To go to this extreme, you know, it was the only alternative or something like that, but you weren’t made aware of that and that was kind of what I was curious about. Because it’s not tolerated, but you need to go through — let the school handle it. – Judge Maureen McGraw-Desmet
These two Asian commercials couldn’t be more different, so I couldn’t resist juxtaposing them. The first is a PSA against outdoor defecation from India, contributed by Jasper Gregory; the second is another of those lovely and moving Thai commercials (as previously seen in Links #168), contributed by Mike Siegel. All the links above the first video are from Radley Balko, and those between the videos from Walter Olson (“tits”), Cthulhuchick (“cadaver”), Clarissa (“DMV” and “how about now”), and Amy Alkon (“advances”).
- Judge convicts teen for refusing to passively submit to bullies.
- Science teacher fired for teaching science.
- More of this, please. And this, too.
- What could possibly go wrong?
- Ars gratia Nick Cage.
- The friendly skies.
- The IRS wants to know how big your tits are.
- The world’s most perfectly embalmed cadaver.
- What happens when hospitals are run like the DMV.
- Still think the US isn’t a police state yet? OK, how about now?
- Cop tackles & chains woman for refusing to reply to his advances.
From the Archives
- The police state, Jim Crow, the Drug War, Elvis, eldritch life, hipster babies, guilt, American English and God’s Gospel Lizards.
- Dr. Laura Agustín vivisects a “trafficking” scare story and explains that all prohibitionism is the same.
- Prohibitionists claim cops can’t find “trafficking victims” because they aren’t looking hard enough.
- My Easter columns for the last two years, and a creepy story I wrote on Easter Sunday, 1997.
- The logical fallacy in which an argument is discounted because it is made by a prostitute.
- Add Latin America to the list of places better at activism than the US.
- New York circumvents law by forcing businesses to do its dirty work.
- Articles with minimal whore-bashing in CNN and the New York Times.
- Sydney madam convicted of keeping students in “sexual servitude”.
- Cyndee Clay, head of Helping Individual Prostitutes Survive (HIPS).
- Politicians broaden crime’s definition, panic when it then increases.
- Police state jails elderly quadriplegic for “crime” of sexual feelings.
- How “social construction of gender” harms male-female relations.
- The warped minds of prohibitionists project evil into everything.
- Gloria Steinem uses “pro-life” rhetoric to attack women’s rights.
- Prohibitionist seeks to “rescue” teen hooker by molesting her.
- The Secret Service hooker scandal, and updates on the same.
- More on End Demand Illinois’ ugly campaign of disinformation.
- The Gambia criminalizes male prostitution and cross-dressing.
- The tale of a series of brothel raids that don’t go as planned.
- A short biography of Skittles, best of the grandes horizontals.
- Strip club owner supposedly plots to assassinate politicians.
- Thaddeus Russell on A Renegade History of the United States.
- The hard facts about decriminalization and “sex trafficking”.
- In which feminists throw sex workers under the bus again.
- What can a woman do if she stays dry during “duty sex”?
- Cops use dysphemisms to destroy legal businesses.
- Another “sex trafficking” NGO exposed as a scam.
- Brazil moves toward decriminalization of brothels.
- San Francisco bans condoms as evidence, sort of.
- Indian prohibitionists seek to censor the internet.
- Never call the cops for any reason whatsoever.
- Texas tries to criminalize escort advertising.
- Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.
- Never On Sunday and The Origins of Sex.
- The Anti-Barbie League is at it again.
- Yet another anti-sex education law.
- Escort becomes infidelity counselor.
- Go the Fuck to Sleep: the movie.
- The first appearance of CISPA.
- Polygamy should be legalized.
- A guided tour of this blog.
My bullshit detector goes off on the UK hospital story.
First, it’s in the Daily Mail, which is nearly like being in the National Enquirer. Second, I suspect the story was written to present something that didn’t happen. The Mail is famous for trying to generate outrage in that fashion.
