Friday, February 23, 2018
"Stupid"- A bro's Creation
Over the weekend, a big argument broke out in my household that led to charges of "I'm going to sue you, i'll see you in court!" What was all the hubbub about you may ask?...my twins were disagreeing about the copyright ownership of an idea they had for a book they've both been writing comics for over the last few years. The characters name is "Stupid"...this is seriously highly intellectual stuff friends. "Stupid" never seems to learn his lesson, theres alot of falling, farting, eyeballs popping way out and a nuclear button that he keeps pressing. I told the boys to gather all the evidence they had and present their arguments to me this Wednesday...I would be presiding over the case and would issue a verdict on who had the actual monetary rights to this idea. A few hours later they were friends again and cowrote another book....but this time they added their new company name to the bottom..."A bro's creation". I did get a sneak peek at their oral arguments they had been working on and their evidence...basically outlining what parts of "stupid" were their idea and which parts were their brothers...I think Darbys depiction amounted to Coopers owning nothing except the wart on "Stupids foot"...Coopers depiction gave Darby ownership over the entire right foot, way more generous...it would have been a hard case to decide. This whole thing in itself could be a book I'd write myself but then I'd have to contend against "a Bro's Creation LLC" in court one day, not worth it!!
Peter Rabbit
A few weeks ago I took my kids to see that Peter Rabbit movie. The movie was laugh at loud funny, at least for the kids and I. But, I couldn't help notice some of the overall communistic themes throughout the movie though....did anyone else notice this?
Right from the beginning, you've got this elderly man with a massive garden that surrounds his beautiful home. Its evident he spends a good amount of his time tending his garden, mowing the grass, marking his vegetables and fruits, weeding, the garden is amazing and the bounty it produces truly shows the fruit of his labor.
His garden is protected by a wall to keep out the local wild animals who are forever scheming for ways to get inside and steal his food. Even though the father of the rabbits was killed by the gardener and turned into rabbit stew for doing the same...the kid rabbits continue in their pursuit of breaking into his garden despite the known consequences.
When the neighbor lady see's a scuffle between the rabbits and the gardener she interjects immediately to rescue the rabbits she adores...the neighbor believes the gardener should leave his gate open and share all his food...her opinion is that he has no rights to his own land and the food he has grown. Now we do get a view of her own whimsical property with overgrown wild flowers...I noticed one primary thing...she's produced no food herself. She spends her days painting pictures that don't sell; she hasn't spent half of her day tilling her land to provide food the rabbits so desperately find desirable. Yet this woman has the gull to expect the gardener to do what she hasn't.
Anyways, the gardener croaks in the garden pursuing the rabbit that is stealing his food, the rabbits and neighbor celebrate because this capitalist gardener is the villain of the story. They go on about how it was his own fault rather than the rabbits, as they cut to scenes of the gardener stuffing his face with "unhealthy foods". The rabbits and wildlife take over not only the garden, but the gardeners beautiful home, then destroy and trash the entire property in a giant glutenous party.
A nephew receives the estate as an inheritance , cleans the place up and locks the gate as he understands the problem with the local wildlife he's just cleaned up after. And the whole saga with the neighbor lady is revised....the push for him to leave the gate open unlike the "twit" who lived there before.
This movie attempts to paint capitalism as evil and communism as righteous. I've only talked to one other person about the movie and they said the big hubbub was in the allergy community up in arms about an allergy scene...thats too bad..because communism was the major overreaching theme of this film. My two cents. its still good for some laughs but if you go see this film, talk to your kids about the depictions of the different characters....people who work hard and do well are not all evil people who deserve to die and no , you don't have a right to take the fruit of other peoples labor nor their property...that's theft, not righteousness.
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
Food Stamps
My journey and reflections on food stamps
When I was in my early twenties and a single parent of two children, I headed down to the department of human services and filled an application out for food stamps. A week later I was mailed an orange debit card that would be loaded with $800 each month that I could use to purchase groceries wherever I decided. Today, as a family of five I still spend about the same amount in groceries as I was given to spend as a family of three in 2003. During that period of my life, my kids had free lunches from school and free breakfast would have been available as well if I wanted it . But they went to daycare where they were also provided meals. The $800 was way too much money for my situation. By the time I was ineligible to receive other peoples money, I still had a few thousand dollars loaded on my card. Friends often offered to buy the balance at 50 cents on the dollar. Evidently this was a typical situation. Most of the single moms I knew were in the same situation I was. People say the system works and only few abuse it. In my experience the system is designed to be abused even working within the means of its legal structure.
