What my dad, a RW fundie, had to say about looting

[The Straight Story]

Dad (and as was mom until she passed on 12/31/04) were/are baptist. RW fundies, voted *, et al. Dad (as would have mom) would give you the shirt off their backs and have always done more for others then themselves. They were lower middle class - not because of money management, but because they always helped others first. Not perfect, but damn good folks.

Today dad said, re: the looters, "Let em have the stuff, they need it and it would go to waste otherwise. What else are they going to do?"

Dad hates to see suffering. Maybe misguided on *, but he has always been there for the little guy.

[noahmijo]

1. That's exactly how my dad is except for the fundie part

my dad is social liberal all the way but he's a repub and he has that injected hatred for Democrats although he doesn't like Bush anymore so maybe there's hope..

but yea you'd never think he's a repub for how he's always willing to help people out here and there and how he's always there for me.

[DianeG5385]

2. That makes me want to cry...

Why would they believe in a guy like Bush??? We Dems must be seriously off message that good folks like your dad, my dad and sis feel safer voting for that idiot. Sorry for the rant...I know there are alot of good folks looking for a place to roost, and neither party suits them right now.

[The Straight Story]

7. Dad loves people - but values tradition.

And just thinks that the dems are focused on abortion and other things. From his view dems are out to destroy the culture he grew up in and loved - from prayer in schools to the ten commandments. He was ok with it all, loved it, served his country without complaint when drafted. He just feels his culture and way of life is being attacked and so he goes with the party of tradition.

He has lived his life helping others, and thinks the dems want to destroy the culture he grew up on. What is wrong with a town that is 99% having a nbativity scene? To him, he sees dems as attacking him - so he votes for those that see his traditions as worthwhile. America had a culture, an innocence, and now it has only attacks on the things he loved.

[Arkana]

13. Your father has an ingrained view of the left--a perverted view

of the Sixties Left, something the RW has worked hard to promote since, well, the 60s.

[leesa]

14. So he believed in a fantasy that never existed. So sad.

If he voted for Bush twice, he has a mean streak in him. Dems are obsessed with abortion???

[The Straight Story]

20. He voted for * twice

Because he saw the left as being anti-him. He grew up in the 40's-50's and does not see dems as having a lot in common with him. To me, we just need to do a better job of educating people in his age bracket.

[FreedomAngel82]

25. I think this is what's wrong

We have to some how show these people that the democrats are on their side. What about people like FDR? My grandfather was a republican (he thought Bush was a moron and was able to vote last year before he died and voted for Kerry and is a Christian and was an elder in his church for twenty-seven years and was in the navy) but he loved FDR. I remember my grandfather used to talk about FDR and everytime he did he had sparkles in his eyes.

[TheDebbieDee]

22. We Dems must be seriously off message

that good folks like your dad, my dad and sis feel safer voting for that idiot (Bush).


Psssssst! Democratic Presidential candidates have gotten more votes in the last two elections. Unfortunately, all the votes weren't counted!

[SammyWinstonJack]

3. They won't have to loot it, pretty soon it will be floating by them.

:banghead:

[lonestarnot]

4. Well if he has that much sense, maybe you could inspire him to listen

to you about how he has been deceived. Worth a try.

[The Straight Story]

11. Working on it

He is seeing the light - but dems don't seem to offer him much either as he sees them as attacking his faith.

[lonestarnot]

16. Well, crap there's bad apples in every barrel. He surely knows that from

all the years he has lived on earth. No one can take his faith away from him. He should be reasonable and examine other countries who have let religion creep into government resulting in vicious theocracies, Iraq for example.

[FreedomAngel82]

26. Attacking his faith?

How are we attacking his faith? :eyes: That's so moronic I think. Sorry, but nobody can take away your faith and your freedom of religion except if they take away the first amendment and the democrats have always been for the Constiution.

[jessicazi]

5. exactly.

Yeah, I totally support the "looting" of food and other items people need in their day to day life. And honestly, the theft of unnecessary items such as video games, tv's, and computers is slightly unrational. Unrational because if they are evacuated, I am sure you won't be able to take your flat screen tv and brand new computer, and those items won't be putting food or water into your body. However, in this type of situation, humans hardly make rational decisions, and perhaps they can sell the items they have looted to get money...? And why feel sorry for major corporations who make millions and billions of dollars off of the backs of the poor? And the businesses have insurance, so I really don't feel sorry for them!

many reasons to not be mad about the looting. the mission should be to get people out of NO, not to prevent looting. it is like the war on drugs or the war on terror, unwinnable.

[WiseButAngrySara]

6. Oh Gosh, how sweet...that's all I need is to cry again! Hug your Dad for

me. If the world was populated by people like your Dad, I doubt we would have to worry about looting.

[The Straight Story]

9. Dad used to hunt with a bow (deer)

But after seeing mom suffer in the hospital he gave it away. Can't bear the thought of anything suffering anymore. He gave it to my nephew to target practice.

[WiseButAngrySara]

27. We learn that way, don't we. Sometimes suffering is useful, but

I can NEVER understand. It takes the perspective of God, which I obviously lack.

[PatriotMom]

8. Yes, I agree with your Dad on that one

Was wondering when someone would post something re: the looting with this comment. I think they should concentrate on more vital issues and let the "stuff" be taken by whom ever wants it. It will all be gone in less than 24hr any way and that problem will be resolved, it will rot otherwise. At least someone is using it this way.

Hey Lonster...how ya doin Sista??
I'm waitin for Snarla to call so I can go help her tonight.

[The Straight Story]

10. That stuff has a shelf life anyway

And with all the hell going on it might as well go to some good use.

