female show-me primitive sees homeless, gives nothing

[USA4ME]

leftyladyfrommo

Are you seeing more homeless people? They seem to be everywhere right now. It has just been so cold here in Kansas City the last few days and there they are standing at the bottom of the freeway offramps. Holding their signs: Everything Helps. Godbless.

Makes me feel so guilty because I can't give very much. You know, I don't have a lot. I have a little, tiny house and a little tiny car. But I have a roof and food and transportation and I can afford heat and water. I see those people standing for hours out in this cold and it just breaks my heart.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x4668014

The female show-me primitive could give what she does have and invite them to spend the night on the floor of her tiny house.  I'm beginning to think they enjoy feeling guilty, and in fact look forward to doing so.

Waiting for other primitives who have additional homes, extra bedrooms, etc... to show up and offer their residences.

.

[franksolich]

Waiting for other primitives who have additional homes, extra bedrooms, etc... to show up and offer their residences.

Hell's going to freeze over before that happens.

[delilahmused]

Hell's going to freeze over before that happens.

Don't worry frank, all the homeless will disappear January 20, 2009. Primitives will have to find something else to feel guilty about because it's going to be all sunshine & rainbow skies & and cute little unicorns with wings of spun gold. Well, as long as you don't live in Kenya and have a rich half-brother in the United States.

Cindie

[Ralph Wiggum]

Interesting exchange here:

Coyote_Bandit(1000+ posts)
Wed Dec-17-08 11:54 AM
Response to Original message
4. I give to
   
organizations that help the homeless rather than giving directly to the folks standing on the street corner holding the signs.

Why? Because when I worked as a money manager I had a high net worth client client who was a trust beneficiary that routinely stood on street corners begging for handouts. It was something of a sport in our office to follow her location from day to day.

Gentle Giant(1000+ posts)
Wed Dec-17-08 12:09 PM
Response to Reply #4
5. Funny you should mention that.
   
Vegas is about to hold its 53rd annual convention for the Society of Begging Trust Beneficiaries at the 4th tent past the 11th red shopping basket on the southbound side of Main St. next week.

I'll be sure to pass along your regards!

Coyote_Bandit (1000+ posts)
Wed Dec-17-08 12:38 PM
Response to Reply #5
6. Ummmm......
   
It seems to me that you are suggesting that either:
(1) the tale I tell is a lie (by the way, the trust client in question also spent time in prison for stealing bronze artwork); or
(2) I should accept the representations of everyone who wants some of my money at face value and patronize any old street corner beggar without regard to whether he/she has a legitimate need; or
(3) the organizatoins which help the homeless and needy are not deserving of support.

I would ask you to clarify your intent but frankly I do not care because I find all the options offensive and disagreeable. Welome to my ignore list.

I wholeheartedly agree with Coyote Bandit.  It is much better to give to homeless organizations rather than the homeless directly.

My favorite news anchor in Chicago (Ron Magers) often relates his story about his encounters with the homeless.  His TV studio is in the loop, and he often has beggars hitting him up.  He keeps a stack of business cards with him for local homeless shelters.  He always hands out the cards to the beggars, and tells them that the shelters are the best option for them rather than asking strangers for money.

[USA4ME]

I wholeheartedly agree with Coyote Bandit.  It is much better to give to homeless organizations rather than the homeless directly.

My favorite news anchor in Chicago (Ron Magers) often relates his story about his encounters with the homeless.  His TV studio is in the loop, and he often has beggars hitting him up.  He keeps a stack of business cards with him for local homeless shelters.  He always hands out the cards to the beggars, and tells them that the shelters are the best option for them rather than asking strangers for money.

That's a good idea, but I also agree with this:

Gentle Giant

... if we ... are approached by someone who says they need food - and are able to spare a couple bucks - we offer to take them in and buy them something! If they say yes, then they were hungry. If they say no then they're probably just saving up for that next 40 oz. in which case we move on.

Done that more times than I can count.

.

[DumbAss Tanker]

KC, it figures.  I'd gladly see it annexed by Iowa (Kansas has enough problems already).

[Ralph Wiggum]

That's a good idea, but I also agree with this:

Done that more times than I can count.

.

Also an excellent idea.

[jukin]

After the United Way threw the Boy Scouts of America under the bus and the Red Cross screwed us all over 9/11 the only organizations I give to are the Salvation Army and the BSA.  I give the Salvation Army cards to any homeles....bum that hits me up.  Usually they curse and throw the card away.

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.org/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x4668014#4672005

Oh my.

One assumes the problem's taken care of on January 20, 2009, though.

leftyladyfrommo  (1000+ posts)        Wed Dec-17-08 11:41 AM
Original message
 
Are you seeing more homeless people? They seem to be everywhere right now. It has just been so cold here in Kansas City the last few days and there they are standing at the bottom of the freeway offramps. Holding their signs: Everything Helps. Godbless.

