Maybe it's time to take care of our own....

We have all been reading the writing on the wall. Things are not going very well for the US government or many other governments in the world for that matter. We are being faced with some massive upheaval and change worldwide. As usual, the people who already struggle are the first to get hit the hardest. I just read in another thread that Obama announced that SS checks will halt if we don't raise the debt ceiling.

We can't continue this charade forever, something needs to give way at some point.
Maybe this is the time for us to step up and make sure the shelves of our local food banks are stocked to the hilt, so when people are hungry they will be fed. Can we seek out elderly and disabled neighbors and help to keep an eye on them? If we can look around us we will be able to see who is in need the most, and we can provide for our needy to the best of our ability, on our own.

In proposing this I understand that not everyone has much extra. Anything will help a food bank, even a single extra can of food. There are good charities around to provide help to those most in need. Can we keep them stoked with donations, cash or things? Most of us have clothing that we don't wear or that our kids have outgrown, maybe they can be passed along to a needy family or one of the charitable organizations. Our churches do a great job of looking out for people who need it, maybe we can help buoy them up to better be able to handle the extra need.

I have seen a lot of reference to people being in need, and others not seeing until it affects their wallets. More debt and government programs will only exacerbate the problem. It surely won't get us out of debt or make us any freer. Let's take the responsibility for ourselves and our neighbors and stop expecting the bureaucracy to fix everything, especially as they seem to be most of problem.

I couldn't agree more, and I give what I can to our local baby pantry/needs center right here in town.
But there is another angle to this that I am dealing with right now, and I know some other members here are as well.
The taking in of our grown children. My case, my oldest son, who is looking for a job, just moving back from out of state.
I've heard of many families, moving back in together, just to get by.

I don't want to feel this way, but I think things are going to get worse, before they get better. So I will help whomever I can, as much as possible. I'm really concerned with winter coming. How many people aren't even going to be able to heat their homes?

And I will turn a blind eye to anyone just trying to put food on the table, if I see them in the woods.

reply to post by woodsmom


Well said. This is something that even doves like me agree upon. I was expecting this to be another bloody "pro-revolution!" thread, but I was actually surprised, it is actually a sensible thought that more people should read, and I definitively give you a S&F.

reply to post by woodsmom


What you speak of IMHO is " simple human compassion for your fellow man" That's something that's getting thinner & thinner and much harder to come by. Before all the Government hand outs, it was taken care of by churches, and other groups of that ilk. And back then we did not have the sheer amount of folks wanting a "freebie" as we do now. I agree, help one person at a time, help them, help themselves.

reply to post by chiefsmom


This is exactly what I mean, people coming together to ease the pain.
Children, even grown ones, need to come first. Family is important, more vital now than ever. It's that same sense of community that you don't see as much any more. Best of luck to you!

reply to post by openyourmind1262


Yes, it is getting harder, people are getting harder. People are still people though, and sometimes we just need a reminder.

We have made it this far somehow as humanity by working together. Our country is a strong one, or was, because people have been compassionate and helped each other out. We have had other countries even look to us in times of disaster for our help. We made it through the depression because we are resilient and compassionate of each other. It is harder to step out of our own world and walk down the street and see the elderly neighbor or homeless person, and I mean truly see them. We have so many other concerns on our minds that we walk around in a half daze just trying to make it through the day. There are too many small things that fill our lives that the big things are sometimes static in the back ground.

People are good. People generally just want to live a decent life, and one of their own choosing.
We just need to remember to keep an eye out for each other sometimes.

There's not much that i can add that hasn't already been said. I can only applaud the thoughts and actions of you guys who have brought this subject up.

I'm not sure if there are any food banks local to me but i'll find out. If i see any homeless people on my journeys, i'll make the effort to go get them a hot meal and a warm drink, finances permitting.

