Kanye West Comment

[Jeebus]

Yeah.. it must be pretty bad to only have electricity?

[RedScare]

My first post was a joke. To see what it's like in the Great State of Texas, look here.

Here's the article.

http://jordan.fortwayne.com/ns/projects/nafta/naftah.php

[YakuzaIce]

Maybe I read it wrong, but it sounds like thats in Mexico technically.

[Jeebus]

Okay - so you've found where all the illegals are staging. So...?

[VelvetJ]

Reality I say? Just yesterday I stood in line at the Hong Kong Supermarket on Bellaire and watched a man buy two cartons of cigarettes with his Red Cross card. That's reality.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Jeebus, why do you think that man smokes? Did it ever occur to you that he may have been addicted to cigarettes? Have you ever done any research on the difficulties of breaking a habit or addiction to nicotine? Did you think about the stress the man probably has been under over the past two weeks? Did you know that stressful times are some of the toughest to get through for smokers who want to quit? Did you know that cigarettes tend to sooth smokers that are under stress?

I am not a smoker, never have been a smoker, don't think I ever will be a smoker, and do not advocate smoking. However, I do know things aren't as simple as your judgement Jeebus. I do undertand that most people that smoke don't want to. It's not as simple as just telling someone to stop smoking. Jeebus, there are different layers to things and you have to try to be consicous of that. It's sort of like people that are severely obese. In many cases there are underlying things going on in their lives that people can't see. So it's not as simple as just telling them, "they should just stop eating". Life is deeper than just what you think you see on the surface. Dude, everything isn't just either black or white.

Try to place yourself in someone elses position before you judge them and try to go a bit deeper before you make up your mind about a situation.

[Jeebus]

Jeebus, why do you think that man smokes? Did it ever occur to you that he may have been addicted to cigarettes? Have you ever done any research on the difficulties of breaking a habit or addiction to nicotine? Did you think about the stress the man probably has been under over the past two weeks? Did you know that stressful times are some of the toughest to get through for smokers who want to quit? Did you know that cigarettes tend to sooth smokers that are under stress?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Just as much as you want to believe that he smokes to de-stess himself, I believe he just wasted $4o.oo dollars of food money on cigarettes. Funny thing is that its not even his money. He didn't earn it. It was charity to help him in a time of need. Cigarettes are a want - not a need. No one ever lived on cigarettes & water.

[manuel]

I remember seeing a program about poor in the US. They said the poorest area in the US is just outside of Brownsville.. I forgot the name of the place, but it is on the U.S. side of the border and the average household income was just over $800/yr. That's poor even throughout Latin America.

They live in the US.. so I guess that means they know nothing of poverty too, right?

[nmainguy]

Just as much as you want to believe that he smokes to de-stess himself, I believe he just wasted $4o.oo dollars of food money on cigarettes. Funny thing is that its not even his money. He didn't earn it. It was charity to help him in a time of need. Cigarettes are a want - not a need. No one ever lived on cigarettes & water.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

and I repeat once more: "a hardened heart knows no shame; a hardened heart feels no pain"

[sevfiv]

I remember seeing a program about poor in the US. They said the poorest area in the US is just outside of Brownsville.. I forgot the name of the place, but the average household income was just over $800/yr. That's poor even throughout Latin America.

They live in the US.. so I guess that means they know nothing of poverty too, right?

if you pretend these people/families worked 40 hours per week, that would roughly be a wage of $ .39 per hour...nice

[Jeebus]

and I repeat once more: "a hardened heart knows no shame; a hardened heart feels no pain"

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It takes "hardened hearts" [sic] to keep this country free.

[nmainguy]

It takes "hardened hearts" [sic] to keep this country free.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

How sad. Really just one of the most pathetic things I've ever heard.

[west20th]

Just as much as you want to believe that he smokes to de-stess himself, I believe he just wasted $4o.oo dollars of food money on cigarettes. Funny thing is that its not even his money. He didn't earn it. It was charity to help him in a time of need. Cigarettes are a want - not a need. No one ever lived on cigarettes & water.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Charity?!!! What the hell do we pay taxes for. Why the hell did this person you saw buy the cigarettes pay taxes for. Are you just assuming he is one of those evil welfare cheats getting rich on the government dole?

