| Author | Message | ||
     Cowboy Citizen Username: Cowboy Post Number: 326 Registered: 9-2003  |
Warren Zevon helped me with this title. How do we define what is poor? Political candidates, (coincidently, most frequently Democrats), invoke the poor a lot in their speaches. "We need to do this for the poor. We need to do that for the poor. We need to make sure that this policy doesn't affect the poor." What is it to be poor? Or better, exactly what defines poor? There are very, very few poor people in the United States. If you have a car, a microwave, a color television, a cell phone, clothes on your back and a roof over your head you are not poor. The average person defined by the government as "living in poverty" in this country is enjoying a standard of living that surpasses the average .. not the average poor ... the average person in Western Europe. I suggest that Poverty is a mental disease. Barring mental or physical disaster, the so-called "poor" in this country are right where they are because of the combined affect of the decisions they have made in their lives. The decision to pay attention or not to pay attention to their education. The decision to work, or not to work. The decision to spend their weekends flopped on the couch or to get out there and work a second job in an attempt to get ahead. And let's not forget the decision to get pregnant with a child you can't afford to raise, or the decision to practice some sexual and reproductive responsibility. Drugs, or no drugs? Cigarettes, or no cigarettes? They make the decisions in their lives, and I'm damned tired of living the consequences. | ||
| tjohn Citizen Username: Tjohn Post Number: 2231 Registered: 12-2001  |
I am especially angry with the children who chose to be born to irresponsible drug-addicted parents. Cowboy, your post is as mean-spirited as any of have seen on MOL. You can question the effectiveness of programs to help the poor, but if you count yourself as a member of the human species, please don't question the need for such programs. | ||
| Cato Nova Citizen Username: Cato_nova Post Number: 44 Registered: 12-2003 |
Boring troll. The so-called "culture of poverty" thesis is old hat by now; go back to the sixties when that was an interesting proposition. | ||
| SoOrLady Citizen Username: Soorlady Post Number: 368 Registered: 9-2003 |
Cowboy: "I suggest that Poverty is a mental disease." I suggest that you donate a week of your vacation to any number of Habitat-type initiatives in this country. You might learn something.} | ||
| bobk Supporter Username: Bobk Post Number: 4615 Registered: 5-2001 |
I am really curious about where you picked up the jem about Western Europe. | ||
| Tom Reingold Citizen Username: Noglider Post Number: 2067 Registered: 1-2003  |
Poverty and mental disease are somewhat correlated. Cowboy: which is the cause, and which is the effect? Tom Reingold the prissy-pants There is nothing | ||
| lumpyhead Citizen Username: Lumpyhead Post Number: 673 Registered: 3-2002  |
That baby born out of wed lock is innocent. The problem is that the mother won't be able to raise the child with enough attention and love due to her age and economic condition. No matter how hard you try, a village or a school system cannot replace a loving parent(s). So the situation continues and the innocent baby grows up and does the same thing all over. You cannot change this. The change must come from within the culture. | ||
| mem Citizen Username: Mem Post Number: 2737 Registered: 5-2001  |
Lumpy, You have a FAT nose! | ||
| lumpynose Citizen Username: Lumpyhead Post Number: 674 Registered: 3-2002 |
I nose!! | ||
| johnny Citizen Username: Johnny Post Number: 822 Registered: 5-2001 |
Poor Cowboy, it must be so hard to be perfect. | ||
| lumpynose Citizen Username: Lumpyhead Post Number: 675 Registered: 3-2002 |
Cowboy is poor and in need of a cigarette! | ||
| chocoholic Citizen Username: Shrink Post Number: 109 Registered: 2-2003 |
Cowboy, I think that you have been listening too much right wing talk radio. Their major goal is get working stiffs like yourself to think that those "poor" people are the cause of your high taxes and misery. The real enemy is a business culture and politicians who back them, who are sending good jobs off shore so that they can pay alower wage, or those business people that hire illegal aliens because if they hired americans for the same job they would have to pay a livng wage. You never hear Rush Limbaugh, Bob Grant or any of the drug addled right wingers talking about this because this not on the talking points generated on a weekly basis by Karl Rove and Company. | ||
| Cowboy Citizen Username: Cowboy Post Number: 330 Registered: 9-2003 |
I am impressed at the extreme lengths to which so many will go to insist that I am wrong. I'm not "mean-spirited." What I am is curious as to why politicians use this same issue every year. They seem to appeal to the guilt present among so many. Why do you people feel so guilty? | ||
| cjc Citizen Username: Cjc Post Number: 884 Registered: 8-2003 |
Cowboy -- you needed the caveat of some being poor 'through no fault of their own" -- which would include the kids who weren't lucky enough to be aborted. People would have been more understanding. | ||
| tjohn Citizen Username: Tjohn Post Number: 2233 Registered: 12-2001 |
Oh, you're mean alright. The minute you started blaming the poor for their predicament, you crossed into the land of the mean. | ||
| lumpynose Citizen Username: Lumpyhead Post Number: 680 Registered: 3-2002 |
It is a fact that the poor don't vote so the politicians are appealing to those who want to help the poor. I prefer to help the poor myself rather than relying on a politician who wants my vote. | ||
| lumpynose Citizen Username: Lumpyhead Post Number: 681 Registered: 3-2002 |
Tjohn- What did Strawberry do to you?? Maybe the point is that if you are born poor, you tend to make choices and decisions to keep it that way. | ||
| Dave Citizen Username: Dave Post Number: 6361 Registered: 4-1998  |
If you keep making those faces, your face will freeze that way... | ||
| lumpynose Citizen Username: Lumpyhead Post Number: 682 Registered: 3-2002 |
I read there were three things you can do to prevent the vicious circle of poverty. 1) Finish High School 2) Do not have a child until you are 21 and have a mate 3) I can't remember the third thing! Anyway if you choose these options, you may be able to prevent poverty. | ||
| Cowboy Citizen Username: Cowboy Post Number: 335 Registered: 9-2003 |
tjohn, are you threatened by the truth? Your liberalism has gotten smack dab in the middle of truth. Go on feeling guilty, but stop wasting our tax dollars. Clearly, the blame of being poor can be squarely placed upon the shoulders many of those who are poor. They have far too often become lazy and have become too dependent upon government programs and handouts. Frequently, they deserve just what they get. Likewise, I'm sure there are those too, especially children, who suffer from being poor, but many of those kids can escape the cycle if they work hard and become educated. I like Lumpy's idea about waiting to have children too. Government programs, even those with the best of intentions, grow out of control and cease accomplishing their goals. Workfare works better than welfare. |
