Pedro Lopez

[eeper69]

So why is it that the poor have to keep taking care of other poor people? Everywhere I look it's a poor person helping out another poor person. The rich keep screaming about the unfair tax burden and the welfare state. But when the poor need help they know they have to appeal to other poor people to help them.

Case in point, Pedro Lopez. He works one full-time and two part-time jobs in order to support his immediate family (wife and four kids), his grandma, two aunts and an uncle. None of them have health insurance. He has the only running car out of the bunch and it's a piece of junk.

His employers won't work with him with respect to his schedule and often he's supposed to be at more than one job at the same time.

It's a precarious tight rope that he walks everyday because so many people are depending on him.

There are a lot more people like Pedro out there than most people realize.

[flaming_liberal]

Because of the fact that rich people have no concept of poverty, nor do they realize how widespread and epidemic it really is. They complain about it but expect everyone else to act on it.

[eeper69]

Originally Posted by flaming_liberal

Because of the fact that rich people have no concept of poverty, nor do they realize how widespread and epidemic it really is. They complain about it but expect everyone else to act on it.

So very, very true grasshopper...

[flaming_liberal]

Sad but true: The most likely indicator of a person's economic status is that of his parents. Rich people have rich parents. Poor people have poor parents. Empathy and compassion are much more easily found along with other such virtues with the poor, for they have little else.

[Malcolm Wright]

And then there's the others who just don't give a sh*t.

M.

[fat mike]

The poor are there with the poor,where the need is-they're sort of forced to deal with the problem.

[SwiftSloth]

Im inclined to agree with Malcolm. Last time I was at an airport, a guy was begging me for money, saying he had non for food. He was smoking a cigerette and had a pack in his front pocket. When I said 'If you can afford cigerettes you dont need my help', he said he hoped my plane ****ing crashed and I burned to death.

I have much empathy for a lot of the poor. But it is hard to tell which ones truly need help from the people, and which are like my friend at the airport.

[Šñøü†ê®]

SwiftSloth, call the police immediately next time a bum and potential terrorist like that harasses you.

[flaming_liberal]

That's why you need to work at a soup kitchen. It's easy to spot them after a while.

[SwiftSloth]

Oh, I have. There are some who need help very badly. In example, there was a black woman who was working two jobs and has 4 kids. Her husband died in a car accident years ago. The only way she can bassicaly keeps the kids in school with a roof over there heads (great kids btw and very nice lady) is the local soup kitchen where she takes her kids to eat every night. Its their dinner table, along with many other people in similar situations, some mentally disabled, and some, yes, lazy.

I think we live in a society advanced enough in technology and record keeping that we can tell when someone is lazy, and when someone really needs help, and I think in correspondence we easily have the resources to at least provide for our own poor who need it, at the very least.

[fat mike]

The poor are not allowed to smoke?
They're not allowed to be illogical or waste their money or have problems?
They should just focus on being poor!

[SwiftSloth]

Originally Posted by fat mike

The poor are not allowed to smoke?
They're not allowed to be illogical or waste their money or have problems?
They should just focus on being poor!

Umm... No. They are of course allowed to, but smoking is a very expensive habit. One pack of cigerettes could easily cover your expenses for a day. I have no desire to give taxed money to people who have no need and will merely waste what could be used to benefit those far more needy.

[fat mike]

A lot of very poor people are addicted to cigarettes-I don't think you're a bad person,SS,I just don't think you get it sometimes-poor people get bored and make stupid mistakes and have to pay big for minor errors-you walk into a welfare office and some old shrew sees your cigarettes and judges you and decides you're not as deserving as the next guy and gives you 20 questions-it's one humiliation after another.

[eeper69]

That's why poor Pedro Lopez has to keep walking his tight rope...

[fat mike]

you're belabouring the metaphor,Eep.

[NJ Refugee]

Some people are poor because of circumstances they cannot control. Other people are poor because of circumstances that they CAN control.

Example : The young single mom who CHOOSE to have sex as a teen. The pregnancy, baby care, and day care costs are the consequence of her DECISION to have sex at a young age.

Another Example : The crackhead who CHOOSE to try addictive illegal drugs. The cycle of addiction and the costant outlay of any money they have is the consequence of his DECISION to use drugs.


I grant that not all people are like this. Many are not. But I have no sympathy for those people who are poor because they have made bad decisions.

The problem with most 'liberals' is that they want people to have choices. But they forget that choices have consequences ... and liberals want choices, but they don't want consequences.

[302Riz]

Woohoo! Lets have a classwarfare thread! Hate the rich! Demonize them!
They eat their own children!!

[NJ Refugee]

Woohoo! Lets have a classwarfare thread! Hate the rich! Demonize them!
They eat their own children!!

Sure.

Why not ?

[fat mike]

The rich aren't always at fault [though they sure can make things tough]but Eeper has a point here.Noone complains louder than they about supporting the poor but the burden is largely falling on other poor people.

[eeper69]

Originally Posted by NJ Refugee

Some people are poor because of circumstances they cannot control. Other people are poor because of circumstances that they CAN control.

Example : The young single mom who CHOOSE to have sex as a teen. The pregnancy, baby care, and day care costs are the consequence of her DECISION to have sex at a young age.

Another Example : The crackhead who CHOOSE to try addictive illegal drugs. The cycle of addiction and the costant outlay of any money they have is the consequence of his DECISION to use drugs.


I grant that not all people are like this. Many are not. But I have no sympathy for those people who are poor because they have made bad decisions.

The problem with most 'liberals' is that they want people to have choices. But they forget that choices have consequences ... and liberals want choices, but they don't want consequences.

At the food pantry where I volunteer MOST of the people are either disabled or are like Pedro Lopez. I don't see many drug addicts or teenage mothers there.