Letters to Santa reflect the reality of today's rocky economy

that is really sad, shows that the kids care tho.

it´s a pitty that this usually only happens on christmas. But it´s good that people can see that children are not the selfish beings that people usually believe they are.

they are just as good or bad as the parents, good parenthood and good ideals make great children.

this reminds me of when i was little and my family didn't have a whole lot of money. my mom was really great about christmas and would wait till after midnight on christmas eve and go to drugstores that were still open and buy toys that had just been put on sale, like barbies and stuff, and spend the night wrapping them up before we woke up. she was really thrifty. she also built a huge doll house for my sister and me with her own hands and decorated it with old scraps of carpet and wallpaper. she'd go to yard sales and buy bundles of old dolls and furniture and clothes that kids had grown out of playing with to fill the house with. =) we didn't care whether it was brand new or full price. i was a lucky kid.

some really sad stories. I find it heartwarming that the local post office is letting people help make those kids' christmas wishes come true though. I wonder if this also happens in other places?

J.P. Morgan and Chase is asking all the employees to sponsor families without this year instead of a company christmas party...they contacted a charity and are providing holiday wishes....this has made the staff very happy...So you see its happening already!!!

I had to tell my 10 year-old that there probably wouldn't be presents this year, too. Three different neighbors had the same conversation with their kids...

This is heartbreaking, but I think it shows how little credit we give to kids - they're very aware of what is happening around them and not totally consumed by all the adverts we throw at them

That's pretty cool that kids are trying to help, but that being said, they shouldn't have to deal with the sucky state of economy. But still, it just goes to show there's still big hearts.

Stop with the sadness there IS something we could do...and if everyone actually did something instead of just thinking "wow i wish things would get better!" you wouldnt believe how quickly everything would change...as for the Bob Marley quoter...christmas is a time for hope..santa is the symbol...
www.heifer.org this organization believes in giving for life...give a man a fish feed him for a day teach a man to fish you feed him for a lifetime...they give whole cows, chicks, goats etc...to provide milk and eggs for the family for life....it also teaches a family to farm etc...give something even if its your time...happy holidays everyone!!

wow....this is supposed to be the greatest country on earth and we can't even make sure our children get a toy for Christmas.

Man, I just want to win the lotto so i can go around and give presents to needy kids on Christmas..this just breaks me heart:(

wow thats incredibly sad...but this should be a reminder to everyone to help out those in need. I know we are all struggling but anything helps even just a $5 donation.

And even if you cant donate money to a charity, there is a really awesome thing Macy's is doing with the Make A Wish Foundation...all you have to do is go to a Macys and write a letter to Santa, stamp and address it to the North Pole and drop it in their mail box. They then donate $1 to the Make A Wish Foundation! How awesome is that?!
http://www.wish.org/help/macy_s_believe

Its one way everyone can help this holiday season even if they don't have any money to spare :)

BOB MARLEY said it clearly in his song Babylon Sysytem- "tell the children the truth"

Santa is not real. Its all a lie. Babylon system (and santa) is the vampire!

This is the saddest most heartbreaking thing I've read this holiday season....I've read it like 10 times b/c I'm a masochist. So lets cry together.

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J_Jammer that was a beautiful sentiment. I think alot of parents would love to get that for Christmas. It's one thing to have to worry about yourself, but once you have children every bump in life hurts you double.

The sad thing is that families experience this throughout all economic ebbs and flows. We just hear about it more when everyone feels the crunch. But it's not an issue that just appeared when the market declined.

"I just want what any regular girl would want," writes 9-year-old Annisha from Chicago, promising to give Santa unlimited milk and cookies if he doesn't skip over her house like he did last year.
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Heartbreaking.

I wish there was a way to gift calm. Because I would find a way to buy some and give it to many. Calm and soothing....children shouldn't have to worry about anything but what will they play tomorrow, how the math problem is solved and I hope not to get picked last at gym....that, in itself, is more than enough for children.

How helpless one must feel reading those letters.

Super sad... video guy is super unsensitive to the wonderful little kids out there. He was very obviously not a wonderful kid (I'm thinking evil & roudy)

Wait till these kids find out Santa's workshop really is a post office with some fat guy sorting through their mail and the chances of them getting their wish is more like a lottery. Merry frickin' Christmas.

this is the first time i've read of kids thinking of others before themselves-good on them,long may they continue

very touching and very true...children are wiser then all...my daugther made her wish list...and asked for world peace and for everyone to recycle! that's sooo awesome..she's only 7 yr's old!

Wow, that is so sweet and sad at the same time. At least this shows that not all kids only care about getting toys and games for Christmas. This is a very uplifting in a way.