11 Bravo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Sun Feb-21-10 11:06 AM
Original message
I have never beeen prouder of my 13 year old son than I am today.
Edited on Sun Feb-21-10 12:00 PM by 11 Bravo
At his middle school students receive "money" as a reward for good behavior, citizenship, academic performance, etc. Then at the end of each quarter an auction is held and students may use their reward money to purchase a variety of prizes. Mike had been saving up for a small MP3 player that he really wanted. On auction day last week he found himself seated next to a young hispanic aquaintance (not really a friend, but they know each other to say "Hi" in the halls).
A little back story here: We have a relatively large hispanic population in our town, mostly Salvadoran immigrants. The majority of them live in a block of subsidized apartments and many of the families are living from paycheck to paycheck.
Mike and the other student struck up a conversation. He told the girl what he was aiming to purchase, and she told him that she wanted the $50 gift certificate from our local Safeway so her family could buy food. As luck would have it, the price for the certificate exceeded her bankroll. Mike told her to keep on bidding until she won, and that he would make up the difference. The little girl eventually secured her gift certificate, but Mike was down to less than half of his cash, so the MP3 player went to someone else. He never said a word to me, and I never would have found out about this if the little girl's mother hadn't called about a half hour ago to say thank you.
After the call I asked Mike what had happened. He replied, "Dad, I LIKE to listen to music, but Yasmin's family NEEDS to eat."
I love my kid.
on edit: typo
Hmm in this bouncy the kid acted more like a conservative than a liberal. The kid didn't shake his head and say "That's so sad someone should buy you food" Instead he dug into his own wallet and helped out a fellow human being.
If this story is true then you have a good kid. Now if his dad was a conservative you would have pulled the $30 out of your wallet for him to buy himself an MP3 player as a reward for doing something nice.
villager (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Sun Feb-21-10 11:10 AM
Response to Original message
6. He just destroyed any future he might've had in the Republican party, with that much empathy!
Thank God!
(or Goddess...!)
;-)
He'd be a lousy democrat he spent his own money to help someone.
The Doctor. Donating Member (1000+ posts) Journal Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Sun Feb-21-10 11:13 AM
Response to Original message
8. Can you imagine what a 'conservative' would say if their son did such a thing?
I can only imagine how disappointed they'd be.
Nope doc a conservative would be proud that his son was showing conservative values.
Hekate Donating Member (1000+ posts) Journal Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Sun Feb-21-10 11:28 AM
Response to Reply #8
29. Conservatives believe in one-on-one charitable giving, so they can determine the worthiness...
... of the recipient, so any conservative parent would no doubt be pleased.
It's impersonal government charity they have a problem with, because the kinds of means-testing the government uses are not the same ones the conservatives approve of. I think it was Cheney who said it best (although at that moment he was talking about conservation, iirc) when he said it was an act of personal virtue and not something for the government to be involved in.
Just sayin'.
Hekate
Wow you got it right. Us conservatives are not against charity just forced charity.
The Doctor. Donating Member (1000+ posts) Journal Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Sun Feb-21-10 12:08 PM
Response to Reply #29
46. Indeed....
And what metric of worthiness might a 'conservative' consider regarding this particular girl?
That's kind of what I was getting at. I have very little doubt that many of today's 'conservatives' would not approve of charity for many sorts of minorities, let alone immigrants of any kind.
Depends on if the little girl was bullshitting or not. If she was being sincere I am sure a conservative would help her out.
kestrel91316 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Journal Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Sun Feb-21-10 12:26 PM
Response to Reply #29
60. I think we both know that most conservatives would consider
non-conservatives, gays, working women, and non-christians to be UNWORTHY of charity.
You are so full of shit. Churches for example have always reached out to non christians etc in the hopes they can save them.
OffWithTheirHeads Donating Member (1000+ posts) Journal Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Sun Feb-21-10 11:22 AM
Response to Original message
22. I have an i-pod I am not using. If he wants it, P.M. me
I was going to sell it on e-bay but I'd rather give it to him.
Shouldn't Obama peel off a couple of bills from his stash to buy the kid an Ipod?
Jackpine Radical Donating Member (1000+ posts) Journal Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Sun Feb-21-10 12:06 PM
Response to Original message
44. Oh, no!! You've got a little socialist on your hands.
Congratulations to you and him.
And hey, thank him for me too.
Nope if he was a true socialist he would have tried to get everyone to have to give that girl money. Instead he took his own money and gave it to her.
Of course the whole story is probably bullshit anyway.