Give til it hurts

Thought of the day:

So, near the highway by our house, there are a couple of men who stand on the corner with homemade signs. These say "God Bless. Anything helps." to "50 Cents? Hungry and homeless." I wonder as I see them panhandling if they really are poor or playing a part. There have been stories in this city of several people making upwards of $60K plus just begging for change.

But here're my questions:
What would you do for a few dollars to keep yourself and kids fed? 
Would you dance on the corner if someone asked you to, just for 50 measly cents? 

Because think of it like this (IMHO. Don't get mad): Your dignity is already gone if you are reduced to standing on the street in the cold and the sun, the wind and the rain, holding up a homemade sign from the cardboard in the dumpster. It's humbling and humiliating to show the public you can't support yourself for the moment. That you are dirty, hungry and depressed about your situation.

If I were in their situation, I would beg. I would dance for dollars. I would sing, albeit off key, whatever was requested, even on the corner. I would entertain, offer hugs, learn card tricks. I would do whatever was needed to get my kids fed & clothed. But I would also go thru agencies who help the poor. This is why I continue to give to those charities. Why it makes me so angry when agencies and organizations who rely on donations & federal/state funding have to close their doors because some ass in government decided his thoroughbred paddock was so much more important than whether some kids get take home food on a weekend from school so they don't starve. </rant>

So what would YOU do? Keep your dignity? Or resort to desperate measures?

Letter to a Bully's Parent

After yet another child died from bullying, I'm inclined to have certain thoughts, God forgive me, about the parents of these bullies. Please allow me this rant for a few minutes because I'm heartbroken.

Undear Parent of a Bully,




















You may just be the reason your poor child has taken it on him/herself to pick on someone else for their appearance/race/gender/sexual preference/beliefs. Were YOU possibly the victim of such a vicious circle of hate as a child that you've passed it down to your own offspring? Because surely you would have seen the signs. Some kids are confident but some are just arrogant. Do you mess with the head of your own kid at home, thinking it'll make them tougher in life, or tell them they don't amount to anything, etc? This is wrong. On so many levels. You were given a child to love, protect, teach and be proud of, NOT belittle, taunt, disrespect and hurt. I've told my own boys that your kids may need some understanding. That your kids' life needs improvement because home sucks for them, for whatever reason. Your kids feel powerless against the misfortunes of life. Unfortunately, your kids don't really know the meaning of love and can't absorb compassion. So they strike back at mine when my boys offer friendship.

I've seen and heard grown women with the mentality of a classic Mean Girl continue a tirade against another woman and her son simply because the other woman's child was a bit younger and not quite to the level in sports that their sons were. And these same women professed to be Christian every Sunday churchgoers. It's no wonder other cultures/religions/atheists look down on Christians when YOU are the example they see. I've also seen grown men manipulate others thru guilt and intimidation to do their bidding. Your kids are sponges and WILL pick up on the subtleties, whether you think they will or not. They take those controlling influences to the playground.

You should be ashamed of yourself and held JUST as responsible for the death of a bullied kid as your children who beat/teased to death that precious child. I'm sick and tired of hearing another sad story in the news because you can't seem to be a grown up and teach your child the meanings of right and wrong. Parent of a bully, you SUCK. But I still love you and hope you can change.

Sincerely, 
Fed up Featherann

Sometimes, you just need a musical interlude in your life. And sometimes, that includes mashing some bubblegum pop with some metal. Oh, say like NIN's 'Head Like a Hole' mashed with 'Call Me Maybe'. Admit it. You danced in your seat a little. ;)

Welcome to new readers in New Zealand and Australia (I'm going to visit there soon after we move to Okinawa!), India and the Netherlands! 

What, what, chicken butt?

THIS. So much THIS. The whole Chick-Fil-A thing isn't just about chicken. It's about people. Flesh and blood men, women and children who could be physically and emotionally killed by a hate mongering group or those who support it.

http://www.owldolatrous.com/?p=288