Get Your Free Obama Phone!

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

Going through basic training (OSUT in my case) at Fort Leonard Wood was interesting. You got to see a large cross section of the country, all different backgrounds and attitudes, going through the program 170 kids at a time. Very few had their act totally together at the beginning, but at the end, the 120 or so that graduated, were starting to see the light. I went through at 26 -- that was an advantage, not physically, competing with kids fresh out of high school, but mentally. It took me about 5 minutes on the first early morning five mile run, to get that thing to click in my mind, that if that old drill sergeant could do it, I could do it. Not everybody found that within themselves the first day, but there was no dropping out, at least not right away. We lost a dozen or so "profiles" the first week or two, but they didn't disappear, they were working in supply and in the kitchen, objects of our contempt, every time we saw them, until the Army decided to either recycle them to another class, or send them home.

Bring back the draft. Send everybody through it for 18 months. I bet we would find society would be the better for it.

So you went through old Lost in the woods huh. I went through Fort Jackson at 19, same thing, the kids didn't quit, you either adapted or got left in the dust. When I came into the Navy at 26, the newer generation was washing out at an alarming rate. I mean these kids had no clue, no discipline, and no character. I used to tell them, this is my 2nd boot camp, if I can do it I know you can.

The military isn't for everyone, but for those who stick it out, it changes something within you.

[Ban Hammer 13,575]

Bring back the draft. Send everybody through it for 18 months. I bet we would find society would be the better for it.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

I would even expand the opportunities to serve:

• U.S. Customs and Border Protection
  
• U.S. Coast Guard
  
• U.S. Park Service
  
• U.S. Forestry Service
  

I bet you could find a multitude of U.S. agencies that could utilize underpaid people in a variety of physically and mentally demanding positions, in exchange for some training, and an opportunity for a life-long career. Of course, it would have to save money over the current government service program, and not just become some feel good make work program like Job Corps, but I would rather see less career public servants, and more positions to allow everybody to serve once in his or her lifetime.

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

Your problem is that you believe poor people are poor because of their choices and because they're lazy.

In a neighborhood where kids can't get a good education and where adults can't get any jobs, what would you suggest they do? Move? With what funds?

Provide a path is exactly what val and I are suggesting. How do you provide a path without funding it though?

Thing is there are so many paths that have been offered and so few follow them. So the answer is wash spin repeat to infinity ? Getting pregnant by the football team star at 14 and getting that first check is a rite of passage now for so many girls. It is a way of life that repeats and repeats. Life actually gets better when they get the check and dump the baby on Grandma. You probably think I am stereotyping because you were not raised in it and not exposed to it your whole life.

Make life hard when you get pregnant. If you want Govt assistance, make the move out of the peer group and into an old military base that provides medical care, housing and you have to work and attend classes to stay there. Bet you girls will stop getting pregnant when it becomes a huge imposition and embarrassment. Any time you give something without demanding anything in return you are asking for problems.

Why should Peach county Ga import labor from Mexico to pick it's peaches when a large percentage of its 18-30 year olds are unemployed and getting public assistance. What kind of abject stupidity would let that happen. How about-- The Peach crop is due, we need you to go pick peaches to get your benefits this month. (If physically able).. You don't want to ... Starve.

You have to hold people accountable.

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

Work where?

And mandatory birth control? Really? Are we going to make it mandatory for men to wear condoms as well? How are we going to regulate that? Who pays for the birth control and condoms?

For someone who wants less government in our lives, you sure like to suggest putting more government in the lives of people you don't give a sh*t about.

No ma'am the birth control is completely voluntary you don't want to take the free house, free food, and free money.. Then fine don't take the birth control and do as you please. That is the part you are missing. The thing is i do give a Sh88t about them. That is why I want them to have a better live than being depandant on the government.

We have spent 40 years, 1.5 trillion dollars on the war on poverty. We have implemented one crazy liberal feel good policy after another, and the only thing it has done is destroy the nuclear family and bring more misery to millions of Americans. The poor and minoties are worse off in almost every measurable quality of life.

Yes throw more money at it indeed.

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

What part of my post was optimistic to you?

Yeah. Creepy and disgusting. And I think he's actually serious, which is worrisome.

You darn skippy I am dead serious. If you are breeding throw away kids like a brood cow and everytime you have one he is a burden on society, why should you be allowed to keep having them. Seriously..

exactly. when are we going to provide the damn path? our current welfare system breeds dependence. it's half-assed. everybody knows it, but no one wants to fix it because in order to fix it - we'd have to throw more money at it.

How about joining the military...

american chick.

i'm optimistic in my ideals but have a pretty nihilistic view of reality. i don't think that as a country we will ever put the proper amount of effort into restoring our failing communities. not before we get wiped out all together for failing to strengthen our own.

we spent 1.5 trillion and made the situation much much worse.. What you got in mind ?

