What the hell is wong with this nation's soul?

[theHandpuppet]

A recent poster to my thread on the food pantry crisis in America provided this link to the news of pantries closing in Davenport, Iowa: http://www.qctimes.com/articles/2006/07/25/news/local/d...

This was depressing enough, but read some of the comments following the article. Here's a small sampling:

Jobless? wrote on July 25, 2006 7:41 AM:"While I applaud the work the pantries and their volunteers do, I have to wonder why at least some of these folks can't get out and get jobs. I know there are circumstances that prevent some from working but Amber looks like she could be working. And there's detasseling and other kinds of summer jobs that her son could be doing to earn some extra cash. "

No excuses wrote on July 25, 2006 10:08 AM:"I know that there are some people who have physical or mental limitations that prevent them from working. But as for the others ... as "Pantries are not always used" points out, get some gumption and some ambition and get a job. The sad part is that there are folks out there who really need this help and they're too proud and have too much dignity to ask for it, while those who could be working are experts on which pantries have the best food. "

to volunteer wrote on July 25, 2006 10:33 AM:"If you are trying to raise a family you are responsible for finding a job better than Target at $7.50 an hour."

Former QC resident wrote on July 25, 2006 4:04 PM:"It appeared that the women in the picture was able bodied enough to be walking to get her freebee food. Maybe she needs to walk herself somewhere and get a job and take care of herself and her son rather than rely on the generosiy of others. Even when I was single and trying to feed myself and 3 kids, I worked and never asked for help. We all survived, I wasn't allergic to working hard."

Perfectly capable wrote on July 25, 2006 5:07 PM:"The same people who frequent homeless shelters and food pantries are the ones who knock on my door looking for work for cash. They are perfectly able to put in an honest day of work but why would they when they can get free food, shelter and tax free spending money? "

[goondogger]

1. *shakes head*

Nothing to say. Too sad . . .

[cornermouse]

2. If they're older, they've forgotten what real poverty and hunger

looks and feels like and how it WILL affect them as well, whether directly or indirectly. Those who are younger have never seen it and don't really realize the devastation that it can create. And then there's the republican party who continues to dangle bait for the greedy.

[bowens43]

3. These are members of the New Cristain right nt.

[OneBlueSky]

4. these responses are disgusting . . .

there are people -- maybe millions -- who work full-time or more (i.e. two jobs) who simply cannot support a family because of rent prices, gas prices, food prices, healthcare prices, etc. . . because someone needs help from a food bank does NOT mean that person is unemployed, lazy, or irresponsible . . .

the people who think this way should be ashamed of themselves . . .

then again, some are just idiots, and shame is probably not part of their emotional repertoire . . .

[Oversea Visitor]

5. The fortunate should always be thankful for their blessing

And should always returne their good fortune for being fortunate to help the unfortunate.

But sadly maybe lucky forget all.
Instead success gets to head and start looking down on less fortunate as lesser being.

[pooja]

6. i love the one that says.. get a better job than 7.50 at target.

yet at the same time probably holds a pickett sign at an abortion clinic. some people are so stupid. you wonder why anyone pays them anything at all.

[screembloodymurder]

7. It get's in the way of a good days shopping.

It's hard to be compassionate and still pay your cell phone bill.

[FlavaKreemSnak]

8. Euthanasia won as the solution to poverty (high school project)

In high school we had this project in social studies class, where we divided into teams and had to think of two solutions to poverty and then ask the student body to vote for which solution they thought was better.

One of the teams two solutions was socialism like they have in Norway etc or euthanasia, and the votes were almost 70% for euthanasia between those two.

It was just high school kids but I think it is where we are headed. Or maybe they will put them in the army for the war on terror because it is costing a lot. My team had job training or put them in the army, and when they added up the votes for all the teams' solutions, euthanasia won the most, and put them in the army came in second.

It affected me a lot. I hated that school after that. It was like you couldn't look at anybody without thinking that they probably voted for euthanasia, since it won. Luckily that was my senior year so I didn't have to be there much any more. Some of the teachers were upset by it too. They didn't really say anything. In fact none of them ever said anything about it at all, which was unusual because usually something like that they would use the votes to have a class discussion, but for this one they didn't.

[BlueJazz]

9. Oh..Man..That IS Sad. Christ,... Did those who voted for Death ...

...think that poverty would end as soon as you murdered all the poor?

Gives me the Fuckin' Creeps....

[zalinda]

11. Euthanasia is the easy way out

that is why they voted for it. Not one of the kids who voted for euthanasia ever thought for one moment, that one of those to be euthanized could be them. While it's depressing, teens always think that nothing bad will ever happen to them. They feel invincible, except when it comes to dating. Just remember back when you were a kid and the dumb stuff you did, and lived through. Scary huh!

zalinda

[htuttle]

10. Our soul? We owe it to the company store.

[Sinti]

12. Some folks just don't understand the world - they've never had to deal

with real poverty and really don't get it. It scares them, as well, and they feel the victim must be to blame. If the impoverished are not responsible for their own lot then it could happen to anyone. If it could happen to anyone, it could happen to them.

I was homeless for a long while during Bush I, and I'll tell you I worked two jobs, 6-12s every week and could not get an inch ahead - there were two of us working and we barely pulled in enough to rent a cheap motel room to get clean and out of the elements (on top of transportation to work and food). Sleeping in the car, and outside starts to wear on you damn quickly. People sneer, as if it's your fault, they're miles above you and you're not really human to them. If you were their equal, by natural law you'd have the comfort that they do. They can't see beyond that.

Empathy sometimes requires a person to accept that, but for the grace of god, the suffering person could easily be them. Whatcha gonna do.

Don't let it get you down, in a few lifetimes these folks will learn to have open hearts also.

:hug:

[terminal_concept]

13. It's the medias fault

How many examples of people struggling to get by do you see on tv ?None I can think of.Yet we see all the time people going from rags to riches .People start think it's easy .For that reason and many others we need to boycott the media .Turn that crap off a few days and it will start to affect their pocketbook.

[AngryOldDem]

14. My conclusions

I've heard this so many times.

I think that the consciences of those who write/think/say stuff like this are bothered by what they see, but they can't admit to that. To do so would be to actually imagine themselves in the same situation, and to realize that something similar could very easily happen to them. Sometimes things are just too real that it's easy to criticize and lay blame -- any rationalization that deflects any kind of concern or sense of responsibility that those who "have" should hold toward those who "have not."

And that's what all of the above are: rationalizations. If you place blame, it's easy not to feel compassion.

The word has got to get out somehow that a job is not necessarily a panacea to every problem the poor have. Many working poor also use food pantries. Some -- surprise -- even live out of their cars or in shelters.

And what should an "honest day of work" pay in this nation, anyway? But that is another discussion for another thread.

[theHandpuppet]

15. Yes, my neighbor is one of the hard working poor...

... and if wasn't for a local food pantry the family would be hard-pressed to put a decent meal on the table.

"There but for the grace of God" is the old saying. You have to wonder what these folks would think about their spiteful words if they ever found themselves in a situation where they had great need. It could happen to ANYONE. A major illness in the family, a death, loss of a job, a thousand unexpected things or events out of our mortal control.