While UK hospitals have their share of problems, I know from experience and the experience of family members that they are not callous places, run like the DMV.
If we want to explore that kind of story, let’s look at poor people left to die without medical care here in the USA.
Not quite. What generally happens in the US is that poor people still go to the hospital, who by law can’t turn them away if they’re seriously ill. Of course, nobody pays the bill, so it is picked up by the same government who doesn’t think paying $300 for a hammer is suspicious. The cost is then added to the federal debt and left for the grandchildren of that dying poor person, and everyone else in their generation, to pay at enormous interest.
So yeah, it’s a bad situation, but it’s more Kafka than Dickens.
I have a friend who had major heart problems that required a lot of hospitalization – his insurance didn’t quite cover the bill. I suppose he could have “reneged” on the bill – but, instead he went to the hospital and said … “Hey look, I can’t pay all this … can we come to an agreement on a lesser amount that I’m capable of paying?”
And they did – and he was ecstatic. He told me … “I don’t expect for them to treat me for free – but I did need a realistic amount to pay.”
Maggie – he’s a guy who TRIES to pay (he has since paid it all off). There’s plenty of people that go in – get treatment – and then rip the bill up when they get it. Never intend to pay a dime – WILL NOT pay a dime. Won’t talk to anyone about paying a dime.
So WE pick up the bill and take things from our kids to subsidize people who basically don’t give a shit – who think they’re owed a free ride. I don’t have a problem providing catastrophic protection for people who genuinely need it – but I don’t want to put more due diligence into fixing their problems than they are willing to put in themselves.
In at least some parts of Texas patients are stabilized in the emergency room. After that they can be sent to another hospital for the rest of the care they need. Some places in Texas have what can be called “county health care”. I live in a county that has this. The charge for the care you get is based on your income. It allows for those with NO income to still get care. While in my county this system could use some big improvement in how their procedures are it’s still a lifesaver for those who can’t get Medicaid, can’t work due to being truly disabled, etc. It’s better than nothing. I’m not positive on how all of it is funded but from time to time it’s on the local ballot, re: keep it or not? I know they accept Medicare and Medicaid like non-county hospitals do. I work at a medical billing company and we ROUTINELY offer patients discounts that can’t fully pay along with payment arrangements. A lot of my job is going through and then scanning the correspondence that comes in and every day I skim letters from those who can’t pay their bills fully from losing their jobs, got health problems unexpectedly along with having accidents, etc. These people are wanting to pay what they can. At least some of the hospitals we do billing for also have programs that discount and/or write off the charges for patients that are poor. So the costs of their care doesn’t all go to US govt. It’s also taken on by some of the hospitals. The company I work for would rather see some money from the patient than none which is one reason they’re very big on working with people and giving them some discounts, etc. I forgot to mention above the patients who are stabilized are sent to the hospitals that the “county system” runs. Years ago in Texas I worked at a hospital next door to one of these and the poor patients were routinely sent there after being stabilized in our emergency room. The thought of how much worse insurance companies would be without ANY government regulation on them is a scary thought. At the company I work for it’s a constant struggle to get them to pay for anything. I’m not talking about Medicare/Medicaid but PRIVATE insurance companies. I’ve worked for some of those and saw firsthand how they try to NOT pay claims for whatever reasons they can find. The letters I skim at work from the poor who are wanting to make payment arrangements, etc., are heartbreaking at times. I’ll acknowledge that some letters we get are from the family of some of these patients saying the patients don’t want to even TRY to pay. So, yes, those people do exist. But I say how about also talking about those who want to pay SOMETHING and are doing their best to do so?
I have friends currently living in England and they rail against the public health system. Come on – what do you expect from people who burn fetuses for energy? You don’t think that’s a bit distasteful.
And – I’m really getting so tired of this “lets save all the poor people” schtick.
Goddamn – my medical insurance just went up an unbelievable amount to support these no-loads. I EARNED that money the hard way. I am not a college grad – I HUSTLE for every goddamn dollar I make.