I'm struggling to survive myself, but in the words of Jeff Smith, 'I wouldn't give you two cents for all of your fancy rules, if behind them they didn't have a little bit of plain ordinary everyday kindness, and a little looking out for the other fellow too.'

reply to post by woodsmom


This is a really good idea. I just gave away some stuff in my garage about two weeks ago, selfishly almost, all I wanted was the space. One thing was an old queen size bed frame and mattress with box spring. The rest was other household stuff like curtains, old light fixtures, etc.

I called a local charity and asked if they were interested in these items. I really wasn't sure, having never donated items outside of clothing and very small items to Goodwill, I refuse to donate to Goodwill anymore. The lady wants to know what I have and I explained about the bed.

Her voice got so excited. She said not only did they want my items, they would send a truck to my house to get them. Three people on that day had called or come in asking for a queen sized bed, and they didn't have any, and here I am on the phone offering one. Apparently on the other side of a town a family had a house fire and needed a bed and curtains and things like I had.

Sure enough a truck did show up and a bunch of guys loaded my stuff making the whole thing very easy on me. But when they left I had little tears in my eyes and I thought how instead of stacking up items I have replaced in my home, I should be donating on the regular. This stuff has stacked up for years; I could have given it to people in need well before now.

I agree totally with the original post. Even if you feel like you have nothing to give, if you make a mindset of 'what can I do to help' sometimes your eyes will open and you will see what was staring you in the face all along.

reply to post by Ameilia


Thank you!
These are the simple actions that can make the world of difference to a family. We live in such a consumer centered world that there are plenty of things that make it to the dump when they could instead enrich the lives of people truly in need. We can take things like beds and linens and warm socks for granted. Many people can't.

Maybe enough of these actions will unite us again rather than increase the divide that only serves to help TPTB at the moment.

I'm all for cutting ex presidents pay and cutting the current one in half along with every congressman along with it. It's not like they are doing a good job to begin with so I'd assume we terminate them and start over with normal people actually.

Social security sure is a bogus name where is security in something you can be robbed from.
I want my money back I paid into it as I was forced to pay for something they steal from.

And as far as I'm concerned we are way past the help here first now idea. I'd like answers on why we give money to any other country myself knowing we are in financial trouble..

I started thinking along these lines a few years ago and that we should all try to keep things as local as possible the way Amish do. Just like the hamlets and villages of yore, where people learned trades and took care of a local need, few people left their region of their nation and you generally married someone from another local village.

I'm a big fan of decentralizing as much as possible, but in order to achieve that we need to abandon our consumerism and learn to actually build things and care about our local communities. It also works better if communities are built in a cellular layout instead of these big generic grids we so love in the US.

I live in S. Florida but lived in Scotland for a while and you can see how much more socially adapted people are there. Each town being distinctly separate helps this a great deal also.

reply to post by Connman


Yeah cutting pay and other money saving ideas would do the federal and even local governments a world of good. They seem to be having problems with that though. They haven't even passed a budget for 6 years now.

Why does it have to be from the government though. Why can't we give our neighbors a hand up through education or food and necessity donations. We are going to need a charitable spirit more now than we have in a long time. Let's stop relying on them for what our communities and families need. We all have different needs and circumstances within our families and communities, it's time for us to step up to fill those voids together. We also each have our strengths and things that we can do to help each other.

Us against them isn't working and hasn't worked up to this point. I believe it was Benjamin Franklin who said " united we stand and divided we fall". It looks to me like we are falling at the moment.

reply to post by seandean


People also knew each other better as well. I have lived everywhere from Long Beach California to where I am now, tucked into the woods in Alaska. The cities are scary places to me to be completely honest, but the neighborhoods can come together . If we all reached out to even one person with just a smile and a bowl full of leftover soup we would be making a difference. Look at the inner city garden projects. People have come together and with an empty parking lot, the neighborhood vegetable scraps for compost and some seeds and created beautiful gardens that provide real food for communities that had little access to such fresh produce.

