Re: Why dont you give away your money to poor people?
 

You sound like a real tight ass. It sounds as if your ass was actually clenching in anger when you wrote your reply.

Anyway, I know enough about social work to know that good social workers don't go about portraying homeless people/addicts as scammers and deadbeats who could get their crap together if they wanted to but would rather coast and sponge off the system. That sounds a lot more like something an ignorant yokel would say. Anyway, I know that many shelter workers quickly burn out and become cynical and they kind of lose sight of why they work in the shelter system to begin with, so maybe that's your scenario. Anyway, relax.

Re: Why dont you give away your money to poor people?
 

This whole "blame the poor for being poor" nonsense gets real old real fast.

Re: Why dont you give away your money to poor people?
 

This whole "take no responsibility for yourself" gets old real fast.

Re: Why dont you give away your money to poor people?
 

[ QUOTE ]
IMHO, the blame the poor is an excuse privileged people use to justify to themselves that they are where they are and other people are worse off because they don't work as hard. I've worked with a lot of people who have two college educated parents, went to a very high quality high school, graduated college without any debt with spring breaks in Cancun, got a car as a graduation gift, a down payment for a house from mome and dad, etc., etc., and believe they really worked hard and struggled to get where they are, and that anybody who wants to succeed should work as hard as they did, and they'll get there too.

[/ QUOTE ]
This was posted elsewhere, and I didn't write it, but I quoted it anyway because it applies.

Ignoring appeals to help the poor is a lot easier when we tell ourselves they're just lazy and irresponsible, and that we somehow EARNED our own good fortune.

Re: Why dont you give away your money to poor people?
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
IMHO, the blame the poor is an excuse privileged people use to justify to themselves that they are where they are and other people are worse off because they don't work as hard. I've worked with a lot of people who have two college educated parents, went to a very high quality high school, graduated college without any debt with spring breaks in Cancun, got a car as a graduation gift, a down payment for a house from mome and dad, etc., etc., and believe they really worked hard and struggled to get where they are, and that anybody who wants to succeed should work as hard as they did, and they'll get there too.

[/ QUOTE ]
This was posted elsewhere, and I didn't write it, but I quoted it anyway because it applies.

Ignoring appeals to help the poor is a lot easier when we tell ourselves they're just lazy and irresponsible, and that we somehow EARNED our own good fortune.

[/ QUOTE ]

Exactly. This is especially important on 2+2 where so many of us are making so much for doing so little. No one here should feel obliged to give to the poor, that's obviously a personal decision, but people should feel obliged to at least be aware of the reality of the situation.

Re: Why dont you give away your money to poor people?
 

[ QUOTE ]
You sound like a real tight ass. It sounds as if your ass was actually clenching in anger when you wrote your reply.

Anyway, I know enough about social work to know that good social workers don't go about portraying homeless people/addicts as scammers and deadbeats who could get their crap together if they wanted to but would rather coast and sponge off the system. That sounds a lot more like something an ignorant yokel would say. Anyway, I know that many shelter workers quickly burn out and become cynical and they kind of lose sight of why they work in the shelter system to begin with, so maybe that's your scenario. Anyway, relax.

[/ QUOTE ]

You seem to have avoided replying as I requested. I assume that it was deliberate as I was quite clear. My prior assumption that you do not know about addiction, mental illness, economics, socio-economics, or homelessenss also seems to be correct.

ta ta

Re: Why dont you give away your money to poor people?
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
IMHO, the blame the poor is an excuse privileged people use to justify to themselves that they are where they are and other people are worse off because they don't work as hard. I've worked with a lot of people who have two college educated parents, went to a very high quality high school, graduated college without any debt with spring breaks in Cancun, got a car as a graduation gift, a down payment for a house from mome and dad, etc., etc., and believe they really worked hard and struggled to get where they are, and that anybody who wants to succeed should work as hard as they did, and they'll get there too.

[/ QUOTE ]
This was posted elsewhere, and I didn't write it, but I quoted it anyway because it applies.

