tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568878907670298491.post6918956056873518704..comments2023-06-02T06:59:14.414-05:00Comments on A Prisoner in the Tundra: Have You Ever?Life Under Constructionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04881233441754154130noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568878907670298491.post-27201038196257126522015-07-14T12:58:00.822-05:002015-07-14T12:58:00.822-05:00"The isolated citizen is left feeling that hi..."The isolated citizen is left feeling that his or her personal misfortune is an exception. The portrayal of society by systems of state propaganda—content, respectful of authority, just, economically secure and free—is mistaken for reality." http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/the_lonely_american_20150628Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04463566901231607798noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568878907670298491.post-3901271804427917172015-07-13T11:51:38.359-05:002015-07-13T11:51:38.359-05:00your blog brought back some memories for me. Yes m...your blog brought back some memories for me. Yes my life is on track now and I am able to help out others in need which is an amazing feeling. It is amazing because I have been at the lowest of the low. Like you I had to depend on some government aid, hide my car to try to keep it from getting repossessed. Unlike you I made mistakes that got my kids taken away temporarily. At the hearing the judge saw that I realized the error of my ways and was ready to give them back to me that day. The problem was I was living in my car that was about to be repossessed and absolutely would not allow my babies ( who were 6 and 8 at the time) to live like that. So reluctantly and with a very heavy heart I had to temporarily let them go until I could get a place for us to live. So yes I have been even worse than where you are at and you're right people that call themselves Christians should not be so overly judgmental of everyone on foodstamps or other assistance. Now with all that said I do agree with the drug testing only because I have seen so many people tweaked out of their minds that DO take advantage of the system and that is not fair to the people who are truly down on their luck and really need it. Maybe there would be more help available to those not on drugs that aren't taking advantage of it if those that are on drugs were taken off. just a thought.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568878907670298491.post-74556891231112263112015-07-13T11:38:35.090-05:002015-07-13T11:38:35.090-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16315300769967724416noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568878907670298491.post-51628070730473948442012-09-21T15:56:48.744-05:002012-09-21T15:56:48.744-05:00The answer is yes. To almost every one. And a few ...The answer is yes. To almost every one. And a few that are too hard to talk about here. I worry about obtaining enough protein and money for heat for the winter. I worry about my girls going to playdates in several million dollar homes while they have to sometimes wait until the next check comes in to get shoes that fit. That's even with family who try to help us. I hear you. Loud and clear. Here's to better days down the line, my dear old friend.Jennhttp://www.breedemandweep.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568878907670298491.post-25467238571673006892012-09-20T23:29:35.538-05:002012-09-20T23:29:35.538-05:00Matt B. Never ever assume that folks on food stamp...Matt B. Never ever assume that folks on food stamps are abusing the system. People that abuse the system are corporations who use subsidies and make billions in profits. Yet our tax dollars pay for that, and we have hungry poor folks. Holy cow, let the rich eat and the poor starve. Maybe those 4-5 kids are not all theirs. Maybe they are friends or cousins. I get tired of the hollier then thou attitude some people have in this country. Try eating top roman noodles for 2 weeks like the working poor has to do ( me).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568878907670298491.post-26951017859740789892012-08-14T20:18:55.695-05:002012-08-14T20:18:55.695-05:00Good read. Good luck to you in the future.Good read. Good luck to you in the future.Jeremy Wheelockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07766332571905392927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568878907670298491.post-24590687145929785182012-08-14T18:36:18.169-05:002012-08-14T18:36:18.169-05:00Matt, I'm on my way out the door, so I'm g...Matt, I'm on my way out the door, so I'm going to quickly address a few things, but will write more later.<br /><br />First, let me say that while you say you don't see those people needing assistance as the enemy, you point to the fact that those who are on food stamps don't even have the "shame" or "stigma" attached to being on said program that they once did. A little bit of a dichotomy there. SHOULD there be a stigma attached to it? <br /><br />You also mention having to balance your spending against your income. The food stamp program has set limits (I don't know what they are, I never was on them, my main reliance was unemployment benefits, another one of those "failed" liberal policies that helped me survive for 9 months of unemployment). How the family with "four or five kids" (Let me guess, were they black, too?) spent their limited amount of money is up to them. If they'd rather have t-bone steaks over mac n' cheese, well, they'll have to live with those choices.