Poor people can go and die for all I care – I’m tired of supporting them. Call it “natural selection” – the strongest survive. Whatever.
86 million taxpayers now support 140 million freeloaders.
Anyone who understands MATH knows that can’t continue.
I don’t buy the “poor people are freeloaders” argument. A lot of them hustle, as you say, for every bloody cent they earn. And they pay sales tax on what they buy. The real freeloaders are those who make money just because they had money to start with, making others work for them and taking advantage of tax breaks.
Dear SomeGuySomewhere, THANK YOU! It’s wonderful to see anyone on here stand up for the poor. I think a lot of their struggle comes from what I call the “literal money god” system. This is the literal worship of money while willfully ignoring the poor (to the point death is wished on them even) that’s caused so much misery through history. At least some of the poor are that way through no fault of their own. An example of this is losing your job through a layoff. One solution is “basic income” and I’m very thankful to Sailor Barsoom on here for introducing it to me! Him and I are wanting to at least have this solution tried in the US and also doesn’t automatically mean we’re Marxists, socialists, etc. I’m so fed up with that paranoia. Thank you again for speaking up for the poor.
Not really … you’re misinformed. When someone on welfare or food stamps goes in to buy something … THE TAXPAYERS ARE PAYING THE SALES TAX.
We’re also paying their share of income tax at the end of the year when they don’t.
As I said … 86 million taxpaying “producers” supporting 146 million freeloaders.
No one here want’s to enlighten me on how that’s sustainable? I’m ready for an education. 🙂
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/five-myths-about-the-47-percent/2012/09/21/57dc7bbe-0341-11e2-8102-ebee9c66e190_story.html
Sorry Laura, but throwing out a piece of campaign propaganda from 2012 doesn’t overcome the data released by the U.S. census bureau just this month.
86 million producers support 140 plus million “takers”
http://calwatchdog.com/2014/04/18/just-86-million-full-time-private-sector-workers-support-148-million-benefit-takers/
Now explain to me how the U.S. Census is “right wing” propaganda.
This is a fact.
Now please tell me how that’s (a) FAIR that 86 million have to support over 140 million freeloaders. (b) Tell me about how EVERY SINGLE ONE of those 140 million “takers” are just poor, unfortunate people – and not a bunch of lazy slobs and junkies and (c) Regardless of all the “high fallutin'” notions of social welfare and honest well- meaning of it all – HOW DO YOU SUSTAIN THIS UNSUSTAINABLE condition.
I know it makes you feel good to take the side of the “takers” – but “feel good” doesn’t solve a simple math problem, Laura. And the math is 86 million paying for 140 million. Tell me how that doesn’t come crashing down upon us at some point? Tell me why that’s an acceptable number to you.
http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/19844-food-stamps-are-affordable-corporate-welfare-is-not -cost of food stamps compared to cost of “corporate welfare”.
Who said I was for corporate welfare? Eliminate corporate welfare AND food stamps. You still aren’t addressing how so few producers can support almost DOUBLE their number of “takers”. And Laura – the number of “takers” increases each year while the producers decrease.
Let’s put it this way … you and 29 other people show up to clean a park – but only 10 of you actually start cleaning. The other 20 sit around under a tree “directing” you what to clean, and periodically demanding you go to the truck for them to get them water. When you complain – they call you a racist.
That’s the situation and people are growing tired of it.
What you’re missing is that corporate handouts are vastly more than welfare handouts. In your park analogy, you’d have trucks dumping refuse while you are trying to clean (with police coming to beat you up when you complain).
Thank you! That’s why I posted that link: to show how little is actually spent on food stamps compared to something I don’t see ANYTHING good about (corporate welfare). I really get tired of the unfair blanket statement that those who care about the poor automatically want a “free for all” which includes NOT screening people for benefits. I said earlier in this thread I’m all for screening people for benefits. To me this shouldn’t include drug testing (just wanted to put that out there as it’s a popular one to bring up). Unfortunately, there’s some who DO take advantage and what’s really horrible about that is that’s one of the reasons screening is NEEDED. Thank you for once again standing up for the poor.