[Jeebus]

How sad. Really just one of the most pathetic things I've ever heard.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What's amazing is that you're as serious as I am. BTW.. Humor me and tell me what constitutes my statement as "one of the most pathetic things you've ever heard".

[Jeebus]

Charity?!!! What the hell do we pay taxes for. Why the hell did this person you saw buy the cigarettes pay taxes for. Are you just assuming he is one of those evil welfare cheats getting rich on the government dole?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm not sure what you're asking by "What do we pay taxes for?". What does that have to do with watching a guy buy cigarettes with a Red Cross debit card? Why did the person buying the cigarette pay sales tax for the cigarettes? Is that what you're asking? I'd assume he paid sales tax because we all pay sales tax..??

No.. my point was that he's taking money that was given to him (from the Red Cross in the form of a debit card) by people who gave to the Red Cross. These People who gave, gave under the impression that the money would go towards things like food, medicine, clothing, shelter, & reconstruction. The last time I checked: cigarettes are not food, medicine, clothing, shelter, or reconstruction.

[nmainguy]

Charity?!!! What the hell do we pay taxes for. Why the hell did this person you saw buy the cigarettes pay taxes for. Are you just assuming he is one of those evil welfare cheats getting rich on the government dole?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

west20th:

I always enjoy your posts [perhaps because I almost always agree with you ] but trying to debate anything with Jeebus on an intellectual basis is pointless. Jeebus bases his/her posts on hearsay, hysterics and 7th grade reasoning. In short, there is no there there.

[west20th]

I'm not sure what you're asking by "What do we pay taxes for?".  What does that have to do with watching a guy buy cigarettes with a Red Cross debit card? Why did the person buying the cigarette pay sales tax for the cigarettes? Is that what you're asking? I'd assume he paid sales tax because we all pay sales tax..?? 

No.. my point was that he's taking money that was given to him (from the Red Cross in the form of a debit card) by people who gave to the Red Cross. These People who gave, gave under the impression that the money would go towards things like food, medicine, clothing, shelter, & reconstruction. The last time I checked: cigarettes are not food, medicine, clothing, shelter, or reconstruction.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You said the debit card was charity. It is not charity. Giving aid to disaster victims is FEMA's mandate. This is why we have government and that is why we pay taxes. Buying cigarettes may be ill advised when you have greater needs but the debit cards and accepting any disaster relief from the government is NOT charity!

Are you sure the debit card was Red Cross? If it was maybe then it was charity. I wasn't aware the Red Cross was handing out debit cards, only FEMA.

Anyway, is some guy buying cigarettes THAT important?

[Jeebus]

You know the difference between you & me nmainguy? Is that I've yet call you names, or attempt to demean you to other forum members. Yet it seems that instead of replying to me, you always run to the board to look for support.

I'm still standing here - waiting for real answers. Leave all the name calling and pointless whispering at the door already.

[nmainguy]

You said the debit card was charity. It is not charity. Giving aid to disaster victims is FEMA's mandate. This is why we have government and that is why we pay taxes. Buying cigarettes may be ill advised when you have greater needs but the debit cards and accepting any disaster relief from the government is NOT charity!

Are you sure the debit card was Red Cross? If it was maybe then it was charity. I wasn't aware the Red Cross was handing out debit cards, only FEMA.

Anyway, is some guy buying cigarettes THAT important?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

west: the Red Cross is handing out pre-loaded debit cards through Chase bank.

...and some guy buying himself cigarettes is really not that important in the wider scheme of things.

[Jeebus]

You said the debit card was charity. It is not charity. Giving aid to disaster victims is FEMA's mandate. This is why we have government and that is why we pay taxes. Buying cigarettes may be ill advised when you have greater needs but the debit cards and accepting any disaster relief from the government is NOT charity!

