What a sad state of affairs this country is in

This is not a rant this is a social issue at the very least. Please do no rant this thread because I present poignant anecdotal evidence to begin a conversation about culture and societal norms in an attempt to bring this thought paradigm into the consciousness of the public.

Thanks.

So I befriended an old man today and found how bad of shape this country is really in.

It really grinds my gears when people look down on the lowest in our society I really hate it.

I met this old man today getting a cup of coffee and decided to have a conversation with him. He looked like he needed it. I immediately felt a lot of compassion for the man when he started telling me how he ended up homeless. He's elderly, disabled, and can barely walk. He used to be a business owner before education and technology replaced his job.

So I ask him, "how long have you been living like this?"

He says, "well it's been over six months"

So I then begin to ask him more questions about his story and he goes on to tell me that he only gets 800 a month on social security and has food stamps and one customer left for his business that he sporadically works for. He had his own laptop and was on Craigslist looking at apartments near a Starbucks. He said it's really hard at his age and in his condition to get a room to rent and rooms to rent around here are about 600 a month plus unless you want to live in a damn flop house in Santa Ana.

We got serious problems people we run a truly selfish and materialistic society and it grosses me out. We are the wealthiest nation on the planet yet we can't help out the least among us.

I'm just disgusted by a lot of you and this society we live in right now.

a reply to: onequestion

This made sound flippant but I am serious..

Be the change you want... contact a third party and see if they will back you to run for office... odds are high in your state there is some politician running un-opposed... run against them. You will probably lose... but there is such anger at the main stream parties you might win.

If you dont try then nothing ever changes!

a reply to: Irishhaf

That's true, but I can barely support myself in this state how am I going to run for office?

I worked in a homeless shelter for the most mentally ill and physically vulnerable adults, many legitimate homeless people do not qualify to stay in these private run businesses. Makes me sick. A homeless person can eat 11 times a day at different meal programs, getting second and third helpings. Yet they do not provide a roof, hence why you see tents up and down I-5. I'm embarrassed to see that no one cares to make this a priority. With the aging baby boomers, it will become a bigger issue.

a reply to: werin40

Especially as their retirements wither away in purchasing power.

# how can you plan for retirement when everything will cost double what it did when you made the money to retire with?

Wouldn't that mean it would last half as long as you planned it too?

Well you're probably disgusted by me, but I really don't much care for the bottom 10%. They got to their position and stayed down because they were unfit to rise above. I've met people who were homeless that get stuck in their bad luck, and I've met prior homeless who figure their selves out, and end up coming out on top. I don't care for people's excuses, I care for their resourcefulness and strength of character + will to get out and make it no matter what it takes. Did you ever stop to think that the majority of the bottom 10% are the worst we've got?

a reply to: pl3bscheese

I'm not even gracing your response with an opinion.

a reply to: onequestion

thats why you contact a party that doesnt make you nauseous with its hypocrisy...

It may not be much help... but unless your shooting for the Federal level there even a little bit of help might make a difference.

The VPOA had a guy at state level go up against a big time Democrat... the Democrat won by 20 votes... the Dem spent millions on the campaign, the VPOA spent 20k.

Like I said, reach out.. green party, libertarian, VPOA... find one you like and talk to them.

the VPOA is actively looking for people to run against entrenched politicians that are running unopposed; I would say odds are all third parties are to some degree.

a reply to: onequestion

Just my two cents but, you could start small.
School board, city council...along those lines.
Volunteer and network. Get to know people, the movers and shakers.

Volunteer for a politicians race someone who you are in line with their way of thinking. You could move up to organizer and that will teach you the ropes.

It CAN be done. You have to believe in that. Forgot to add...people love an underdog...no mud slinging don't be the rock thrower though...

Good luck!

a reply to: onequestion

Hey, that's better than your usual full of excuses. I'll take it!

a reply to: pl3bscheese

Oohh I'm just waiting for the responses and eating popcorn now.

originally posted by: pl3bscheese
Well you're probably disgusted by me, but I really don't much care for the bottom 10%. They got to their position and stayed down because they were unfit to rise above. I've met people who were homeless that get stuck in their bad luck, and I've met prior homeless who figure their selves out, and end up coming out on top. I don't care for people's excuses, I care for their resourcefulness and strength of character + will to get out and make it no matter what it takes. Did you ever stop to think that the majority of the bottom 10% are the worst we've got?

One day, someone you love to death, absolutely adore, will fall on hard times. Law of averages says so, you have a certain amount of friends, some of them wi...oh hold on.

My mistake, carry on.

a reply to: TNMockingbird

Good call, when I return stateside I plan on giving it a go at the very local level... if the VPOA thinks I have a shot I might try at the state level.

I have complained for 20 years... I sick of complaining its time I put up or shut up.

a reply to: Irishhaf

Wow that's awesome do you have a blog or another sources with your material on it yet?

a reply to: Jonjonj

It's happened more than once. Reread my post. They don't stay down. I don't associate with the constitutionally weak.

a reply to: pl3bscheese

I'd love to put that constitution to the test on the matts here with me at my jiu jitsu and boxing academy in California and see what your made of.

a reply to: onequestion

You'd beat my ass! I'm not about to fight you physically. An individual's constitution transcends their physical capacities.

a reply to: onequestion

We need more small business owners in this country.

I know this isn't the all-encompassing solution to the problem you presented, but it definitely was in my personal experience.

Every time I hit a rough patch in my life - if it wasn't family - it was usually a small business owner who I happened to be working for at the time that helped me out in some form or another.

The last small business owner I worked for would bend over backwards for me and he was basically put out of business by the government. When Obamacare hit, combined with all the other B.S. that comes with trying to run a business in this country today, he couldn't afford to stay afloat any longer and had to sell to a large corporation - who, of course, couldn't care less about me and my problems.

People need to be shaken from the belief that the government is going to step in and solve the problem - which in large part they help create. The U.S. government is the largest and most corrupt corporation in human history.

a reply to: onequestion

OK, so you can beat the snot out of someone.

So can I YAWN....



This has what to do with the price of eggs in China or some homeless picking themselves up by the bootstraps?

a reply to: pl3bscheese

Your attitude qualifies you to be in the bottom 10% of the morally reprehensible.