And thank [i]you[/i], Laura, for providing that link. I had no idea how bloated corporate welfare is (I’ll guess the situation is similar in other countries that practice corporate welfare).
“Poor people can go and die for all I care – I’m tired of supporting them. Call it “natural selection” – the strongest survive. Whatever.”-sneering contempt for the poor is alive and well. I imagine you think these people would fit in with those in the Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp that you think should just be starved to death. They don’t deserve trials either.
Please don’t attempt to “imagine” what my opinions are when you have never met me. 😉
My attitude against the poor is completely justified. I’m tired of supporting them and, for my services, constantly being called a racist or a “domestic terrorist” simply because I THINK differently than people like you.
Where’s the National TAXPAYER Day? We have all kinds of celebrations for minorities and vets but what kind of thanks do you people give to the people who foot the bill for all this? There’s no thanks at all. We get to deal with the fascist IRS.
I am a high-school grad. I graduated with a “C” average. I work six days a week and often seven. When I filed my taxes this year – I had like … TEN … W-2’s from all the jobs I’ve worked. In the last year – I have frozen my ASS off working in the Arctic .I lost a PART OF MY BODY working in the Persian Gulf. I am like – the OLDEST bar bouncer in the metropolitan city I live near. I did body guard work last year; workman’s comp fraud cases; repaired guitar amplifiers; and shoveled chicken shit for pay (that’s not a metaphor – it was actual chicken shit). I worked as an extra on a couple of movies and an HBO series. I installed navigation radars on three fishing boats.
I also INVEST.
I am NOT a smart guy – I do not have the education that A LOT of the people I’m supporting with my tax dollars do. I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth and by the time I was 20 – my income was my sole means of sustenance. I have never taken a dime from the federal government in any form of welfare or social security. I put my wife through engineering school on an income of less than $30,000.
I (comfortably) make a six figure income now – after busting my ass and going through lean years of “Hamburger Helper” for decades. BUT – I’m still busting my ass. I have things I want to buy FOR MY KIDS – not someone else’s. I’m not hooked on drugs. I don’t do drugs. I don’t spend beyond my means. I’m not in great debt.
I managed this shit to craft a life for my family – and it’s been a lifetime worth of work.
I have never received a fucking “thank you” from any poor person for supporting them. I AM REQUIRED TO PROVIDE URINALYSIS to maintain employment so I can pay out taxes to junkies on welfare WHO REFUSE URINALYSIS. AND YES … if you’re going to make the argument that all the guys who make as much as I do are “fortunate” children who just happen to do well for ourselves because of “luck” or our “connections” – then I’ll use the same broad brush to pain all poor people on welfare as “junkies”.
You people seem to think that all of us who make over $200K per year are rich, fat cats who sit around investing in stock and don’t do any work. You people seem to think we’ve all lived “charmed lives” after having been born with silver spoons in our mouths. Let me tell you – that is NOT the case with me. I come from SHARECROPPER STOCK – and damn proud of it. Both my grandfathers were poor sharecroppers – AND they had day jobs. One in a paper mill and one built bridges for the county.
The American Taxpayers get shit on constantly – and then you guys hypocritically turn around and call us “racists” when we raise the thought that … MAYBE WE DON’T NEED TO SPEND ALL THIS MONEY?
There’s not a goddamn man on this planet that is BETTER than me or who has more sheer guts and determination than me. There’s not a goddamn man on this planet that can kill my spirit or hold me down – not a single one. I will never admit defeat, ever and I will keep fighting until my last breath leaves my body. I am sickened by the class of people who accept their roles a “takers” and who are willing to sell their independence and drive to the federal government for a paltry hand-out when they could DO SO MUCH BETTER if they put their “big boy” pants on and jumped in the water with those of who PRODUCE. I have absolutely zero respect for them and pray for the day that they are no longer in the gene pool.