I agree though, a small town has a feeling of unity and interest in the health of the entire community that makes a world of difference. They have a vested interest in the community as a whole, it keeps their own home healthy.

reply to post by woodsmom


THE FED FEARS THE POPULATION WILL BECOME AWARE OF THIS FRAUD AND DEMAND CHANGE

We, the People, are at fault for being passive and allowing this to continue.

It dosen't matter who gets elected if they don't act in good faith of THE FEDERAL RESERVE they get killed

Rep. Louis T. McFadden (R. Pa.) rose from office boy to become cashier and then President of the First National Bank in Canton Ohio. For 12 years he served as Chairman of the Committee on Banking and Currency, making him one of the foremost financial authorities in America. He fought continuously for fiscal integrity and a return to constitutional government (Reference 1). The following are portions of Rep. McFadden's speech, quoted from the Congressional Record, pages 12595-12603:

"THE FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD, A GOVERNMENT BOARD, HAS CHEATED THE GOVERNMENTOF THE UNITED STATES AND THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES OUT OF ENOUGH MONEY TO PAY THE NATIONAL DEBT.

The depredations and the iniquities of the Federal Reserve Board and the Federal Reserve banks acting together have cost this country ENOUGH MONEY TO PAY THE NATIONAL DEBT SEVERAL TIMES OVER."

About the Federal Reserve banks, Rep. McFadden said, "They are private credit monopolies which prey upon the people of the United States for the benefit of themselves and their foreign customers; foreign and domestic speculators and swindlers; the rich and predatory money lenders. This is an era of economic misery and for the reasons that caused that misery, the Federal Reserve Board and the Federal Reserve banks are fully liable."

On the subject of media control he state, "Half a million dollars was spent on one part of the propaganda organized by those same European bankers for the purpose of misleading public opinion in regard to it."

Rep. McFadden continued, "Every effort has been made by the Federal Reserve Board to conceal its power but the truth is the Federal Reserve Board has USURPED THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES. IT CONTROLS EVERYTHING HERE AND IT CONTROLS ALL OUR FOREIGN RELATIONS. IT MAKES AND BREAKS GOVERNMENTS AT WILL.

This is why we go to war people wake up.

We need to do away with the Federal Bank. We fought our indenpendance because of, We were fighting our own goverment, and since 1913 it was re kindled and now here to do us in. Here is a quote from what I have gathered up.

The Federal Reserve is PRIVATELY OWNED by Thomas D. Schauf

THE FEDERAL RESERVE BANK IS A PRIVATE COMPANY. Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution states that Congress shall have the power to coin (create) money and regulate the value thereof. Today however, the FED, which is a privately owned company, controls and profits by printing money through the Treasury, and regulating its value. The FED began with approximately 300 people or banks that became owners (stockholders purchasing stock at $100 per share - the stock is not publicly traded) in the Federal Reserve Banking System. They make up an international banking cartel of wealth beyond comparison (Reference 1, 14). The FED banking system collects billions of dollars (Reference 8, 17) in interest annually and distributes the profits to its shareholders. The Congress illegally gave the FED the right to print money (through the Treasury) at no interest to the FED. The FED creates money from nothing, and loans it back to us through banks, and charges interest on our currency. The FED also buys Government debt with money printed on a printing press and charges U.S. taxpayers interest. Many Congressmen and Presidents say this is fraud (Reference 1,2,3,5,17). Who actually owns the Federal Reserve Central Banks? The ownership of the 12 Central banks, a very well kept secret, has been revealed:

Rothschild Bank of London
Lazard Brothers of Paris
Warburg Bank of Hamburg
Rothschild Bank of Berlin
Chase Manhattan Bank of New York
Goldman, Sachs of New York
Lehman Brothers of New York
Kuhn Loeb Bank of New York
Israel Moses Seif Banks of Italy
Warburg Bank of Amsterdam
(Reference 14, P. 13, Reference 12, P. 152)

