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Obviously everyone's personal circumstances are different, but here in Portland, people come here with the intention of being homeless. It's a lifestyle choice here. Sure, some of them are mentally ill and it's not by choice that they are on the street, but there are hundreds (or thousands) of YOUNG homeless people here that CHOOSE to life that way.
I have a friend who's on disability but refuses to get any sort of meaningful work and seems to always be trolling for give-aways. Was complaining about food stamps getting cut and about the local shelter running out of food one night. Also complains about having a little bit of inconvenence to find certain doctors who will take medicaid. He's about 50 and able bodied. Maybe he can't work a high stress managerial position at the local Walmart or do something requiring a lot of education but he's certainly able bodied enough to do some jobs here and there like walk someone's dogs, house clean, weed someone's garden beds, or run some errands for an elderly person. I can think of a dozen jobs that he would be capable of doing. He just doesn't seem to want to put himself out at all. His entire day is about lolling around his apartment and trolling for someone to take him to lunch or a movie. He is very pro-handouts and thinks that anyone who is against it is a horrible person.
something I noticed that wasnt so common like today is it seems everybody wants something for free or they think they're entitled and complain about the stupidest things that people didnt do in the old days, at least nothing like how it is now.
are Americans getting weak, soft? I cant even go a day without somebody trying to ask for donations or panhandling, not just homeless, it seems everybody wants a tip? or a free handout?
when I was a kid people begging or holding signs asking for money was something you would only see in a big city.
now even the smallest towns have people panhandling / begging in front of Walmart, the grocery store, even the swap meet, at the flea market, they're is a guy in a white uniform asking people to donate money?
it use to be only during Christmas season you would see a person ringing a bell asking people to donate to the Salvation Army, now it's all year around.
begging or asking for donations has become a full time career / occupation.
Yup...........and just now on Facebook there was a guy in the Navy trying to beg for money .
He was using his status as a serviceman to milk as many donations as he could.
Turns out he was renting his home out to deadbeat renters and got behind on payments.
He now wants donations to save his "home" from foreclosure.
It was not his home while he was renting it out.
It was rental property !
Last edited by VJDAY81445; 05-01-2015 at 10:29 AM..
Yes, and corporate America and Wall Street are at the top of the list by far. Succeeding at lobbying endlessly to get gov't handouts they don't need that the middle class could only dream about. When profit is the ruling objective, shameful efforts are made to increase bottom lines at all costs including abandoning human beings whenever possible.
And the well-off whose only expense they seem to care about is TAXES.
Imagine a rich kid growing up listening to dad railing against the gov't and his tax rates. What is this kid gonna learn from that? that he's entitled to special treatment.
Apart from that, yes, we've become a sedentary, emotionally weak people who feel entitled to constant comfort, even leisure. And it shows in the job market, increasing numbers of younger people cannot handle criticism and discipline on the job (cuz they had none at home and growing up), and they end up being deeply underemployed, or on disability or unemployable.
We may have become a nation of people who do not know how to write a proper English sentence, but I am confident that we have not become a nation of beggers, whiney, entitled bunch.
I have a friend who's on disability but refuses to get any sort of meaningful work and seems to always be trolling for give-aways. Was complaining about food stamps getting cut and about the local shelter running out of food one night. Also complains about having a little bit of inconvenence to find certain doctors who will take medicaid. He's about 50 and able bodied. Maybe he can't work a high stress managerial position at the local Walmart or do something requiring a lot of education but he's certainly able bodied enough to do some jobs here and there like walk someone's dogs, house clean, weed someone's garden beds, or run some errands for an elderly person. I can think of a dozen jobs that he would be capable of doing. He just doesn't seem to want to put himself out at all. His entire day is about lolling around his apartment and trolling for someone to take him to lunch or a movie. He is very pro-handouts and thinks that anyone who is against it is a horrible person.
All due respect to you, but your friend sounds lazy. I know people like this, and see them on a regular basis.
Last edited by The Big Lebowski Dude; 05-01-2015 at 06:09 PM..
What is more sad is that it seems that we have become a nation of heartless jackasses, who take delight in making fun of people who are poor.
Being poor is nothing new. Look at pictures of the Great Depression. That was what happened after two failed presidents - Harding and Hoover.
We need a kinder and more gentle society, where the least among us are provided for without question - because it's the right thing to do.
This is BS pure and simple. People need to learn how to get off their ass in this country and actually apply themselves. You don't like working minimum wage jobs? Great now what are you going to do about it? Are you going to try and join the military? Are you going to try and get a trade skill by going through a program at your local community college? When you ask them how they plan on improving there lot in life quite a few just stare at you with a deer in the headlights look. However most now are becoming more and more angry because they don't want to work at all they literally want it all and they want it now. Instead of having to do what most of us that are successful or at least somewhat successful did and that is working towards those goals for a few years and dealing with some to a lot of BS a long the way. Plenty of people grew up in this country poor or lower working class and improved there lot in life by applying themselves. People today not just the young but every generation I've seen don't seem to want to do that anymore. So no I generally don't pity the poor because if most of them really wanted to improve there lot in life they could.
What is more sad is that it seems that we have become a nation of heartless jackasses, who take delight in making fun of people who are poor.
Being poor is nothing new. Look at pictures of the Great Depression. That was what happened after two failed presidents - Harding and Hoover.
We need a kinder and more gentle society, where the least among us are provided for without question - because it's the right thing to do.
I am all for helping those who need help because of unfortunate circumstances. But those entitled folks who think every thing should be given to them and they should not have to help themselves no way.
Yes, and corporate America and Wall Street are at the top of the list by far. Succeeding at lobbying endlessly to get gov't handouts they don't need that the middle class could only dream about. When profit is the ruling objective, shameful efforts are made to increase bottom lines at all costs including abandoning human beings whenever possible.
And the well-off whose only expense they seem to care about is TAXES.
Imagine a rich kid growing up listening to dad railing against the gov't and his tax rates. What is this kid gonna learn from that? that he's entitled to special treatment.
Apart from that, yes, we've become a sedentary, emotionally weak people who feel entitled to constant comfort, even leisure. And it shows in the job market, increasing numbers of younger people cannot handle criticism and discipline on the job (cuz they had none at home and growing up), and they end up being deeply underemployed, or on disability or unemployable.
Fish rots from the head. Then again most of the people whining in this forum hope to become the head and need some way to stroke their own fragile egos so none of their invective will be directed at those who really deserve it.
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no way.