I don’t have a problem supporting people who physically can’t work. I have BIG PROBLEMS with supporting drug addicts who think they are “too good” work at McDonalds.
Every year … gimme, gimme, gimme … “whoa is me” … “I’m repressed” … “The MAN holds me down”.
Quit then … quit the game … you can’t win it … you’ve given up or are too lazy to play … and I’m sick and tired of being forced to help you. You can’t help someone who isn’t willing to help themselves so go crawl in a ditch and die. That’s my attitude toward poor people extorting money from taxpayers and let me tell you – YOU ARE GOING TO LOSE THIS FIGHT. You are going to lose it because the strong can only be shat upon so long before they say “enough is enough”. And when this deal goes “hot” – your lazy junkies aren’t going to be strong enough to oppose the uprising of the producers. You can bank that!
“Please don’t attempt to “imagine” what my opinions are when you have never met me. ;)”-you’ve never met me either but your views on the women like me (what you call “free women”) are full of the unfair blanket statements, stereotypes, etc., that are pushed about us constantly. Please note in my earlier post I ADMITTED I see letters at my job from family members of people who don’t care to pay their emergency room bills. This means I’m NOT in willful denial about these people being out there. You’re also talking to someone who works fulltime when the easiest thing for me to have done when getting diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder was to go apply for disability. I wanted to TRY to work and I have ever since. I am dependent on the FMLA Program to work (a government program that lets people like me with chronic health problems to be working taxpayers which isn’t just a “fluke” or “accident” to those it keeps employed and this includes women on maternity leave) and thank God for it every day. At my current job I tried to work WITHOUT FMLA to my credit but with my health and the absences from it had to get on the program to stay working. Speaking of drug addicts, you’re talking to someone who hasn’t had a drop of alcohol since she quit drinking in 1999. During the WHOLE time I was an alcoholic I WORKED except for when I had a leg fracture and once I get a doctor’s release to work I started applying for jobs again. I never drank on the job. I’m usually pretty discreet about these things on here for various reasons but see that there’s a need to defend those who are on drugs that STILL WORK and don’t harm anyone else while I on the job (I was one of those). Please note this doesn’t mean that I think it’s OK to BE a drug addict/alcoholic, but to acknowledge that some of them are still functioning and working needs to be talked about.
Please don’t project on me that I have some hate for rich people. What I DO hate is when rich people don’t care to give anything to the poor. That hoard their $’s when they already have enough to live on. That see men who are poor in $’s as unworthy of getting sex. There’s other examples I could give but don’t want to go on and on which is one of the faults I have that am still working on. If you think there should be a “taxpayer day” then what are you doing to set up one? Speaking of people giving thanks I’m with you on how much rudeness there is in regards to that. Unfortunately, it isn’t just with certain poor people. It’s also with those that are given certain support (I call it “take the support and run”), etc., etc. But, what’s more important? Helping people live and/or heal from traumas, etc., or holding back that help because we see the basic courtesy of getting thanks as more important? What’s the priority? I say it’s getting people help to live and heal. Speaking of people who can’t physically work there’s also those who have NON-physical illnesses that keep them from working. People that have tried to get well but can’t. This includes some with PTSD. Some disabilities don’t SHOW and getting these people help is important also. “I have absolutely zero respect for them and pray for the day that they are no longer in the gene pool.”-so should they be treated the same as those in Gitmo? Who cares, right? LOL at how the talk of “they don’t deserve trials”/”let them die”, etc. never mentions that they MIGHT have family members/friends who weren’t part of their evil actions. It’s easier to assume they live in a vacuum. Never a word about the effects on “just kill them with no trial” would affect their family/friends who had nothing to do with what they’re accused of. Also please don’t project on me that I think all the rich became that way through inheritance, etc. I know better through reading up on these things. I know there’s rich people who worked very hard to become rich. The problem I have is with the snobbery that some of them have with examples I listed above.