These bankers are connected to London Banking Houses which ultimately control the FED. When England lost the Revolutionary War with America (our forefathers were fighting their own government), they planned to control us by controlling our banking system, the printing of our money, and our debt (Reference 4, 22). The individuals listed below owned banks which in turn owned shares in the FED. The banks listed below have significant control over the New York FED District, which controls the other 11 FED Districts. These banks also are partly foreign owned and control the New York FED District Bank. (Reference 22)

First National Bank of New York
James Stillman National City Bank, New York
Mary W. Harnman National Bank of Commerce, New York A.D.
Jiullard Hanover National Bank, New York
Jacob Schiff Chase National Bank, New York
Thomas F. Ryan
Paul Warburg
William Rockefeller
Levi P. Morton
M.T. Pyne
George F. Baker
Percy Pyne
Mrs. G.F.
St. George
J.W. Sterling
Katherine St. George
H.P. Davidson
J.P. Morgan
(Equitable Life/Mutual Life)
Edith Brevour
T. Baker
(Reference 4 for above, Reference 22 has details, P. 92, 93, 96, 179)

How did it happen? After previous attempts to push the Federal Reserve Act through Congress, a group of bankers funded and staffed Woodrow Wilson's campaign for President. He had committed to sign this act. In 1913, a Senator, Nelson Aldrich, maternal grandfather to the Rockefellers, pushed the Federal Reserve Act through Congress just before Christmas when much of Congress was on vacation (Reference 3, 4, 5). When elected, Wilson passed the FED. Later, Wilson remorsefully replied (referring to the FED), "I have unwittingly ruined my country" (Reference 17, P. 31).

Now the banks financially back sympathetic candidates. Not surprisingly, most of these candidates are elected (Reference 1, P. 208-210, Reference 12, P. 235,

Presidents Lincoln, Jackson, and Kennedy tried to stop this family of bankers by printing U.S. dollars without charging the taxpayers interest (Reference 4). Today, if the government runs a deficit, the FED prints dollars through the U.S. Treasury, buys the debt, and the dollars are circulated into the economy. In 1992, taxpayers paid the FED banking system $286 billion in interest on debt the FED purchased by printing money virtually cost free (Reference 12, P. 265). Forty percent of our personal federal income taxes goes to pay this interest. The FED's books are not open to the public. Congress has yet to audit it.

Congressman Wright Patman was Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Banking and Currency for 40 years. For 20 of those years, he introduced legislation to repeal the Federal Reserve Banking Act of 1913.

Congressman Henry Gonzales, Chairman of a banking committee, introduces legislation to repeal the Federal Reserve Banking Act of 1913 nearly every year. It's always defeated, the media remains silent, and the public never learns the truth. The same bankers who own the FED control the media and give huge political contributions to sympathetic members of Congress (Reference 12, P. 155-163, Reference 22, P. 158, 159, 166).

reply to post by The only 1 who knows the


The system has been broken for a long time, it seems to have been pushed to the edge finally. We will see what the final outcome is. At this point we need to start looking around to see what can be done to mitigate some of the damage done to the people who are hurt the most in the political crossfire. Let them figure out their mess , but if we can take care of each other the landing may just be a bit softer.

The reasons for us ending up here have filled countless threads here alone. This is our chance to step up and make a difference in our communities. This is our chance to do whatever it is that we can to make it better. We all have something to offer be it skills, extra produce or even your company. There has to be some action taken to right things, peaceful actions. I just don't believe that the federal government has any of the answers at this point. They are simply causing more problems.

I have shoved my foot in my mouth a few times here lately. For that I am sorry. I still stand by what I believe though. After only a little more than a week since posting this thread I have now seen the fallout from the EBT " glitch" and now the letter from the USDA telling stats not to deposit funds for next month into the food stamp programs around the country. Things seem to get harder by the day lately. I have seen this sentiment more than once buried in threads and just wanted to put this out there again.

There are good people in the world. We need to step up and do what we can. There are options other than government sustenance to take care of people. I believe that people need to step up and do what they can for themselves and their families, but I also understand that people need a hand up from time to time. If we can come together then maybe we can make it through this fiasco in a better place than we went in.