Are you sure the debit card was Red Cross? If it was maybe then it was charity. I wasn't aware the Red Cross was handing out debit cards, only FEMA.

Anyway, is some guy buying cigarettes THAT important?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, it was a Red Cross Card. I was 3 feet away from him. It was white with a thick red cross to the left hand side of the card. It said RED CROSS in big black print along the header of the card.

Yes, the Red Cross IS a charity. It is a non-profit organization. Accepting anything from the Red Cross is charity, and not mandatory. They have nothing to do with FEMA. FEMA was handing out disaster debit cards but stopped. This was not one of those cards.

No, a guy buying two cartons of cigarettes with a Red Cross is not important to me - because I don't give money to Red Cross. Therefore, I don't have to worry about the thousands of dollars that will be spent on non: food, medicine, clothing, shelter, or reconstruction-type items.

I merely pointed this experience out earlier in the thread as an example of abuse.

[bachanon]

We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.

Sir Winston Churchill

that's a great quote.

[nmainguy]

  that's a great quote.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

nmainguy bows to bachanon

[Jeebus]

So what does mean about a person's life when they blindly give to an organization that has had habitual trouble with fund management, fund-raising management & worst of all: distribution management?

Have you all forgetten post-9|ll?

[west20th]

west20th:

I always enjoy your posts [perhaps because I almost always agree with you ] but trying to debate anything with Jeebus on an intellectual basis is pointless. Jeebus bases his/her posts on hearsay, hysterics and 7th grade reasoning. In short, there is no there there.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Your right NMAIN. I think I'll stick with the non-political topics. Ones like this are too stressful.

[Jeebus]

Ha! Another one bows out due to lack of content..

[nmainguy]

Your right NMAIN. I think I'll stick with the non-political topics. Ones like this are too stressful.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think political discourse is fine as long as it is done in an intelligent and mature manner. A refusal to debate in any other way does not exhibit a "lack of content".

That's just another immature rant to disquise a flawed argument.

[west20th]

Ha! Another one bows out due to lack of content..

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes Jeebus your stunning intellect has sent me running.

[Jeebus]

Well, its certainly sent you somewhere..

[RedScare]

So what does mean about a person's life when they blindly give to an organization that has had habitual trouble with fund management, fund-raising management & worst of all: distribution management?

Have you all forgetten post-9|ll?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What does it say about a person who never gives at all? What does it say about a person who only finds fault with those who do give? What does it say about a person who is so concerned that a victim might spend a couple of bucks on something the giver does not approve of, that he does not give at all?

The act of giving does not demand an accounting of how the gift is used. The true act of giving does not have strings attached. The Red Cross, while stating its stipends are not to be used for alcohol or cigarettes, would never stop helping just because a few bucks may go toward unapproved items.

More importantly, since you have protected your bank account by not helping these victims, why do you care at all? Those of us who donate to the Red Cross have not attached strings to our generosity. We don't need you to look out for our money. We're not taking ours with us, so we need to give it away down here.

[RedScare]

So what does mean about a person's life when they blindly give to an organization that has had habitual trouble with fund management, fund-raising management & worst of all: distribution management?

Have you all forgetten post-9|ll?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

BTW, was this quote about the Red Cross, or the Bush administration? Maybe you should clarify.

[nmainguy]

What does it say about a person who never gives at all?  What does it say about a person who only finds fault with those who do give?  What does it say about a person who is so concerned that a victim might spend a couple of bucks on something the giver does not approve of, that he does not give at all?

The act of giving does not demand an accounting of how the gift is used.  The true act of giving does not have strings attached.  The Red Cross, while stating its stipends are not to be used for alcohol or cigarettes, would never stop helping just because a few bucks may go toward unapproved items.

More importantly, since you have protected your bank account by not helping these victims, why do you care at all?  Those of us who donate to the Red Cross have not attached strings to our generosity.  We don't need you to look out for our money.  We're not taking ours with us, so we need to give it away down here.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well said, Red.

Very well said.