First of all – I have never erected a “straw-man” (i.e. – throw all poor people in GITMO) and then ascribed that to YOUR thinking. I have every right to think how I wish and express MY views – tell me one time that I’ve ever attempted to express YOURS, please?
Second – I don’t recall ever being negative about “free women” … please show me the quote. My wife is a “free woman” for crying out loud.
I’m sorry – but what I make is MY business and you do not have the right to tell me HOW MUCH I need to live on. That is none of your concern – period.
Laura, I really don’t need a lecture on PTSD. I know plenty of vets who suffer from it – AND PLENTY WHO SUFFER FROM IT AND STILL WORK.
Where does GITMO ever enter in to this, Laura? Second time you’ve mentioned it. Where are you getting that insane comparison from? Are you just throwing it in to be sensational?
When I say that the “takers” can die – I mean, it’s time we removed them from taxpayer life-support. I’m not saying we should kill them. If they survive off taxpayer life support – GREAT. And you know what Laura? When these idiots are off life-support a startling number will survive because they’ve been gold-bricking all along. And actually – those people will be better off when they take responsibility for themselves. They’ll realize they can do things they never could before.
You guys always say … “Well there’s some people who can’t do this and some people who can’t do that.”
Okay – I get it … BUT NOT ALL OF THEM “CAN’T”. Many just “won’t”.
The answer is not for MORE social programs – again, see the 86 million statistic. The answer is to get the SCHLUBS off life-support. You guys keep raising taxes on the taxpayers – taking from them.
When have you asked the “takers” to do anything?
Additionally – I’d rather pay my “life-support” to Churches and have them dish it out to the “takers” than have the federal government do it. The churches are much more efficient.
See that’s another thing that I never hear you guys argue much for. The fact is – the federal government SUCKS at doing anything (see ObamaCare). Let the states and the religious institutions take care of taking care of the poor. Get Harry Reid out of it. I mean, Harry Reid is goddamn “taker” and when I send my tax dollars to Washington – he takes his “cut” before he dishes a dime to poor people. No one wants to rail against Harry Reid though – or tell him he shouldn’t have a right to do that.
But they WILL try to tell me – the guy who’s actually footing the bill – how much money I “need” though.
You wrote this earlier: “Poor people can go and die for all I care – I’m tired of supporting them. Call it “natural selection” – the strongest survive. Whatever.”-You wrote this: “Why are we force feeding people in Gitmo? Let them die.” on http://maggiemcneill.wordpress.com/2013/05/10/that-was-the-week-that-was-319/#comments. As far as talking negatively about non-whore women: “I really don’t see where any “normal” woman can look down on a prostitute. At least the hooker has established a price for what she’s providing to the man.” in “The Law of Averages”. This is an example of the “willfully and/or literally too dumb to charge for sex” belief. “However, if he cheats with an amateur – there’s always some level of emotional attachment – or outright love.” on “Fear of Commitment”-example of saying non-whore are just too risky to see despite the fact that some (like myself) are able to have sex only friendships without falling in love and/or breaking up any homes, etc. On “Fear of Commitment” you go on about how sex always has a price which willfully ignores that literally free sex is real and that the costs of meeting up, etc., can be kept as low as possible on the part of the women. I imagine I’ll hear that these are only my opinions, etc. But, I wonder if that also flies with opinions like whores are on drugs; whores are full of STD’s, etc. Unfair blanket statements about EITHER group of women shouldn’t exist and all these women should be looked at on an individual basis and not written off and or be “feared” with unfair blanket statements, etc. As far as talking any more about this I’m not going to. I’ve said my piece and put up examples so won’t keep going around and around. There’s one exception to this and I’ll post that now.
There is no connection between what I’ve said about GITMO and what I’ve said about poor people on welfare.
