Humor is no excuse for animal abuse

Dear Amy: My boyfriend and I recently went to a white elephant gift exchange party. One of the “gifts” offered for exchange was two live baby chicks!

I noticed a few puzzled looks when I looked around the room, but most of the people there seemed to think this was hilarious. Even my boyfriend thought it was funny.

We have been invited to another white elephant party with a different group of friends, and my boyfriend wants to take baby chicks!

I said absolutely not. I think that giving live animals is not right at all. I told him to have fun, and I wouldn’t be going.

I’m curious about what you think? — Puzzled

Dear Puzzled: “White elephant” and “Yankee swap” regifting parties are fun ways to round out the holiday season.

However, giving live animals away in this context is despicable.

This is in extremely poor taste, potentially cruel and quite immature. Plus — not funny. Not at all.

So, yes, you are right to discourage this and also to stay home.

Dear Amy: You asked readers to share their literacy stories. Our little innercity church, Trinity Lutheran in Omaha, Neb., has a reading program with six elementary schools. We read to every second-grade class once a month and give each child a book to keep every month. That’s nine books by the end of the year. This is the first book many of these children have ever received.

This program is so rewarding to us as readers. We hope these children will learn to love reading and stay in school until graduation. We can always use monetary donations to help us purchase these books. — Peg

Dear Peg: Thank you for putting books into the hands of children.

Write to Ask Amy, Chicago Tribune, TT500, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611.