And so it begins.....

[progmom]

Standing in line at the coffee bar at work, I joined in a conversation about the Katrina tragedy. "Oh those poor people...yada yada yada...You know, they're starting to arrive here in Michigan...and I hate to say it but..." and here she makes one of those "ooh - I'm so awful" faces. I just stared at her. "Well..." she said, "I hate to say it, but they're our problem now." I sputtered. "Problem? These are human beings. They just lost everything." "Yes," she said, "but they were all poor. Probably on welfare. And now we have to take care of them. And they probably will want to stay here."

Maybe Barbara Bush really does represent the opinions of the majority of Americans.

:grr:

[Shell Beau]

1. WTF? Selfish people....

:mad: The population of my city has doubled with evacuees. I am proud of how my city is handling it and they are more than welcome to stay here. We are putting them in our schools, giving them jobs, local restaurants are giving them free food, free places to stay, people are opening their homes to the evacuees. How about a little compassion? Jeez...

[ahem]

2. I don't think she represents the majority of Americans, just...

the vocal clods.

[xmas74]

3. That is repulsive!

We have some settling in my small town. I'm PROUD to know that, though we are small, we can make a difference in a few lives. I'm hoping that a few choose to stay here-we need them (and I don't care if they are on assistance or not).

I don't have much but I'm willing to help them out in whatever way I can.

[sniffa]

4. as i said yesterday

our nation doesn't care about foreigners dying, be it by our hand or another.

you'd think they'd care about americans, but it'LL be rationaLized through racist expLanations.

if anything, americans wiLL be pissed at having to sheLter, medicate, educate, etc, thousands of the dispLaced in their back yard.

hopefuLLy i'm wrong, but i know the ugLy american and he's hard to put make-up on.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=2067202#2067221

[GOPisEvil]

5. I would have said...

"I hope that if you ever have a time where you are in need, you'll find people kinder than yourself to assist you."

[progmom]

7. I actually don't know what she does in the company.

That kind of shit could get me fired. :)

[GOPisEvil]

12. Oh...a company-safe alternative:

"Well, I hope you never find yourself having to depend on the kindness of others."

[kick-ass-bob]

6. We have a bunch down the street

The paper says 1100 in the state, but they only mention one shelter, and it's here in Raleigh.
I wonder if they allow visitors...

[caty]

8. Can compassion be

taught, or is it something that some of us are born with? Why do so many R.W.ers and so called "christians" have so little compassion for their fellow human beings?

[philosophie_en_rose]

11. I think that insensitivity is taught.

Some people teach their children to not have emotions, to think only of themselves, and to measure their worth according to their possessions.

Kids are self-centered, but I don't think that most people are hatefully so. They're taught that way by the Barbara Bushes of the world.

And, I've found that it's almost always conservative families that foster this lack of compassion, the kind of laziness where any excuse is good enough to blame others for their own miseries. It's sick.

[WCGreen]

9. Those people are coming.....

I'll write a check, send 'em some gucci shoes or rebock sneakers..
But I don't want them HERE......

Wouldn't they be more comfortable in Detroit......

[jus_the_facts]

10. yeah..here's the freeper dream come alive here in NE La.....

....the confederacy seems to want to arise around here already too amoungst my city's finest. :nopity:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=3967276&mesg_id=3967276

[Hugin]

13. Maybe this would change their minds...

Shallow people are impressed by $$$.

It was announced today that congress was considering a
$150 Billion in aid money. (Just for starters)

I say, we give each of these displaced people a check worth
($150 Billion / 1.3 Million)

I bet we'd see fewer "ooh-I'm so awful" faces and a whole
lot more elbows and assh*l*s about taking care of them.

[Misunderestimator]

14. Holy freaking shit! Wow.

:grr:

That pisses me off so much, it makes me want to go right now and find someone just like that in the grocery store so I can let her have it. :grr:

[progmom]

15. There was more.

It was that fake compassionate conservatism masking ugly selfishness and racism:

"It's so sad how many people have nothing. But you know...it's not just in New Orleans. People in Appalachia, right? There is some terrible poverty there. Why aren't we helping them?"

Just to piss her off, I responded: "Oh, yes - the gap between the rich and the poor is disgusting. And they're talking about repealing the estate tax? That only benefits the smallest fraction of the wealthiest people in this country. Sad, isn't it?"

She was backing away from me with a horrified look at that point.

[Misunderestimator]

18. Good for you!

And keep it up! Unbelieveable.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

25. My dear progmom....

You are kicking some serious ass this morning! That was a hell of a response...

