Well it's been suggested that this idea has no place on E2 and "will likely be downvoted into oblivion in a matter of minutes" - that's sad. Maybe it's not a good idea, but I feel it is and would like to share it and take the risk because I believe people can make a difference, maybe I can't but maybe someone reading this can. Sorry in advance if it really is a dumb idea and doesn't belong here - I feel the need to post it.
Undoubtedly I"m not the first person to think of this, but since I have yet to read about it or hear about it - I'd like to put it out there for others. Perhaps it will inspire someone to put this into action?
The idea is playing cards with the pictures of
missing children, like the children currently pictured on milk cartons in the USA. Like the
Iraqi most wanted playing cards. Many of us don't buy our milk in cartons, so this useful resource does not hit many of us. A lot of us do play cards, so it'd be another avenue to get the pictures out, and those children seen.
I think it'd be great to find a card company - perhaps one that makes the cards for
Las Vegas in the 10's of thousands a year - and ask then to create the cards at cost, or near cost. It's a very
worthwhile cause.
We can currently buy decks of cards as cheap as 2 for 1.00 - so if they are sold at cost, or near cost the decks would be even cheaper.
I suppose a
drawback would be not wanting to think about missing children while trying to have fun playing cards, but I think after the first few times of using them even the most
compassionate of us may be willing to accept the little pangs of negativity - for the one child who may be
reunited with their family because of these cards.
The reason we recognize certain celebs is because we see them alot and we'd recognize them even if they changed appearance a little. I think the
subconsious glances at these children as we play could bring an
instant recognition of them if we were to run into them on the street.
I'd also like to consider running this idea by a
casino in Vegas, what if during the
Missing and Exploited Children's week - they played with these cards. The decks are only used once, and then sold to the stores. That's how they are sold so cheaply. It'd be mentioned on the news no doubt, and bring tons of
goodwill advertising for that casino. If the idea worked, they could do this yearly - with a new set of children on the decks each year.
I suppose a
drawback to this idea, as with milk cartons, is that there are thousands of missing children and only 52 cards in a deck. I imagine the card producers wouldn't be willing to produce more than a half dozen different versions of this deck, that's only 312 children. Not alot, but still that's 312 children with a better chance of coming back home. How to determine which of the thousands to feature on the cards would be tough, I suppose they could use the same method they now use for the milk cartons.
Not entirely sure how to put this idea into action, the only ideas I have on that would be to contact those who printed the Iraqi playing cards and see if they would be interested in this (they've been in the news a lot so contact info should be out there...). Or to contact the
Center for Missing and Exploited Children and see if they have the resources to get this ball rolling? Maybe calling the phone # on those milk cartons would be a good starting point.
I have no idea if these "Play for the Children" cards would bring home one child, but I do know if it were my child missing - or the child of a friend of mine - it'd be worth the attempt without a doubt. Honestly, if I thought me playing with these cards helped bring home
any child, I'd play with them.
Please /msg me for any suggestions for this. Thanks.
And in other news:
Since I love doyle's
daylog and would enjoy reading more like it. I thought I'd write my own here adding to this list as I remember all my goals and perhaps make new ones.
Things still to do in this lifetime
1) Take a Z shaped trip across America from
Washington State to
New York, from New York to
California, from California to
Florida and then (messing up my Z!) from Florida diagonally back up to Washington. Seeing most of the natural wonders and important sites in the US in the process.
2) Learn some advanced math
3) Get a degree (I would have had 3 of them - had I not refused to take math classes in college)
4) Learn another
language
5) Learn
American sign language
6) Buy a little house on the bank of a creek - so I can spend my later years listening to the creek and reading.
7) Learn to swim
8) Write a book - yes I know I'd need an army of editors :)
9) Start another company (a work 3 months, take 3 months off, work 3 months take 3 off, type of deal)
10) Find one of my sisters (given up for
adoption at age 4)
11) Become a real
computer programmer -
Delphi or
VB
12) To learn the concept of relaxing and be able to actually
relax.