The Grapes of Wrath 2011 - Tent cities-jobless Americans !

8/11/2011


Is this how our country is turning " The Grapes Of Wrath 2011 - Americans living in
Tent Cities because of job loss !' It breaks my heart to see this knowing Congress
and the rest of the politicians don't give a dam ! Read on..


http://www.foxnews.com/slideshow/us/2011/08/08/tent-city-lakewood-new-jersey/#slide=1


Cheers..Joe

I looked at the pictures. In a way, this is very impressive. They're off the grid, yet self-sustaining with a big garden, chickens, and self-made housing. They look like a community that is under duress, yet working together. What a difference from a public welfare housing project.

I'm not saying they want to live this way or that it's desirable. I'm just amazed at the difference from communities that are impoverished, dirty and dangerous while completely supported by government (fuel oil assistance, housing assistance, food assistance, etc.).

Sort of reminds me of Appalachian towns I've driven through. Poor, but half-barrels of flowers all over, gardens, and an attempt to maintain what they have.

8/11/2011


It's very sad to see how this country is sliding down
hill faster than we can blink our eyes ! It's not the
America I grew up in, the politicians have no shame,
I read yesterday someone said on one news article
when Congress doesn't work, they don't get paid !
Can you imagine the money we would save ?


Cheers...Joe

LC,



There is a reason they are on gov't assistance. They are not well or motivated--maybe even disabled. If you can't get out of bed, how will you fix your yard etc?

Everyone on govt assistance is unwell or disabled?

And being unmotivated is a reason to get it?

I am not falling into your trap again. Look for and find some empathy. Thanks.

What if you had different circumstances?
What if your folks had not educated you?
What if after your kids were born your husband had been killed?

Would you go on gov't assistance?
Just very curious.

I was a young boy during the last five years of the Great Depression. It was hard, but the people were different than those of today. People helped each other. they shared. They were a different people. The world you remember joe, was a world of adults from that Great Depression. Those people are gone. It's your generation joe, that has to take the country through the hard time. Do what that past generation did. Roll your sleves up, pull yourself up by your boot straps, smile, and lead the younger generation from fear, to hope.
FDR said, "We have nothing to fear, but fear itself." I was privileged to hear him say that live of the radio.
If he was here today, he would say, "We have nothing to fear, but fear itself."
You may have to work a week for ten bucks, you may have to hop a frieght train with thousands of other guys, and cross half the country to get a few days work to feed the kids.
You might even have to put a piece of cardboard in the bottom of your shoe to plug the hole.
You want to fix things? Stop being afraid of the future. Don't wast your time complaining about those in DC, or the rich...go out and share what you have with those who have nothing. It's not going to get fixed waiting for the rich, or those in DC...It's the Joe's, and the Jane's of America who have to fix things...or they won't get fixed. This country is not the big brother government, it's the people...once the people stop being afraid, and stop waiting for the government to fix things...then we just might get out of this mess...it only takes a few people to stop the fear. When the fear is driven out, things start getting done.

8/12/2011


Domenic..





Cheers..Joe

Quote :

What if you had different circumstances?
What if your folks had not educated you?
What if after your kids were born your husband had been killed?

Is everyone on government aid there because they had no educational opportunities or their husbands were killed?

Answer the question, instead of asking one-- Thanks!

During the depression Joe, the government gave work to artist like yourself. They painted murals in Federal, and State buildings. They knew things would come back someday, and they wanted those who came after to know what their fathers, and mothers did. Their paintings were themed on what that generation was doing at the time. Hope to see your work on today’s times.
Depressions aren’t that bad…brings people back to basics. It’s nothing to fear. If you get real hungry, just plop a small round stone in your mouth, and suck on it...it helps take the hunger away.( for a short time anyway.)

Quote :

Answer the question, instead of asking one-- Thanks!

Too rhetorical for me, sorry. What if, what if. What if monkeys flew out of my butt? I would deal with it or maybe I wouldn't. Maybe I'd have found different opportunities, maybe not.

Thank you!

Expected non answer.

...and you might have wished for some aid and I hope you'd have gotten it.

Now your question: Of course not--there are some who abuse the system. Don't paint them all with one brush, though.

It's a non answer to go with your non questions. No one, at least I didn't, said that a person who needs aid shouldn't get it, or that everyone on aid is abusing it. You keep repeating and repeating and repeating that meme, though, claiming that I said it. I guess you think the more you repeat it, the truer it is.

My deepest apologies.

Obviously a missunderstanding!

Maybe i am wrong--wouldn't be the first time. I will take a poll.

Domenic Pappalardo wrote:

During the depression Joe, the government gave work to artist like yourself. They painted murals in Federal, and State buildings. They knew things would come back someday, and they wanted those who came after to know what their fathers, and mothers did. Their paintings were themed on what that generation was doing at the time. Hope to see your work on today’s times.
Depressions aren’t that bad…brings people back to basics. It’s nothing to fear. If you get real hungry, just plop a small round stone in your mouth, and suck on it...it helps take the hunger away.( for a short time anyway.)

Dear Domenic,

The round stone. I remember that.



I am reminded of the story of Stone Soup. My family was not social. They hid and did nothing to feed their many children, but the moral of the story was not lost on me.



Love,

Betty

The cool thing about stone soup, Betty, was that it took in the whole community. Everybody brought a little bit of something to add to the soup, so by the time it was done, It was a genuine, nutritious food source.

Do you remember the film, Starman? Jeff Bridges played an alien who came to study us. Near the end of the film, the character said that what he liked most about humans was that they were at their best when things were at their worst.

Ann

Maybe we now have a golden opportunity to improve. Hope we all seize it.