Ignoring appeals to help the poor is a lot easier when we tell ourselves they're just lazy and irresponsible, and that we somehow EARNED our own good fortune.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't know who your talking to here. If it is me (or me in part) please show where I am opposed to helping the poor.

If not, I will tell you that a lot of what is meant to 'help' does harm in many cases. I work on the front lines full time. I think I am in a better postion to discuss the issue intelligently than a lot of people here, at least as it applies to 'helping' the US poor.

Re: Why dont you give away your money to poor people?
 

[ QUOTE ]
If not, I will tell you that a lot of what is meant to 'help' does harm in many cases. I work on the front lines full time. I think I am in a better postion to discuss the issue intelligently than a lot of people here, at least as it applies to 'helping' the US poor.

[/ QUOTE ]
My reply was actually not directed at you. But either way, I'm not talking about what kind of help works, and what doesn't. I'm talking about the mentality that many people have (especially on 2+2 judging from a lot of responses to this thread) of blaming poor people for their state of poverty. As if every poor person is poor solely because of their own laziness/irresponsibility/lack of work ethic/etc. It simply isn't true - and anyone who thinks it is really needs to examine their own prejudices towards the poor.

I'm certainly not about to propose a solution to a problem as complex as poverty. But seeing the poor as fellow human beings, and not some alien "them" who must have done something to deserve their fate, is a good start.

Re: Why dont you give away your money to poor people?
 

Well put.

And there's not one of those creepy Republicans who'd trade places with an alcoholic, mentally ill homeless man, even for the $600 a month - or whatever it is - he suposedly gets from social security.

Which sort of makes you wonder if they really think the homeless are living the good life after all.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
IMHO, the blame the poor is an excuse privileged people use to justify to themselves that they are where they are and other people are worse off because they don't work as hard. I've worked with a lot of people who have two college educated parents, went to a very high quality high school, graduated college without any debt with spring breaks in Cancun, got a car as a graduation gift, a down payment for a house from mome and dad, etc., etc., and believe they really worked hard and struggled to get where they are, and that anybody who wants to succeed should work as hard as they did, and they'll get there too.

[/ QUOTE ]
This was posted elsewhere, and I didn't write it, but I quoted it anyway because it applies.

Ignoring appeals to help the poor is a lot easier when we tell ourselves they're just lazy and irresponsible, and that we somehow EARNED our own good fortune.

[/ QUOTE ]

Re: Why dont you give away your money to poor people?
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
If not, I will tell you that a lot of what is meant to 'help' does harm in many cases. I work on the front lines full time. I think I am in a better postion to discuss the issue intelligently than a lot of people here, at least as it applies to 'helping' the US poor.

[/ QUOTE ]
My reply was actually not directed at you. But either way, I'm not talking about what kind of help works, and what doesn't. I'm talking about the mentality that many people have (especially on 2+2 judging from a lot of responses to this thread) of blaming poor people for their state of poverty. As if every poor person is poor solely because of their own laziness/irresponsibility/lack of work ethic/etc. It simply isn't true - and anyone who thinks it is really needs to examine their own prejudices towards the poor.

I'm certainly not about to propose a solution to a problem as complex as poverty. But seeing the poor as fellow human beings, and not some alien "them" who must have done something to deserve their fate, is a good start.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree with you. However those who view themselves as 'understanding' or 'sympathetic' to the poor or whatever have their own predjuices as well. Clear examples of this can be found in this thread. Go look at my other posts in this thread and then the replies. It is clear that one guy who replied made a whole lot of assumptions about my views of the poor, etc which are simply not true. Did he ask me questions to seek clarification about my views? Did he challenge the claims I made? No. He made a bunch of assumptions that are simply not true.

All of the things I stated in the earlier posts in this thread about income of poor people in shelters and the shelters emptying out at the beginning of the month when people get their checks and returning a few days later broke are true. Of course they are generalizations but they are true. From this people infer that I 'blame the poor' etc. I simply stated observable reality. I did not berate that behavior. I stated what is observable. Some people choose to see them as lazy leeches and others choose to see them as victims who have no choice. Both postions are wrong IMO.