the fact that this kid could have wished for any thing he wanted - eg. to go to Disney Land or for a car that turns into a dolphin, but he gave up his final wish to feed the homeless. It is not what he wished for, it was the situation he was in when he wished for it.As I recall, there was nothing in the story about any 'make a wish foundation' type deal. He just said that he wanted people to feed the homeless. I am not saying that the child's desire to feed the homeless isn't an admirable thing. I am simply pointing out that any personal 'wish' of his seems to have been limited by the economic means of his family. The enthusiasm of the townsfolk only came into play when he made an altruistic last request. As I said, that is a very good thing, but there is no point in pretending that it is more than it is. He used his position to make a call to feed the homeless. Many others have done the same.

Then there's the unfortunate fact that the television station in question seems to have turned all of this into fuel for this nauseating maudlin news story.

[Sexy Celebrity]

Well, here it is, Thanksgiving. I guess those homeless folks are getting their fill. I'm sure they're grateful -- they'd probably rather have a house to live in, though.

[Caitlyn]

This thread reminds me of a quote I posted a while back...

He who gives when he is asked has waited too long. ~ Anonymous


(someone actually gave me neg rep for it at the time too... )


Anyway, the child's heart was in the right place and my heart goes out to his family for their loss...