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

Here is my 02.:

You don't need a lot of money, just enough to get it started with restrictions. You shouldn't be having six kids if there isn't a means to support them. At the maximum, I would say two kids. Anything after that, comes out of your own pocket. No tying of tubes or madatory birth control, you make them, you take care of them. I also think mandatory drug testing is a must. If you are on drugs, and need assistance, you need to get in a program, and show you are making progress. Don't give out money so they can go buy more drugs. This will weed out the people who are trying to make it, and those who want to be dependent for the rest of their lives. I hate to be harsh, but you need to be responsible for you and your family.

For the education portion, you need to at least have your GED or high school diploma. They have programs where you can get this even if you have kids or get pregnant while in high school. Make going to school a priority, stop letting kids skip school. If you're not in school, get a job. I don't care if you are flipping burgers, you need to contribute to the house and bring something to the table. I've been working since I was 15(hell longer than that if you count cutting grass for other folks and getting paid for it)

Sad thing is, (I hate to admit it) Gary had this whole plan laid out before. I read it and found myself agreeing with a lot of what he was saying, if only his delivery wasn't so condoscending...

You want to starve children. You mean Republican..

Speaking of role Models.. Check this guy out. He went from a mechanic for Delta in 1968 to the longest serving Chief pilot ever... I would say doing that starting in 1968, with a Georgia based Airline is beyond amazing... Talk about black heros. This brought tears to my eyes.

http://wftc.membercenter.worldnow.com/story/21559231/delta-captain-retires

http://wftc.membercenter.worldnow.com/story/21559231/delta-captain-retires

Going through basic training (OSUT in my case) at Fort Leonard Wood was interesting. You got to see a large cross section of the country, all different backgrounds and attitudes, going through the program 170 kids at a time. Very few had their act totally together at the beginning, but at the end, the 120 or so that graduated, were starting to see the light. I went through at 26 -- that was an advantage, not physically, competing with kids fresh out of high school, but mentally. It took me about 5 minutes on the first early morning five mile run, to get that thing to click in my mind, that if that old drill sergeant could do it, I could do it. Not everybody found that within themselves the first day, but there was no dropping out, at least not right away. We lost a dozen or so "profiles" the first week or two, but they didn't disappear, they were working in supply and in the kitchen, objects of our contempt, every time we saw them, until the Army decided to either recycle them to another class, or send them home.

Bring back the draft. Send everybody through it for 18 months. I bet we would find society would be the better for it.

Amen.. I remember the REFRAD's. Oh those poor slobs caught hell. I figured after the 2nd week of OSUT at FT Benning the fastest way out was to graduate.

[himher 634]

Your Post Fixed

Your answer: In nature, if you cannot take care of yourself you starve. If you cannot take care of your family they also starve. You would probably lead the charge to lock me up if I neglected a pet because that's how liberals think but you want me to increase funding for people who cannot manage to feed and get their kids to (free) school for (free) food either.

Get this: If I don't get my kids to school and make sure they sit in the classroom every day they don't get an education. I cannot tax you and make you send me money then my kids magically have a job and magically turn out educated. Hope that concept is not too hard for you to get.

Disclaimer: Comments above apply to black, white, hispanic, asian, and anyone else I inadvertantly missed

I just don't understand how people justify the attitude. I guess I'm just a bleeding heart liberal who believes the people in our country should come first and get the opportunities they are handed but currently have no desire to use to better themselves.

We'd rather leave these people alone to go about their lives, and simply stop increasing funding for their irresponsible behaviour leaving them to sink or swim like the rest of us, than actually come up with an alternate solution. What are these people in these neighborhoods supposed to do? They've destroyed their neighborhoods and turned them into cesspools of drugs, guns, and violence with a whopping murder rate of 7X the national average and squandered trillions of tax dollars so nobody wants to waste or throw good money after bad to rebuild these neighborhoods again. There is no attempt from within to change the attitude and environment so poverty keeps breeding more poverty.

What should these people do when they throw away their opportunity to get an education and without jobs because people who hire and do business choose to do business in places where the liklihood of keeping what they earn is higher?

Edited March 12, 2013 by himher

[decocker 7,198]

Your answer: In nature, if you cannot take care of yourself you starve. If you cannot take care of your family they also starve. You would probably lead the charge to lock me up if I neglected a pet because that's how liberals think but you want me to increase funding for people who cannot manage to feed and get their kids to (free) school for (free) food either.

what's this fascination you have with comparing people to animals?

[Penny Lane 8,159]

No ma'am the birth control is completely voluntary you don't want to take the free house, free food, and free money.. Then fine don't take the birth control and do as you please. That is the part you are missing. The thing is i do give a Sh88t about them. That is why I want them to have a better live than being depandant on the government.

We have spent 40 years, 1.5 trillion dollars on the war on poverty. We have implemented one crazy liberal feel good policy after another, and the only thing it has done is destroy the nuclear family and bring more misery to millions of Americans. The poor and minoties are worse off in almost every measurable quality of life.

Yes throw more money at it indeed.

Money IS required to fix the issue, is it not? I don't ever hear you complain about the billions of dollars being wasted on wars we shouldn't be in, but I hear you complain DAILY about the assistance people in THIS country receive.