Recently someone told me they were in a similar situation because they were a "victim of circumstance". I wanted to apply this logic to my own situation because it would have been easy for me to say and the general public would have bought it. I had a baby out of wedlock when I was 22 with my boyfriend who I eventually married and had another child with. I met him a few years prior at a festival and we both wanted to go on Phish tour. A few years later we were broke and had kids. He decided to do heroin and started spiraling down. I was left to pick up the pieces and raise the kids when he eventually went to prison on and off (mostly on ) for the next 7 years. I became the "responsible" one in the situation working two jobs at times just to make ends meet. It was a difficult period, I had no family and was left to rely on myself...so was I a victim of circumstance? Many would tell me I was, their compassion meters were off the charts, I was a victim, poor me...they believed I was entitled to everything because of my circumstance.Was that helpful? Was I a victim? Was I really entitled to allow people to be forced to pay taxes to support me and my kids because of the situation I found myself in? Not exactly. I could have prevented the entire situation by not choosing him as romantic partner in the first place. I could have vetted my future marriage partners better. I could have not dropped out of school to go on Phish tour, waited until I was married and financially secure to have kids. But I didn't do any of those things, I did what I wanted and ended up in a hard place. I wasn't a victim of circumstance, I was a victim of my own choices Id made in life. That shift in my thinking at about age 26 is what would propel me to do better in life . I quit playing the victim and took responsibility for the failures in my life. That's a shift in perspective that has served me well.
Back to the food stamps. Someone recently complained how awful it was to have people stand behind them in the grocery checkout lane judging them for the orange snap card they were using. We disagreed about what should be covered under food stamps. I think the choices should be limited. No lobster, filet mignons, soda, or other high end items should be purchased on the taxpayers dollar. I'm not a person who would give you judgmental looks if I were behind you in the grocery lane and I noticed you were using a snap card unless you were holding up my line for nearly 20 minutes complaining to the cashier that your snap card wouldn't cover your mountain dew which actually happened to me once. But the people that do give you a "judgemental" glance for just merely using the card are well within their rights, they are forcibly coerced into paying for your food. Imagine a parent in line loading up the belt with every clearance item they can find, living paycheck to paycheck to support their family unassisted by tax dollars. They don't buy pop, they don't buy steak, they frugally shop and clip coupons so they can feed their family, pay the daycare and save money for emergencies and college for their kids if they're even able to. They're standing behind a person with a snap card and a belt full of luxury items, this person giving the judgmental looks couldn't even afford themselves. They are well within their rights to be dismayed whether we believe its morally right or wrong to do so.
I have been in that situation, I have been the one without a care in the world just trying to use up my $800 a month on groceries I would never buy today because taxpayer dollars gave me the "right"to do so. I got my fair share of dirty looks and people not wanting to make eye contact with me out of shame for me. Its a shameful position to be in. And it was GOOD for me, it made me work that much harder to not want to be on foodstamps anymore. It propelled me to make better choices, to get my family our of poverty. I see a lot of people who have no shame and I think its part of the downfall of our society today.
I have a friend who grew up with parents that used welfare always, their entire lives. Then their kids ...my own friend...continued as her parents had and still uses welfare today. She doesn't care what anyone thinks about her snap card, the shame is gone after generations of entitlement. She'll yell loudly at a clerk who won't let her buy something with her card without a care in the world. She feels she is entitled to it. I've discussed with her the option of working and legitimately making money to get out of this system. Her response is always "Im not stupid, I know how to do math, it makes no sense for me to get a job". And she's right, there is no discomfort, everything is paid for and shes comfortable. The difference between her and others is a sense of shame. Those who feel shame will work to get off it, those who don't simply won't...they're comfortable. I'm so thankful for the dirty looks I got, and I'm thankful that my conscience wasn't so seared that I was still able to feel shame. I believe we live in a shameless society today and its not good.
My advice to anyone with a snap card who is bothered by the judgmental looks from others behind them at the grocery store is for you to cancel your snap card and head to the food pantry on Laketon in Muskegon. I've volunteered at this pantry, it is incredible. The food is donated by willing parties happy to do so, its not forced seizure of a persons property. The people who work there are all volunteers. You wont get dirty looks from people who actually want to help you. They get donation after donation which they sort through and check expiration dates, and organize in their pantry. You can come in, choose from whatever is donated and leave with bags of groceries to feed your family. They have all the staples; tuna fish, peanut butter, pasta, sauce , bread etc etc and some other nonstaples like cake mixes, brownie mixes etc.
When I was in my early thirties, I had four kids and was remarried to a man I didn't vet very well again who quit his job after I had twins. my twins also started showing red flags for autism and ended up in a special needs curriculum. Again, I was told I was a victim of circumstance. I was making $30k a year and supporting five people. Many people urged me to apply for social security for my kids. I refused. I know my situation was different from parents of those who have severe disabilities, my kids were three and physically okay, I realize other parents have kids with physical disabilities who are well within their rights at claiming social security for their children. I took a chance in faith that my kids were my responsibility and I wouldn't raise them to think they were the responsibility of the government. Today they're ten years old, no longer in special ed, and just recently I've been told they will no longer have IEP's because they are too well behaved. That is a ridiculous miracle if you had any idea of the journey we've been on. I don't know what their future will look like, but we've decided we'll do what we have to do to help them even if it makes our future more uncomfortable for us. They're our family, and our responsibility first.