Makes me feel so guilty because I can't give very much. You know, I don't have a lot. I have a little, tiny house and a little tiny car. But I have a roof and food and transportation and I can afford heat and water. I see those people standing for hours out in this cold and it just breaks my heart.

area51  (1000+ posts)        Wed Dec-17-08 11:46 AM
Response to Original message
 
1. Yes.

I've been seeing more homeless ever since the economy cratered in 2001.

Name removed (0 posts)      Wed Dec-17-08 09:06 PM
Response to Reply #1
 
11. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

Hmmmm.  One wonders what was up with that.

bobbolink  (1000+ posts)        Wed Dec-17-08 09:08 PM
Response to Reply #11
 
12. Thank you for your judgemental attitude. You can trade places with me, because I'm sure you'd do a much better job of being homeless than I've been doing.

BUT... at least I have a heart.

JanMichael (1000+ posts)      Wed Dec-17-08 09:14 PM
Response to Reply #12
 
17. seriously if this poster is a nurse, s/he should quit, and apologize to his/her patients and school for being a jerk.

I agree with you. My wife pulled herself up by the bootstraps TWICE. Not interested in this garbage.

BTW, how are you?

bobbolink  (1000+ posts)        Wed Dec-17-08 09:27 PM
Response to Reply #17
 
20. Thank you, JanMichael... you don't know how much this kind of crap hurts....and there is so much of it among "progressives".

And I think they ENJOY hurting people.. it's what they get up in the morning for.

I'm AMAZED.. it was actually removed.

Usually the posts ugly towards poor people are left... it's ACCEPTED

I'm not doing well.. my home (my car) is having problems, and nobody can figure out the reason why. I'm depleted.

Thank you sooo much for your kind words!

JanMichael (1000+ posts)      Wed Dec-17-08 10:29 PM
Response to Reply #20
 
27. you are more than welcome

it's the least we can do. Both Steph and I are sick of the *******ed bullshitters who claimed to have "pulled themselves up by their bootstraps."

**** that. They had mighty awesome bootstraps to begin with, eh. ****ers.

**** 'em.

I am sorry to hear things aren't going well. I wish there were something we could do.

This Christmas is going to be horseshit because we are well ****ing aware of the poverty surrounding us; and yet are members of a limosine liberal assed family who keeps giving us "shit" and expects made in Sri Lanka crap in return.

I think that we are going to grow a pair and refuse to participate.

And then because of my fellow alum Skins's really stupid way of ordering posts, we go back up to responses to the Name Removed primitive above:

JanMichael (1000+ posts)      Wed Dec-17-08 09:13 PM
Response to Reply #11
 
15. oh get over yourself

my wife did the same and was a paramedic, then she learned how to work in restaurants at night so she could study religion.

Get over it; you couldn't have done it if you weren't healthy. Quit acting like what you did was somehow "noble"-- it wasn't.

We have a roof and heat too-- so what?

Blue State Native  (1000+ posts)        Wed Dec-17-08 09:19 PM
Response to Reply #11
 
18. So you 'pulled yourself up by your own bootstraps" right? What part of a hand up IS NOT A HAND OUT...don't you get? Also, does this mean any thing to you, 'There but for the grace of (insert whatever you believe in) go I'?

You think that some one who ends up homeless, did not work hard enough, or sacrifice enough, and that is why they are homeless? Lots of factors come into play in one becoming homeless. I hope that you never encounter any of those factors. 

That's really stupid, the way Skins does that with primitive comments.

bobbolink  (1000+ posts)        Wed Dec-17-08 09:29 PM
Response to Reply #18
 
21. Oh, but the Dems are all sayingn "We all have to sacrifice" 

I live in my car, don't have the warmth or anything else I need... what the **** am I supposed to SACRIFICE?????

MY LIFE? Will that satisfy everyone when we homeless people are all DEAD??? Will that do it?

Blue State Native  (1000+ posts)        Wed Dec-17-08 09:47 PM
Response to Reply #21
 
22. bobbolink, that poster was an asshole and he/she has plenty of company these days. 

I might be homeless in the very near future and it will be through no fault of mine. I have worked hard and played by the 'rules' but shit happens and the problem is that this government and many people in this Country not only don't care, but that they place the blame on the victim. That seems to be the ' American' way, 'blame the victim'. It's easier than placing the blame where it really belongs and that is on society at large. It is wrong, very wrong.

This bonfire's so ****ing screwed, I'm just going to quote the bobbling primitive from here on out.

bobbolink  (1000+ posts)        Wed Dec-17-08 09:10 PM
Response to Reply #6
 
14. What *I* find offensive is that you can't express your choice without denigrating a whole segment of the population.

And I'm sure that you'll have a very pleasant and peaceful reply to this.

So, go ahead and welcome me to your ignore list, also.

bobbolink  (1000+ posts)        Wed Dec-17-08 09:14 PM
Response to Reply #8
 
16. Please do NOT "fully expect"--- our needs for housing aren't even CONSIDERED now. 

Please make note of this thread, write in, and urge everyone you know to do the same.