You go, girl...

:yourock:

[Bill McBlueState]

27. appalachia's a weird thing to bring up

since it wasn't, you know, HIT BY A HURRICANE. But, those people are white.

It's almost like she's on $25,000 Pyramid with Chuck Woolery and the category is "Things a Racist Would Say."

[progmom]

28. lol

exactly what i was thinking.

[underpants]

16. People don't understand "working poor" and how close many are

to complete wipe out. "Welfare" as we have known it is over. I would not be surprised if 90% or so of "those people" worked.

It is funny how people just assume that all of them were on "WELFARE". They don't have a car? They must be on welfare!!! and such.

[GOPisEvil]

17. Very true. I used to be a food stamps/tanf(afdc) eligibility worker.

By far the majority of people in my caseload worked. The working poor make up the majority of food stamp cases in any state.

[underpants]

20. There is a BIG wake up call waiting for this country

I've said this several times in conversations-"I don't any of us realize what is about to happen. MASS relocation and cultures, regional social racial, mixing like that. This is going to be a real test of what this country is made of."

or something like that.

Hopefully one of the things that comes out of this is that people find out how little assistant "Welfare" (as a cover term) provides and how poor many people not too far from them really are. Hopefully they will realize that they should stop looking down their noses at the ones getting crumbs and look up (yes up they are RICH not play rich like you) to see the ones carting off the truckloads of money.

STOP BLAMING THE POWERLESS FOR YOUR PROBLEMS! They don't have a say in it any more than you do.

[SOteric]

34. Sure. Even the middle class has a limited concept of poverty.

They don't see it on television, shit those folks are all mysteriously wealthy.

Their children might go to school with some kids on the 'free lunch' program but it's not like those kids ever come over to the house.

[In_The_Wind]

19. I try not to wish 'bad times' on anyone ...

:wtf: some people push my limits ...

sad that being compassionate isn't natural to everyone ...

[huskerlaw]

21. Similar story...

My mom has friends who live in northern Louisiana, so I called her to ask if they were ok. She said, yes, minor wind damage, etc. Then she says, "But they're a little worried about all the evacuees. M (the friend) says that quite a few of them are in their town. And that part of Louisiana is pretty poor and doesn't have that many jobs. But they're all applying for whatever jobs there are! I mean, the little town can't handle that."

My response, "Geez mom, it's not like these people are illegal immigrants (not that that would change my opinion, but it would hers). They're citizens of the state of Louisiana and they have every right to those jobs. In fact, kudos to them for getting their collective crap together so fast. Seriously, they lost their homes a few days ago, and already they're looking for jobs? Hell, I'd hire them in a second."

My mom did grudgingly agree. But man. People mere hours from New Orleans don't want them around either. Sick.

[sakabatou]

22. Culture of life my ass

[billyskank]

23. They all drove to Michigan in their Cadillacs, didn't they?

x( :banghead: :puke:

[magnetism]

24. People like that

PISS ME OFF! Why are some people SO selfish? Some people just simply cannot be burdened whatsoever. Katrina was awful and everyone of us should be willing to do all that we can to help these people. They have no homes. They have no jobs. They are living in strange cities. Their kids are going to strange schools.

Hey lady, SHUT UP!

:rant:

[sniffa]

31. They have no homes. They have no jobs.

THEIR PETS' HEADS ARE FALLING OFF!!!

[Fleshdancer]

26. hot coffee, meet eyball.

I didn't expect how much ugly would be exposed from all this. I just don't get it.

[Aristus]

29. "And Jesus looked out upon the multitude and said he:

'Aw Jeez! You mean I gotta feed all these people?'"

Yep, Christian values, all right. :eyes:

[Dastard Stepchild]

30. sigh.... my mother encountered the same line of bullshit...

She lives in MI as well, and her workmates are less than enthused about welcoming anyone. And since they are pretty close to Detroit, my mother had the added bonus of hearing about how they already have more than their fill of poor, Black people. My mother's ear slipped out of her brain at that point. It might still be on the floor as I type this.

[kwassa]

32. They AREN'T all poor !!!!

A young black woman interviewed yesterday on NPR lived in the lower 9th and was a couple of courses away from getting her MBA, which her sister already had. Other family-members were white collar professionals as well.

[progmom]

33. i told her that. she just raised one eyebrow at me and said:

"I've been to New Orleans. They're poor. And the people who aren't poor have means and contacts to take care of themselves. It's the poor people we're getting stuck with."