Duchess Jack Posted December 6, 2010 Share Posted December 6, 2010 (edited) My mom had a crappy home life. She ran away with my dad and got married at 17. Bugger would do things like lock her in a closet. He wouldn't let her have winter coat to keeping her from going out. He cheated on her and would take the women he was cheating with to their house for parties. My mom left him when my sister was 5 and when I was 2. She had no skills, no child care, no self esteem, nothing. I don't know where we'd be if not for the help of the church and social services. I had my wee one at a young age myself. I found out like 3 weeks before I was to start college. I decided to go to work while my wife (a far better student) went to college. Needless to say - without any serious skills and no college experience and while working within my wife's college schedule -the jobs I could land were far from ideal, so I did have to collect a bit over the four years that she was going to college. Flash-forward. The misses and I are doing quite well on account of (or despite) everything. We're both plugging away happy, healthy and making a name for ourselves in big p.h.a.r.m.a (is that word actuallty blocked?!?!?) and our daughter is happy, well adjusted and an honor student. She'll be graduating next year and we're doing the whole college road trip this summer. Just wondering if there are any other success stories with people around here who have had to lean on somebody for a little bit and how the option of doing so might have lead them to contribute to society more than they ever would have if social services were not an option. I just think its important for folk to share some prespective and perhaps work against the rhetoric in the midst of all the sucking of the gubments tit comments. Edited December 6, 2010 by Duchess Jack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redrumjuice Posted December 6, 2010 Share Posted December 6, 2010 never. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEC=UGA Posted December 6, 2010 Share Posted December 6, 2010 Everyone here has benefited from govt. assistance... It's called the internet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Holy Roller Posted December 6, 2010 Share Posted December 6, 2010 Great story! Thanks for sharing. My family was poor when I was growing up so I decided to swap four years of my life to the government for a chance to go to college using the GI Bill. It worked out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muck Posted December 6, 2010 Share Posted December 6, 2010 Well, due to government assistance, I no longer have to have a standing army in my back yard or a naval fleet on my pond. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muck Posted December 6, 2010 Share Posted December 6, 2010 In all seriousness, we all receive some form of government assistance. How about trying to import a sweatshirt from China or bananas from South America without government assistance? ...I know that's not what DJ was asking about, but I did want to make these points for the benefit of others who think they're above needing help... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redrumjuice Posted December 6, 2010 Share Posted December 6, 2010 but I did want to make these points for the benefit of others who think they're above needing help... Have you ever touched the sun? Of course, every time you walk outside. Save me the 'literal' lecture, we all know what he meant. His examples were of people making bad decisions, and needing mama government to take care of them. Don't lump some of us who haven't into the same group. Is what I am saying sound hurtful and rude? Yes. Am I lying? No. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbpfan1231 Posted December 6, 2010 Share Posted December 6, 2010 Have you ever touched the sun? Of course, every time you walk outside. Save me the 'literal' lecture, we all know what he meant. His examples were of people making bad decisions, and needing mama government to take care of them. Don't lump some of us who haven't into the same group. Is what I am saying sound hurtful and rude? Yes. Am I lying? No. Be nagative and yes his story was a story of people who made bad decisions but I think what you are missing is that the Govt assistance in his case probably saved a lot more people needing govt assistance - It sounds like his family is now doing well and have children that seem to be doing well. Those are the stories that show that govt assistance is needed and it can do great things. The only bad thing is that if you really dug into it you could probably find multiple stories of people scamming the syatem for every one good story like what was written above. Congrats to the original poster for straightening things out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimC Posted December 6, 2010 Share Posted December 6, 2010 I thought the story was going to end with him paying back the money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redrumjuice Posted December 6, 2010 Share Posted December 6, 2010 Be nagative nagative? Freudian? I only responded to one incredibly arrogant and self-righteous poster who suggested that because I drive on a federal highway that is similar to using food stamps. In my opinion, it is not. I do take a little umbrage with the original poster equating the church helping his mom and the feds helping him. The church is in the business of charity, taking my money by force of the gun to give to unwed mothers is not the same thing, it's not even in the same fracking ballpark. Would you give your mother a foot massage? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
