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Wonderful commentary. It gets so old hearing the same old assumptions based on stereotyping. So many who say such things claim to follow a religion based on the example of Jesus. People who are genuine don't stop to assess the who-what-why of a person in obvious need. They jump in and help.
I have a lot of chores here I don't want to be bothered with - so when can I expect someone to come and do them for me?
Who would rather live next door to the "single" mother (parthenogenesis?) instead of the nice old lady who's conservative in her expenditures? Whom would most people help? A lady who has lived a long and honorable life deserves our consideration; the other deserves nothing. The latter is reaping what she wished to have sown.
That's kinda cruel, don't you think? I have a personal friend who became a single mother after a rape resulting in pregnancy. She chose to carry the infant to term, deciding it wasn't the infant's fault he had been conceived during a violent act. Is this a case of reaping what was sown? It is obvious to me from your writing that you are a rather judgmental person. Perhaps you've never been in a tough spot due to no fault of your own. A young mother who is abandoned by her husband because he doesn't want the responsibility of a family isn't someone who asked for it, either. Nor is a single mom who is single because she fled an abusive relationship. Please don't assume that a person is in a negative situation because they chose it. That reflects a narrow-minded point of view and doesn't show compassion -- hopefully you won't reap a lack of compassion for showing a lack of such.
As for the elderly lady, perhaps she is conservative....or perhaps she inherited a bundle when her husband died, or maybe she got a windfall in a lawsuit. You don't know how she got the money; nor do you know how or what she spends. It seems you spend a lot of time assuming things. That can be dangerous, you know. People could do the same thing with you, and it could end up being a negative assumption they pass on you as well.
Oh wow!
I must be simple-minded.
All I got from the OP was that seniors, just by virtue of their age, shouldn't be excused from things like lawn care and regardless of whether or not they can well afford to hire these things out .
not many wealthy seniors getting ripped off by a $35 lawn mowing .
No, but plenty of unscrupulous people see seniors as targets, and might take such an opportunity to evaluate their vulnerability and pass it along to less honorable people.
Especially an elderly widow.
Which isn't to someone with means shouldn't have to pay for services they can afford, but especially if they've never done so before (i.e. their spouse took care of everything but is now deceased), there's really nothing wrong with giving them a helping hand.
and similarly - you can give a helping hand to the able-bodied but financially needy person also described. Charity and goodwill shouldn't be reserved for just 1 person.
The elderly woman did not and her name got brought up at our committee meeting as an example that we must have a list of volunteers for any elderly home owners.
Next time place a call to the Board's attorney. The Board does not have the legal authority to randomly pick and choose who receives a citation. Your Board has a duty to enforce the HOA's regulations as written. Drafting a list of volunteers to assist elderly homeowners is one thing (no problem), but you MUST enforce the issuance of citations or granting of variances in accordance with the regulations. Do the regulations state that those over a certain age are not required to abide by the regulations? I don't think so.
Oh wow!
I must be simple-minded.
All I got from the OP was that seniors, just by virtue of their age, shouldn't be excused from things like lawn care and regardless of whether or not they can well afford to hire these things out .
I agree and everything was fine till the OP mentioned the single mother and implied she was unworthy of help if she needed it. Truth be told, many single mothers can well afford lawn care.
I think the content, and the intentions of the original post has been taken waaaaay out of context, misinterpreted and other posters have read into it ideas never intended by the OP. As such things frequently happen on forums. And other posters have also read motives in some of the comments that it's likely the author(s) of those comments never intended either.
So all of a sudden those participating in the forum:
1) Dislike seniors.
2) Hate single mothers.
3) Don't like poor people.
4) Don't like rich people.
5) Are just plain hateful altogether...
Far as I can tell, the intent in the original post was to state the opinion that if local ordinances (or condo rules, what have you), are enforced, they should be enforced for everyone, with no one getting a pass automatically just because they fit into a specific demographic group. We all know that there are specific instances across all demographics where the folks need help, and IMO it's the right thing to do to help them out however we can. And we don't have to assume that helping a member of one group, or advocating help for that group means that we think members of other groups shouldn't get help, or that they don't need it. Perhaps the OP knew more about the folks he was speaking about, and the information he gave in his first post was in a context that didn't come across in the post. I'd give him the benefit of the doubt.
Bada Bing! I thought he was pretty clear and watched as the discussion took off independent of the OP.
Oh wow!
I must be simple-minded.
All I got from the OP was that seniors, just by virtue of their age, shouldn't be excused from things like lawn care and regardless of whether or not they can well afford to hire these things out .
Bada Bing!
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People who are genuine don't stop to assess the who-what-why of a person in obvious need. They jump in and help.