I used to do work for a small mini-mart in CA (computer work for the owner) and one day we talked about shop lifters. A 12 yr old had been shot recently when the store owner confronted them about stealing. His view was that nothing was worth shooting someone when it came to stealing, and if they stole it they probably needed it. Said he would just confront them and let it go. You can always get more inventory.

He did not like stealing, but it was just 'stuff' and not worth killing over.

[Yupster]

12. When I used to be a teacher, I had a lesson

that I always thought was interesting.

It was a group of letters from a Mr Yamaguchi, a Californian who was detained in a relocation camp in Arizona during World War II, and a friend of his, a reverand.

The reverand had agreed to handle his affairs for him while he was in the camp.

The letters got interesting when the reverand told the Japanese-American that due to the rationing, a friend of both their families was in need of a refrigerator. He told Mr Yamaguchi that he had taken the liberty of loaning Mr Yamaguchi's stored refrigerator to their friend as Mr Yamaguchi would assuredly want it used by someone since he can't use it.

The return letter was very polite but also very clear. Hope everything's going well. Please put my refrigerator back in storage. I do not want anyone else using it.

The reverand sent back a polite reply saying that the friend had agreed to rent the refrigerator from Mr Yamaguchi as he had a baby that needed milk kept cold, and the reverand would faithfully collect X dollars from him every month.

Mr Yamaguchi then sent a more terse letter informing the reverand that he wanted his refrigerator immediately returned to storage.

The last letter was a polite but threatening one from the reverand to the detained person informing him that the refrigerator had been returned, and the neighborhood would someday request a full explanation on why Mr Yamaguchi would be so selfish in refusing to help his neighbor in need.

I had each student write an essay on their opinion, and every year I was surprised when most people took the reverand's side with the idea that the refrigerator should have been used since Mr Yamaguchi couldn't use it.

Where this has relevance to me is the people saying that it's okay for people to go into people's homes or shops to take shoes or jewelry or other stuff since it isn't being used anyway.

I would disagree. I would say that the owner should say what happens to his stuff, and no one else has the right to make that decision for him.

If it's food for a crying baby, that's one thing, but you don't take someone's jewelry, or refrigerator without their permission, whether they ever intend to use it again or not.

[LoZoccolo]

15. You have to be lying.

The fundies believe that this is because of abortion clinics because of an email being passed around or something. Either you are lying, or your dad is not a fundie.

_{NOTE: This post is sarcastic.}

[The Straight Story]

21. or you are wrong

In thinking fundies see things the way you think they do.

[AgadorSparticus]

17. I agree with your Dad. Let them have the stuff.

I just don't want the looting to discract us from the main point at hand: saving lives. no, these opportunistic thieves should NOT be stealing (unless they are taking necessities to maintain life-->food, water, batteries, flashlights, etc.). It's wrong to steal designer clothes and TV's. There is no justification for this. None.

but, honestly, who cares about the materialistic crap? in the time that some police officers are chasing down a couple looters, someone could be 10 minutes away from taking their last breath.

There's water everywhere and there's going to be even more water. These looters are not safe and they are too ignorant to know that. They only see what is infront of them. They aren't watching CNN where they can see the massive destruction and the areas completely under as much as 20' of water.

IOW, I don't think they have any idea that they stand to die with their loot if they stay there. If the waters don't get them, the diseases and lack of food and drinkable water will. They are going to be evacuated and all that work looting will be for naught. The way I see it, crap just moved from one corner to the next. Nothing has changed. It's still in NO.

But I hope that we are savvy enough to not let a group of people's weakness dictate our actions to endanger a larger group in dire needs.

And if this looting is still SO bothersome, then obviously our attention is STILL in the wrong place. WHY is it allowed to continue?

Because we have an asswipe for a president whose greed obviously outweighs the needs of the citizens. He engaged in some boggus war while leaving his country vulnerable to natural disasters. And he doesn't even have the decency to drag his sorry ass down there, at the VERY least, to demonstrate some fucking compassion--even if he doesn't MEAN it.

He may not be able to fix everything, but hell, leaders do go and comfort the people. But for boy King, he can't be inconvenienced to even make a damn appearance until 4 days later.

[Fleshdancer]

18. At the end of the day, is the looting news worthy enough to get THIS much

air time? We have tens of thousands of AMERICAN refugees in AMERICA this very moment. NO is DROWNING. Dead bodies are floating in the water. People are waving at tv crews while stranded on their roofs. Too many of our National Guard are in Iraq. Our "Commander In Chief" is golfing. Parts of NO is under Martial Law. We have no way of calculating the amount of deaths.

But what do I see most? People taking shit from stores. Nothing is more insane than WATCHING people looting when reading a scroll at the bottom of the screen that tells me that another levee is in danger of BREAKING!

Rant over. Frankly, the looting conversations are putting this entire forum over the edge. There are far BIGGER issues!

[really annoyed]

19. Definitely beats what my dad said about them

"Did you see all the black people?"

"Typical black people."

:(

[FreedomAngel82]

23. Aw

I think they should be able to take what they need to survive. Water, eatable food etc.

[Milspec]

28. Aw...

How about jewelery, electronics or the items in peoples homes that have not been destroyed?

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

24. I live in Texas among...

...some of the most ardent Bush supporters in the country. Some are truly nasty pieces of work, but most are decent, honorable, generous, hard working people (like your father) who've simply been taken in by the Bushco propaganda machine. They don't deserve our hatred or ridicule. What they deserve is our level best effort to reach out and help them see Bushco for what it is.