After being in the system myself and being released from the mentality of that system, Ive learned a few things reflecting on it. I believe today social welfare shouldn't even be our governments responsibility. Charity should be left to the family first, then mosques, temples, synagogues, churches and other community resources of willing volunteers. I'm a huge advocate of the resources we have in the tricities area. Love inc helps with food, furniture, utility bills etc etc...and they will do budget counseling and hold the people needing help responsible for their choices. Thats why it works. The hope house, mel trotters in GR ...these are all fabulous community based charities that hold people accountable and actually make a difference getting people lifted out of poverty. I would urge anyone looking for a place to donate resources to consider these charities.
We left England and social structures where government forcibly collected taxes to give citizens their food and provisions. We fought bloody wars to have a small government. We have many countries in the world who still operate using a large government providing for its citizens by forced seizure of property...we see this in greater extremes in North Korea, Russia, china, Cuba; even Venezuela moved to adopt forcible seizure of property for the common wealth. It isn't good, it creates a poor work ethic, less innovation, poor economic culture, and in many cases has led to the starvation of millions of people throughout history. Yes, the USA was built on an amazing philosophy...work and earn your bread...thats the philosophy that made us wealthy and great. This other philosophy that you're not responsible for your hard times, that we should rely on government to force others to support us will be our downfall, and weakens us. In summation, less government, increased willing charity. The food box shipment is an idea...its one idea...its not as radical of a change as I'd like but its something and I think it saves money it should be considered.
When I was in my early twenties and a single parent of two children, I headed down to the department of human services and filled an application out for food stamps. A week later I was mailed an orange debit card that would be loaded with $800 each month that I could use to purchase groceries wherever I decided. Today, as a family of five I still spend about the same amount in groceries as I was given to spend as a family of three in 2003. During that period of my life, my kids had free lunches from school and free breakfast would have been available as well if I wanted it . But they went to daycare where they were also provided meals. The $800 was way too much money for my situation. By the time I was ineligible to receive other peoples money, I still had a few thousand dollars loaded on my card. Friends often offered to buy the balance at 50 cents on the dollar. Evidently this was a typical situation. Most of the single moms I knew were in the same situation I was. People say the system works and only few abuse it. In my experience the system is designed to be abused even working within the means of its legal structure.
Recently someone told me they were in a similar situation because they were a "victim of circumstance". I wanted to apply this logic to my own situation because it would have been easy for me to say and the general public would have bought it. I had a baby out of wedlock when I was 22 with my boyfriend who I eventually married and had another child with. I met him a few years prior at a festival and we both wanted to go on Phish tour. A few years later we were broke and had kids. He decided to do heroin and started spiraling down. I was left to pick up the pieces and raise the kids when he eventually went to prison on and off (mostly on ) for the next 7 years. I became the "responsible" one in the situation working two jobs at times just to make ends meet. It was a difficult period, I had no family and was left to rely on myself...so was I a victim of circumstance? Many would tell me I was, their compassion meters were off the charts, I was a victim, poor me...they believed I was entitled to everything because of my circumstance.Was that helpful? Was I a victim? Was I really entitled to allow people to be forced to pay taxes to support me and my kids because of the situation I found myself in? Not exactly. I could have prevented the entire situation by not choosing him as romantic partner in the first place. I could have vetted my future marriage partners better. I could have not dropped out of school to go on Phish tour, waited until I was married and financially secure to have kids. But I didn't do any of those things, I did what I wanted and ended up in a hard place. I wasn't a victim of circumstance, I was a victim of my own choices Id made in life. That shift in my thinking at about age 26 is what would propel me to do better in life . I quit playing the victim and took responsibility for the failures in my life. That's a shift in perspective that has served me well.
Back to the food stamps. Someone recently complained how awful it was to have people stand behind them in the grocery checkout lane judging them for the orange snap card they were using. We disagreed about what should be covered under food stamps. I think the choices should be limited. No lobster, filet mignons, soda, or other high end items should be purchased on the taxpayers dollar. I'm not a person who would give you judgmental looks if I were behind you in the grocery lane and I noticed you were using a snap card unless you were holding up my line for nearly 20 minutes complaining to the cashier that your snap card wouldn't cover your mountain dew which actually happened to me once. But the people that do give you a "judgemental" glance for just merely using the card are well within their rights, they are forcibly coerced into paying for your food. Imagine a parent in line loading up the belt with every clearance item they can find, living paycheck to paycheck to support their family unassisted by tax dollars. They don't buy pop, they don't buy steak, they frugally shop and clip coupons so they can feed their family, pay the daycare and save money for emergencies and college for their kids if they're even able to. They're standing behind a person with a snap card and a belt full of luxury items, this person giving the judgmental looks couldn't even afford themselves. They are well within their rights to be dismayed whether we believe its morally right or wrong to do so.