<br /><br />Finally, to answer your last question, no I wasn't a "liberal" when I lived in the $400,000 house, I was a moderate, just as I always have been, and continue to be. To further answer your question, I left the Republican party in 1994 because the Christian Coalition had taken over the Iowa state party, and there was no room left for us "middle of the road" Republicans.<br /><br />I'm in agreement with one thing you said though. It's stupid to continue to push failed economic policies that don't work. Like "trickle down" economics.Life Under Constructionhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04881233441754154130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568878907670298491.post-3490375448986685612012-08-14T16:54:05.837-05:002012-08-14T16:54:05.837-05:00Steve, sorry to hear of your struggle the last few...Steve, sorry to hear of your struggle the last few years. You stated that your neighbors "loathed anything to do with welfare or food stamps, because the people who relied on those things were obviously not working hard enough to better themselves." I won't speak for your neighbors, but from personal experience, I don't sit around with my neighbors and discuss welfare and entitlement programs. It is hard not to be disgusted when I have to balance my expenses against my income, yet see people in line at the grocery store with 4 and 5 kids eating better than me because they get to swipe their SNAP card. No longer is there even a stigma of being ashamed by having to hand the checker food stamps like when I was 14 working at Sunshine Grocery. I don't see people that need a hand up as the enemy, as a matter of fact I have many times given my own money and/or time to help those in need. What conservatives like me see as the enemy is leftists in govt that continue to push the same failed policies since the great depression that have done nothing to improve poverty in this country. The war on poverty, by any measure, has been a dismal failure (unless you consider that we have the wealthiest poor in the world as we continue to redefine ‘poverty’). Throwing good money after bad policy is just plain stupid. I'm just not sure where you gets this idea that those who don't want their money taken are greedy and hateful, yet those who want to take their money are innocent cherubs. Quite contradictory. Were you a liberal while living in the $400k house surrounded by mean hearted conservatives, or did you make a conversion due to your circumstances?Matt Beauchenenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568878907670298491.post-7522670723874579542012-08-14T11:45:20.796-05:002012-08-14T11:45:20.796-05:00I have never gone hungry. In my worst economic mom...I have never gone hungry. In my worst economic moments I always had relatives willing and able to help me. In most of the places I have lived the electricity can be cut off regardless if you pay the bill or not. I have never owned a car. I have never made enough money to own a car. Except for the last two years here in Ghana and the three years I lived in London I have never had health insurance of any kind in my adult life. So between 1992 and 2001 (19 years) I went without health insurance and then again from 2004-2011 (7 years). I have never had to ask an NGO for help. So overall I have been lucky compared to you. Then again I have never owned a house in the US and I have never made more than $20,000 a year. So my high point is considerably less extreme as well as my low point.J. Otto Pohlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07457089758142264049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568878907670298491.post-15933619105712645912012-08-14T10:50:35.086-05:002012-08-14T10:50:35.086-05:00Thank you Steve for being brave enough to put into...Thank you Steve for being brave enough to put into words a reality check we all so desperately need from time to time. Your story is inspiring, may we all learn and take something special from this blog. God bless you and your wonderful boys as you continue down your journey. Thank you again for sharing :)Mindinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568878907670298491.post-62554124513974239742012-08-14T08:29:01.507-05:002012-08-14T08:29:01.507-05:00I am and have been living like this for over a yea...I am and have been living like this for over a year now. I eat 1 meal a day and if I am lucky, it's not noodles. I was laid off over a year ago and people who I thought were friends ( and people I didn't even know) said it was my fault. I was told I was lazy and enjoyed getting paid for not working, and they were tired of working and paying for lazy tools like myself. I have since found a job and I am still told it's my fault for not making more money. I have been told in a round about way that I am ignorant and lazy because of this. I could go on about it. OH, and these people claim to be christians and republicans. They also said there should be no such things as food stamps or unemployment. There are some very heartless people in this country.chad johnsonhttp://chadjohnsonsmindset.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5568878907670298491.post-14056364142076016162012-08-14T00:51:46.233-05:002012-08-14T00:51:46.233-05:00Powerful, Steve. Thank you for your bravery and h...Powerful, Steve. Thank you for your bravery and honesty in reminding us.Justinenoreply@blogger.com