Washblog

 

by noemie maxwell on Wed Jun 28, 2006 at 06:42:21 AM PST

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Often it seems that folks like me are paid by Washington citizens to do what they not only cannot do but refuse to do themselves ... get involved.

I suppose you could call me a professional getter-involved ... or perhaps a surrogate who acts for all those who could but won't ... or perhaps welfare workers are like those hired by early "patriots" to fight in the revolution so they didn't have to.

Regarding the homeless ...
the poor ...
and right now particularly, the veterans.

If we can't see them they don't exist in our moral conscience.

They are subject to priorities governed by agency number crunchers governed by legislatures governed by political considerations and misguided perceptions of how the public feels about it's poorest segment of society.

Welfare reform as legislated nationally by the Thuglican Gingrich-America-contractors in the mid 1990's was primarily driven by negative images designed and created by the framing forefathers of the current swift-bloat crowd that can turn Johnny  Appleseed into Oil Can Henry.

Images... of a single mother standing in the grocery checkout line with a child sitting in the grocery cart and with food stamps in her hand surrounded by presuming non food-stamp patrons smug in their awareness of being "better-than" and resentful of that young mother who more than likely cheated on her application in order to qualify for food assistance.

Furthermore, I've met smug Daddies who - not knowing what I do for a living - have bragged about their sons machness; their procreative studhood and ability to dodge responsibility and accountability when that studdiness results in conception;

... jerk baby boomer aged dorks who actually insist  that the slut who lured their wunderkind son into bed deserves what she gets and despite birthing his grandchild, deserves nothing from their son with his drinkable bath water.

What happenes in a society when a father teaches his son irresponsibility and that it's okay to whisper anything necessary in the dark in order to get the clothes off?

And then find the junior-high-level maturity of that lover-boy stud in a  tavern bragging pridefully about how they did it and resentment if the Division of Child Support comes knocking?

Single pregnant females of course are accountable and responsible for their pregnancy as well as the males. But we as a society tend very much to blame  the mothers almost entirely, look the other way regarding a criticism of the father because he's out of sight and therefore out of mind.

That's the same sort of thing that drives public apathy toward the homeless.

If I arrive home from work upset, more often than not I'm angry at the mindlessness of agency bureaucrats or the cowardly indifference of absent relatives of the needy.

And don't get me started about churches who get all straining and diahhretic about what gays are doing but don't pour out of their churches and into the street in moral outrage about how a nation stays bereft of real morale values while worshipping consumption.

Arthur
You sure you ain't staking too much on yer theories? Not enough common sense?

by Arthur Ruger on Thu Jun 29, 2006 at 07:14:53 AM PST

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I have been trying to figure out why people swarm to national, or international causes with vim and the homeless vet is on their street corner.

This is unbearable.

by andromeda on Thu Jun 29, 2006 at 08:01:58 AM PST

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Spokesman Review blog says Mr. Dawnson, contrary to earlier press reports, was not a veteran:

Not just a picnic in the park.

by noemie maxwell on Sat Jul 01, 2006 at 10:47:55 PM PST

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Crime of indifference
   Two young men, aged 22 and 23 have been arrested. After I make the caveats of innocent until proven guilty, I'd like to comment further.
   If reports are true, Switzer is correct, this can be classified as indifference. And it doesn't say much for our society and the way many kids are growing up.
   I grew up with a fairly rational Protestant mother (we dabbled a lot because we moved frequently, but I don't remember any foot washing or speaking in tongues (One of her brothers, on the other hand:)) and a not so religious, yet spiritual father (woods and lakes and fishing). I no longer feel a need for a deity, but I believe I'm a decent man and a contributor to society. It's likely that some of this comes from my exposure to the people at the Congregational, Presbyterian, and Christian Science churches we attended, or maybe I just got lucky.

   If reports are true, these two are either guilty of flat out premeditated murder (they set Mr. Dawson on fire as a diversion before the robbery) or murder as part of another felony (they did the diversion after the robbery). Either way, under Washington law (I think) they could spend the rest of their lives in prison or even receive the death penalty. What a Goddamn waste!

   I'm also of an age that I am unknown to Selective Service. I almost enlisted in the Army and thought about ROTC with the Air Force. But I didn't need to and I did like to party.
   Some of the best people I know now worked with Americorps, or YACC under Carter and other civic services. I have many problems with Israel, but I do wonder what the United States could accomplish if there was a mandatory service requirement. Two years after high school, mostly domestic with a voluntary military option. I've a nephew and some young nieces that could use a bit of civic discipline
   Then again, after about ten years or less, the bureaucracy would ruin it. (or you can see Starship Troopers (the book by Heinlein, not the movie)(the philosophy, not the adventure).

Dave Gibney Pullman

by gibney on Wed Jun 28, 2006 at 12:03:13 AM PST

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