THAT's what will make it happen!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

Thank you for writing that, and thank you for housing people!

bobbolink  (1000+ posts)        Wed Dec-17-08 10:40 PM
Response to Reply #25
 
28. And you know that ..... HOW????? 

It ISN"T something that "progressives" are pushing him about, so why in the world would you think he's going to fix it at all, let alone quickly?

Take a look at this thread, and see how few people actually are willing to even write a short note... then tell me again WHY you have so much faith?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

Did YOU write to ask Obama to "fix" the lack of low-income housing???

Will you do so now, and ask others to do so?

bobbolink  (1000+ posts)        Wed Dec-17-08 10:42 PM
Response to Reply #26
 
29. You're welcome to come live with me and experience my homelessness firsthand. 

bobbolink  (1000+ posts)        Thu Dec-18-08 12:44 PM
Response to Reply #31
 
35. There is much you can do. 

There's a lot you can do, from wherever you are, and here are two important beginning steps:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph... (yes, the topic is closed, but the information is all there, and it's very easy to make your voice heard on the issue of low-income housing in the richest country in the world)

You can also do much to promote this issues among USians, and urge them to take action. It really isn't hard, it doesn't take ANY money, and it takes very little time... less time than it took to say that people are poorer in Mexico.

The reason why taking a thread about the poverty in the US and turning it around to poverty in other countries is offensive, is because people are DYING right here in the US of poverty, but most people dont' want to see that. It's MUCH easier to deal with it at a distance.

Yet, we are suffering and dying.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

Is our suffering and death of less value?

We are shoved aside and ignored.... then called "mentally ill" because being treated in that shabby manner is depressing.

By the way, in case no one knows this, there's some bona fide primitives who suspect the bobbling primitive's a mole.  If so, it's a very good mole.

[AllosaursRus]

bobbolink  (1000+ posts)        Wed Dec-17-08 09:29 PM
Response to Reply #18
 
21. Oh, but the Dems are all sayingn "We all have to sacrifice" 

I live in my car, don't have the warmth or anything else I need... what the **** am I supposed to SACRIFICE?????

MY LIFE? Will that satisfy everyone when we homeless people are all DEAD??? Will that do it?

We can only hope! I just can't believe anyone can be this worthless. I was homeless once way back when. I didn't even have a frikkin' car to live in! Lasted all of one week! I started moving irrigation pipe for a hay farmer. I did such a good job that after he found out I was willing to walk 4 miles to work every day, he gave me a truck to drive.

I had been sleeping in an abandonded cabin. No heat, no elec, and no water. With my first check I moved into a low rent motel. Life just went up from there.

I have a feeling BobbleHead wants afree ride! I have no sympathy for those who won't even try! How long has BubbleDick complained about being homeless?

BS!!!!!

[asdf2231]

Quote
bobbolink  (1000+ posts)        Wed Dec-17-08 09:29 PM
Response to Reply #18
 
21. Oh, but the Dems are all sayingn "We all have to sacrifice" 

I live in my car, don't have the warmth or anything else I need... what the **** am I supposed to SACRIFICE?????

MY LIFE? Will that satisfy everyone when we homeless people are all DEAD??? Will that do it?

Boy I wish I had wireless internet in my car.

I figure she must or she wouldn't have all that time to post about how everyone is a prick for not giving her handouts according to her expectations.

You don't have to die you skell.

Just shut the **** up about how hard it is being homeless when you seem to live on an internet site rather than GETTING OFF YOUR ASS AND FINDING A JOB. 

[Chris]

Wireless internets would also require a laptop.  Unless she was driving a roomy Lincoln Town Car... you might be able to rig up a desktop and monitor in there somewhere. 

Just sayin'

[Miss Mia]

Boy I wish I had wireless internet in my car.

I figure she must or she wouldn't have all that time to post about how everyone is a prick for not giving her handouts according to her expectations.

You don't have to die you skell.

Just shut the **** up about how hard it is being homeless when you seem to live on an internet site rather than GETTING OFF YOUR ASS AND FINDING A JOB. 

Supposedly she posts from a library.  *shrug*

But I really don't understand how it's been this long and she can't get a job anywhere.  She should move here, the local Office Depot has had a "Now Hiring" banner out front for the last few months.

[asdf2231]

Supposedly she posts from a library.  *shrug*

But I really don't understand how it's been this long and she can't get a job anywhere.  She should move here, the local Office Depot has had a "Now Hiring" banner out front for the last few months.

She has been given jobs and housing before.

Some people just like being perpetual "victims".

[Miss Mia]

She has been given jobs and housing before.

Some people just like being perpetual "victims".

Oh, I know, it was more of a hypothetical question. 

[Duke Nukum]

I see dead people...Walking around like regular people. They don't see each other. They only see what they want to see. They don't know they're dead.