I have been in that situation, I have been the one without a care in the world just trying to use up my $800 a month on groceries I would never buy today because taxpayer dollars gave me the "right"to do so. I got my fair share of dirty looks and people not wanting to make eye contact with me out of shame for me. Its a shameful position to be in. And it was GOOD for me, it made me work that much harder to not want to be on foodstamps anymore. It propelled me to make better choices, to get my family our of poverty. I see a lot of people who have no shame and I think its part of the downfall of our society today.
I have a friend who grew up with parents that used welfare always, their entire lives. Then their kids ...my own friend...continued as her parents had and still uses welfare today. She doesn't care what anyone thinks about her snap card, the shame is gone after generations of entitlement. She'll yell loudly at a clerk who won't let her buy something with her card without a care in the world. She feels she is entitled to it. I've discussed with her the option of working and legitimately making money to get out of this system. Her response is always "Im not stupid, I know how to do math, it makes no sense for me to get a job". And she's right, there is no discomfort, everything is paid for and shes comfortable. The difference between her and others is a sense of shame. Those who feel shame will work to get off it, those who don't simply won't...they're comfortable. I'm so thankful for the dirty looks I got, and I'm thankful that my conscience wasn't so seared that I was still able to feel shame. I believe we live in a shameless society today and its not good.
My advice to anyone with a snap card who is bothered by the judgmental looks from others behind them at the grocery store is for you to cancel your snap card and head to the food pantry on Laketon in Muskegon. I've volunteered at this pantry, it is incredible. The food is donated by willing parties happy to do so, its not forced seizure of a persons property. The people who work there are all volunteers. You wont get dirty looks from people who actually want to help you. They get donation after donation which they sort through and check expiration dates, and organize in their pantry. You can come in, choose from whatever is donated and leave with bags of groceries to feed your family. They have all the staples; tuna fish, peanut butter, pasta, sauce , bread etc etc and some other nonstaples like cake mixes, brownie mixes etc.
When I was in my early thirties, I had four kids and was remarried to a man I didn't vet very well again who quit his job after I had twins. my twins also started showing red flags for autism and ended up in a special needs curriculum. Again, I was told I was a victim of circumstance. I was making $30k a year and supporting five people. Many people urged me to apply for social security for my kids. I refused. I know my situation was different from parents of those who have severe disabilities, my kids were three and physically okay, I realize other parents have kids with physical disabilities who are well within their rights at claiming social security for their children. I took a chance in faith that my kids were my responsibility and I wouldn't raise them to think they were the responsibility of the government. Today they're ten years old, no longer in special ed, and just recently I've been told they will no longer have IEP's because they are too well behaved. That is a ridiculous miracle if you had any idea of the journey we've been on. I don't know what their future will look like, but we've decided we'll do what we have to do to help them even if it makes our future more uncomfortable for us. They're our family, and our responsibility first.
After being in the system myself and being released from the mentality of that system, Ive learned a few things reflecting on it. I believe today social welfare shouldn't even be our governments responsibility. Charity should be left to the family first, then mosques, temples, synagogues, churches and other community resources of willing volunteers. I'm a huge advocate of the resources we have in the tricities area. Love inc helps with food, furniture, utility bills etc etc...and they will do budget counseling and hold the people needing help responsible for their choices. Thats why it works. The hope house, mel trotters in GR ...these are all fabulous community based charities that hold people accountable and actually make a difference getting people lifted out of poverty. I would urge anyone looking for a place to donate resources to consider these charities.
We left England and social structures where government forcibly collected taxes to give citizens their food and provisions. We fought bloody wars to have a small government. We have many countries in the world who still operate using a large government providing for its citizens by forced seizure of property...we see this in greater extremes in North Korea, Russia, china, Cuba; even Venezuela moved to adopt forcible seizure of property for the common wealth. It isn't good, it creates a poor work ethic, less innovation, poor economic culture, and in many cases has led to the starvation of millions of people throughout history. Yes, the USA was built on an amazing philosophy...work and earn your bread...thats the philosophy that made us wealthy and great. This other philosophy that you're not responsible for your hard times, that we should rely on government to force others to support us will be our downfall, and weakens us. In summation, less government, increased willing charity. The food box shipment is an idea...its one idea...its not as radical of a change as I'd like but its something and I think it saves money it should be considered.
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