O-10, if by "waste of time" you mean converting me to your point of view then you're probably correct. However, if, as I had hoped, you mean having respectful, mature and intelligent discourse and exchange of ideas even if there is disagreement, then it would not be. You insist on distorting what the thrust of my initial statement on the subject was. I am visiting this issue once again because you don't seem to be able to let it go and continue to insinuate what many that share your point of view often do; that they have a monopoly on compassion . Nothing could be further from the truth. The only disagreement is in what the best course of action for a viable solution might be; nothing more. I will try it one more time:
I agree with you that some people need the social safety nets that, by your own admission, already exist. Wether more can or should be done can be debated and I do think that better and smarter use of resources can be done. However, history shows that simply throwing more tax payer money at the problem is seldom the way at a solution. As in music, relying solely on an "emotional reaction" instead of a more pragmatic understanding will seldom yield good results. My initial and optimistic comment was simply that this country is, in spite of its problems and shortcomings, is a great country. To not be able to acknowledge the largess of this country and the fact that opportunity exists for those willing to work hard is what is, in fact, "having the blinders on". Ironically, the very clips you posted demonstrate how blinded by ideology someone can be. It is almost laughable to use the testimony of an out of work aspiring beauty queen wearing expensive jewelry and a $300 haircut to try to make your point and in another clip the very person who is asked how he found himself in that predicament admits "probably because of all the mistakes that I made". Should there be no consequences for bad choices and mistakes?
While I admire your passion for this issue, I am not sure you understand just how provocative and skewed you come across in some of your commentary on this topic. I ask that if I ever contact you privately about a matter that you don't take the liberty of posting my opinions on a public forum in order to buttress your point of view.
A "Goner".
BTW, re "Con Alma": there are probably dozens of big band versions of the tune. The clip you posted is a big band version of the tune; not THE big band version.
I agree with you that some people need the social safety nets that, by your own admission, already exist. Wether more can or should be done can be debated and I do think that better and smarter use of resources can be done. However, history shows that simply throwing more tax payer money at the problem is seldom the way at a solution. As in music, relying solely on an "emotional reaction" instead of a more pragmatic understanding will seldom yield good results. My initial and optimistic comment was simply that this country is, in spite of its problems and shortcomings, is a great country. To not be able to acknowledge the largess of this country and the fact that opportunity exists for those willing to work hard is what is, in fact, "having the blinders on". Ironically, the very clips you posted demonstrate how blinded by ideology someone can be. It is almost laughable to use the testimony of an out of work aspiring beauty queen wearing expensive jewelry and a $300 haircut to try to make your point and in another clip the very person who is asked how he found himself in that predicament admits "probably because of all the mistakes that I made". Should there be no consequences for bad choices and mistakes?
While I admire your passion for this issue, I am not sure you understand just how provocative and skewed you come across in some of your commentary on this topic. I ask that if I ever contact you privately about a matter that you don't take the liberty of posting my opinions on a public forum in order to buttress your point of view.
A "Goner".
BTW, re "Con Alma": there are probably dozens of big band versions of the tune. The clip you posted is a big band version of the tune; not THE big band version.