And Laura – you can try to rationalize all the welfare programs by detailing all the “woe is me” stories of SOME people on it. But it doesn’t change the fact that none of you even seem to want to TRY to get the freeloaders who can work off.
Anyone on here can ask me how much I made last year and I’ll answer. I’m not hiding that area of my life. I don’t mind making it the business of some. I’ve asked some on Twitter for links, re: how US govt. can afford to help those truly in need. Once I get those will put them up on here. I’ll also search some myself. Other than putting up those links when I get them, I’ve said my piece on all this and won’t keep going around and around.
People are poor for many reasons, illness, maybe they are old. A huge percentage of America’s children grow up in poverty.
And then you have worthless gits like George W. Bush and Mitt Romney, who inherited great wealth.
The rich are not more worthy.
And yes, people complain about the NHS. But no one who is really informed would trade it for the American non-system.
As for the “burn fetuses for energy”, I’ve no idea what right-wing lie factory spun that one out, but your repeating it does you no credit.
Yes, because the “Telegraph” is a Tea Party publication …
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/10717566/Aborted-babies-incinerated-to-heat-UK-hospitals.html
The world isn’t fair is it? So let’s just be “haters” because we weren’t blessed with the same position of birth that they were?
As far as “America’s children growing up in poverty” … my FATHER and MOTHER would qualify as just such. However, without accepting one dime of government assistance – they clawed themselves into the middle class (back before the socialists took charge of this nation and doing so was possible).
I don’t give a shit about Mitt Romney or G.W. Bush – or even the beta-male, Obama. Unless they’re in my wallet (which Obama and G.W were) … I don’t care about them. Let them enjoy what they have – it doesn’t affect me.
Who did Mitt Romney kill by the way? Why is he so bad? Hell, he’s a socialist that brought RomneyCare to Massachusetts – he wasn’t a “bad guy” until the lefty-looneys decided to paint him that way in order to get the failed Emperor re-elected.
Unfortunately, because those with $’s who didn’t care about the poor to even give a few $’s and COULD AFFORD TO US government stepped in to help the disabled. This includes those with “family” that could afford (with all giving SOMETHING) to keep a disabled person living independently. I saw this happen in my own “family”. I’m hoping you do realize there are people who have “family” that could care less about them and/or don’t have any family/friends that are able to help them even with a few $’s. If Social Security disability and Veterans Administration disability hadn’t been started for these people then there would be even more homeless, etc. Some people literally don’t have anyone to help them and also those who can help even with a few $’s but choose not to. Not everyone is able to claw their way up and sometimes this is due to things they had no part of.
One last thing: wanted to say I’m NOT for people getting benefits with no checking into their current situation, etc. I’m for those who are applying for unemployment to have their situation researched, etc. Unfortunately, a lot of this IS due to those who abuse these things. I hate that those who aren’t cheating have the assumption made about them that they ARE. But, this is how things are at this point in time but that doesn’t mean people should EVER quit working on bettering things in the world. An assumption about some who speak up for the poor is we’re for a “free for all” of giving without checking into what needs really aren’t being met. But, if people are hungry, homeless, etc., and if they don’t eat right then are going to get sicker (like pass out from low blood sugar) then that bit of help at that time shouldn’t be held back from them. I see the sexually frustrated in the same way.
Laura, should a heroine junkie who doesn’t work get welfare benefits and free housing? Should they receive those benefits free of any kind of a requirement for treatment? And …
If they don’t submit to treatment – would you pull their benefits even if it meant they were going to die?
I would – in one-half a heartbeat.
Will Missouri be transmitting the “brown note” with those LRADs? **shiver**
Nick Cage = WIN
I wonder if the school authorities protecting bullies at the expense of their victims recognize the bullies as potential law enforcement officers and are therefore protecting them before they grow up and become cops?
I want, nay, NEED that Nic Cage as Unicorn painting in my life. I’m sure it’s the early work of an artist that will go on to do amazing things in their career. Amazing.