I want a better quality of life for them and not be dependent on the government as well. But they need a chance. There's nothing they can do where they are, in the majority of their neighborhoods. Not a lot of people CHOOSE to be poor. Sure, some are lazy and love abusing the system, but I think if you gave the majority a chance, they'd love to go to school, receive an education, and work a job that will support them and their families but they do not have the opportunity to do so.

Edited March 12, 2013 by Evylin

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

Your Post Fixed

Your answer: In nature, if you cannot take care of yourself you starve. If you cannot take care of your family they also starve. You would probably lead the charge to lock me up if I neglected a pet because that's how liberals think but you want me to increase funding for people who cannot manage to feed and get their kids to (free) school for (free) food either.

Get this: If I don't get my kids to school and make sure they sit in the classroom every day they don't get an education. I cannot tax you and make you send me money then my kids magically have a job and magically turn out educated. Hope that concept is not too hard for you to get.

Disclaimer: Comments above apply to black, white, hispanic, asian, and anyone else I inadvertantly missed

Just a guess, but maybe you wouldn't need a disclaimer if you wouldn't try so hard to paint everyone who isn't like you in such broad strokes. There are some liberals that have a more conservative stance on certain issues, and vice versa. Not everything is black and white(pun intended).

Try using equal parts logic and compassion, your message will go a lot further and reach more people if you talk to people, not at them.

[Karee 4,191]

Money IS required to fix the issue, is it not? I don't ever hear you complain about the billions of dollars being wasted on wars we shouldn't be in, but I hear you complain DAILY about the assistance people in THIS country receive.

I want a better quality of life for them and not be dependent on the government as well. But they need a chance. There's nothing they can do where they are, in the majority of their neighborhoods. Not a lot of people CHOOSE to be poor. Sure, some are lazy and love abusing the system, but I think if you gave the majority a chance, they'd love to go to school, receive an education, and work a job that will support them and their families but they do not have the opportunity to do so.

1.5 trillion dollars, and still nothing has changed. Obviously there is more to the issue than money. Just because we wasted a bunch of money on wars, doesn't mean we should waste more money on programs that have been proven not to work. I doubt anyone chooses to be poor, yet I think alot of people are fine with just getting by with doing as little as possible and having the govt. pay for it. There are multitudes of opportunities out there for people that want to receive an education and go to work. The sad fact is some people realize they can make more just living off of govt. handouts without having to work.

[Penny Lane 8,159]

1.5 trillion dollars, and still nothing has changed. Obviously there is more to the issue than money. Just because we wasted a bunch of money on wars, doesn't mean we should waste more money on programs that have been proven not to work. I doubt anyone chooses to be poor, yet I think alot of people are fine with just getting by with doing as little as possible and having the govt. pay for it. There are multitudes of opportunities out there for people that want to receive an education and go to work. The sad fact is some people realize they can make more just living off of govt. handouts without having to work.

Of course there's more to the issue than just money. I never once claimed or implied money fixes all problems. I just said it would be required. People seem to want this issue to resolve itself without actually funding it.

Edited March 12, 2013 by Evylin

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

Money IS required to fix the issue, is it not? I don't ever hear you complain about the billions of dollars being wasted on wars we shouldn't be in, but I hear you complain DAILY about the assistance people in THIS country receive.

I want a better quality of life for them and not be dependent on the government as well. But they need a chance. There's nothing they can do where they are, in the majority of their neighborhoods. Not a lot of people CHOOSE to be poor. Sure, some are lazy and love abusing the system, but I think if you gave the majority a chance, they'd love to go to school, receive an education, and work a job that will support them and their families but they do not have the opportunity to do so.

We really should clean up our own country before we police everyone else's. DC is the national's capital and the poor areas there are no joke. I was stationed in the Navy Yard back in 2000, and what was disturbing for me was the ghetto was literally right outside of the front gate. Not to mention those areas around the white house...

I think most folks do want a chance to do the right thing, but those lazy ones, let me calm down a bit. In Japan, I used to date this Japanese woman. She had become friends with another Japanese woman who was married to a black guy. He was the epitome of everything I hate(a strong word but this is how I felt). He was married 4 times, had 3 kids that he didn't pay child support for or go see, his wife had to work 3 jobs to support him and his son. He was a horrible father. Once we went to go out and eat, his son was crying so he made the mother take care of him while he ate first, he couldn't even be bothered after he ate his dinner, I took his son so his wife could eat. He used to brag about not working and having his wife take care of him. I couldn't stand to be around him for any long periods of time. He also cheated on her repeatly and possibly used to physically abused her. I tried a couple of times to get her away from him, but I guess his game was too strong for her. In the end I found out why my girl and her were friends in the first place. He used to give my girl's daughter English lessons. I was a bit mad when I found out all the details.

[Penny Lane 8,159]

There are always going to be people who abuse the system. But the majority of people require the assistance they're receiving and they're judged harshly because of the acts of the others. It's unfair and the stigma involved in receiving government help is ridiculous.

I hope some people here never find themselves in that position and end up being judged negatively for it.