Poor Farm

texican · #21 01/25/08, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Liese

The previous student I tutored in Fl - almost same story only he was told he was mentally retarded - got into trouble as a teenager and given 2 options prison or the Military. So he went to 'Nam

Historically, War was a very efficient check on population control... excess males went off to war, and either came home victorious with the spoils of war, or were brought home on their shields. Modern warfare isn't so much about 'spoils of war' for the individual, and every soldier is kept alive at all costs.

Poorhouses are a historical fact... we can argue pro and con, but like slavery, it existed...

When we delocalized morality, and let the State take care of individuals, instead of the local communities... the poor starving masses were suddenly fed... all they wanted... and instead of worrying about the next meal, they worried about having the next child, as the more you breed, the more the state will feed... No local community would support such an arrogant behavior, however, the bureaucratic state loved it... more clients, more money, more security.

If you want to encourage something, you pay... If you want to discourage something, you tax...

I daresay no one on here would invite every homeless drug addict they meet to live in their home... Open the doors, and enable the "homeless" and they will use you. Till they use you up. Compassion is a great and noble thing... the question is, how much compassion... do you starve your children to feed a wino? Pearls before Swine. Hand up instead of a hand out... I've got a cousin who's an alcoholic and can't hold down a job... the community supports him as much as possible... but very little cash passes hands, otherwise it's converted into a 24pack. When the grocery store loads my truck up with bread, I'll drop off half a dozen loaves...

What is the answer? Enabling doesn't work. Would the poorhouse? system... not unless you built very high stone walls...

Beeman · #22 01/26/08, 01:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Liese

The topic here is the "Poorhouse" and my take on them is from a historical POV where people in positions of power were using those born in terribly unfair conditions. Terribly unfair conditions still occur today everywhere and I do believe that as a society how we treat our poor and disadvantaged shows our values, morals and true humanness. We can all think that "if I was destitute..." but remember your thinking hypothetically with the benefits of good nutrition, a decent education, having grown up with certain benefits that are as intangible as the air you breathe. You can only work if someone will employ you, if you have some skills ... etc. This last year I was tutoring a man who was 50, and never learnt to read, very poor mental skills - years ago people who were slow just got pushed along. He is employable as physical labour but hundreds of people are like him where do they get work? The mills are all gone, manufacturing closed up, so what would you do with this guy? Farming and other labour intensive work is now all done mechanically with 1 at the wheel. And this guy has gone through all his life being told he was stupid, good for nothing - so that's what he does. The previous student I tutored in Fl - almost same story only he was told he was mentally retarded - got into trouble as a teenager and given 2 options prison or the Military. So he went to 'Nam, survived and when I was working with him was doing house painting - he's okay as long as the economy is good enough so people will pay for house painting, he doesn't have anything else to fall back on. If he hadn't been given that option tho and had been sent to jail he probably wouldn't have work because we can now do all these background checks...See to me being poor, not being poor is both complex and simple, like life- messy, complicated and definitely not black and white and yet simple like Luck

Another thing is people for some reason think all of the kids going to school today are graduating college and going into soemhigh tech career. They couldn't be more wrong. Instead we're turning out low educated factory workers with no factory to go to. They're told from Kindergarten that if they don't go to college they're a loser so they're defeated before they start.

Quint · #23 01/26/08, 02:22 AM

Dickens=overrated and tedious.

ruby_jane · #24 01/26/08, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nette

Well, this isn't a poor farm, but it's a poor HOUSE that's been revitalized, and looks like a neat place to visit. I hope to go for a week-end in February.

http://www.carteretcountyhomeb-b.com/history.htm

Speaking of Wythe County, it IS a beautiful place to visit, as is adjacent Grayson County. If you go there, be sure to find the "Peach Bottom Road." My kind of place!

As you drive Highland Parkway through Whitetop and my highway, don't forget to wave

!

Nette · #25 01/26/08, 04:53 PM

Ruby_Jane, I always wave! If I see someone in the yard or on their porch, and they're lookin' at us as we ride by--I wave. DH swears that I even wave at dogs. I don't do that, but...I do speak to the cows that we ride by.