driveby Posted December 6, 2010 Share Posted December 6, 2010 I've never directly received government assistance, nor has anyone in my family that I'm aware of. I don't begrudge people taking advantage of programs in times of need. I do have a problem with the people who make it a lifestyle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big F'n Dave Posted December 6, 2010 Share Posted December 6, 2010 Got a FEMA check after Hurricane Rita. Not nearly enough to cover everything I lost and insurance deductibles, but it helped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cre8tiff Posted December 6, 2010 Share Posted December 6, 2010 My son and all of the children we fostered did. But of course, they should have been able to just pull themselves up by thier bootstraps and get jobs as diaper testers or something. We also took food from a food bank once when I was young. We now give whenver drives come along. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yukon Cornelius Posted December 6, 2010 Share Posted December 6, 2010 one of my sons has medical assistance to go along with my insurance plan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muck Posted December 6, 2010 Share Posted December 6, 2010 Have you ever touched the sun? Of course, every time you walk outside. Save me the 'literal' lecture, we all know what he meant. His examples were of people making bad decisions, and needing mama government to take care of them. Don't lump some of us who haven't into the same group. Is what I am saying sound hurtful and rude? Yes. Am I lying? No. nagative? Freudian? I only responded to one incredibly arrogant and self-righteous poster who suggested that because I drive on a federal highway that is similar to using food stamps. In my opinion, it is not. I do take a little umbrage with the original poster equating the church helping his mom and the feds helping him. The church is in the business of charity, taking my money by force of the gun to give to unwed mothers is not the same thing, it's not even in the same fracking ballpark. Would you give your mother a foot massage? Out of curiousity ... can you differentiate between a well-reasoned decision that turns out poorly and a poorly made decision (or series of random outcomes that did not involve you at all) that has similar results? Or, between a well-reasoned decision that turns out as expected and a poorly made decision that ends up turning up roses, too? Personally, I find humility in the face of success is very admirable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
untateve Posted December 6, 2010 Share Posted December 6, 2010 Have you ever touched the sun? Of course, every time you walk outside. Save me the 'literal' lecture, we all know what he meant. His examples were of people making bad decisions, and needing mama government to take care of them. Don't lump some of us who haven't into the same group. Is what I am saying sound hurtful and rude? Yes. Am I lying? No. It is so much easier to judge people and their actions when one sees the world in only black and white. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
i_am_the_swammi Posted December 6, 2010 Share Posted December 6, 2010 never. You benefit from it everyday, and are too smug to even acknowledge it. Pretty sad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clubfoothead Posted December 6, 2010 Share Posted December 6, 2010 Helped cover a significant amount of my daughter's first heart surgery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redrumjuice Posted December 6, 2010 Share Posted December 6, 2010 You benefit from it everyday, and are too smug to even acknowledge it. Uhm, no, not at all. Thanks! Out of curiousity ... can you differentiate between a well-reasoned decision that turns out poorly and a poorly made decision that has similar results? Is this a trick question? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redrumjuice Posted December 6, 2010 Share Posted December 6, 2010 one of my sons has medical assistance to go along with my insurance plan. Helped cover a significant amount of my daughter's first heart surgery. Two perfect examples of why we need assistance available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muck Posted December 6, 2010 Share Posted December 6, 2010 Is this a trick question? No. I'm genuinely curious. Some people only consider whether the outcome was good or not when analyzing the decision-maker. Others consider the method the decision was arrived at when determining the quality of the decision. It seems like you're more like the arbiter in the first sentence; I'm more like the arbiter in the second sentence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rajncajn Posted December 6, 2010 Share Posted December 6, 2010 (edited) Got a FEMA check after Hurricane Rita. Not nearly enough to cover everything I lost and insurance deductibles, but it helped. Yep, after Katrina... Thank God for good friends and the SBA, which I will seemingly be paying for the rest of my life. Edited December 6, 2010 by rajncajn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yo mama Posted December 7, 2010 Share Posted December 7, 2010 I took out student loans for both graduate degrees. I've also rubbed one out to the thought of Nancy Pelosi/Barbara Boxer action, which sort of counts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yo mama Posted December 7, 2010 Share Posted December 7, 2010 I've never directly received government assistance, nor has anyone in my family that I'm aware of. I don't begrudge people taking advantage of programs in times of need. I do have a problem with the people who make it a lifestyle. Dude. You're a PUBLIC school employee. Your family eats because other people pay taxes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evil_gop_liars Posted December 7, 2010 Share Posted December 7, 2010 Dude. You're a PUBLIC school employee. Your family eats because other people pay taxes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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