The children be darned! Tobacco taxes.

[Karen]

Or unemployment. Or food stamps. Or workers' comp. Or veterans benefits.

We can certainly tell he did not take advantage of public education.

He does not even know the correct names of the states!

Well...in for a penny...in for a pound.

Where has anyone called veteran's benefits a handout? I don't see it.

Your post that I quoted just above could be seen as doing just that.

It is easy, in quickly reading posts, to jump to contusions.

Are there people who genuinely deserve Welfare, and benefit from the program? Absolutely.

Are there people who abuse the system and take advantage of Welfare? Absolutely.

As in so many situations, one cannot paint everyone with the same broad brush.

I think we can all agree the system ain't perfekt. But it is up to us, as citizens, to work to change it, not to just gripe about it and otherwise refuse to participate in the political process that can enable change.

Hate your local government? Then run for office and change it, or move somewhere else!

I pay taxes. Therefore I vote.

And in all things, folks, remember to be respectful of each other.

Sara - I knew someone who grew up, since the age of four, in Massachusetts. Attended publics schools in a town known for its good school system. Just didn't much care about any of it. As a 16-year-old, she could not accurately identify the six New England states (Psst, hint - we live in one. Hint 2 - New York isn't one of them.) Yet now that she has matured, she is a paralegal and attending law school - like many things, education only works if you try, which after high school, she decided to do.

[pomtzu]

Your post that I quoted just above could be seen as doing just that.

Precisely! Thank you!

And my post about agreeing with blue and his retort in post #68, is my view and opinion regarding Veterans Benefits. Nothing more - nothing less.

[Edwina's Secretary]

Sara - I knew someone who grew up, since the age of four, in Massachusetts. Attended publics schools in a town known for its good school system. Just didn't much care about any of it. As a 16-year-old, she could not accurately identify the six New England states (Psst, hint - we live in one. Hint 2 - New York isn't one of them.) Yet now that she has matured, she is a paralegal and attending law school - like many things, education only works if you try, which after high school, she decided to do.

All excellent points you make Karen. However, I bet even your New Englander friend knew that California is not spelled Mexifornia. Or anything CLOSE to that.

So for the record...I do not consider unemployment to be a handout...I do not consider workers' comp to be a handout...I do not consider veteran benefits to be a handout. All systems set up to protect the citizens of this country.

So do you think worker comp and unemployment are handouts?

[Karen]

All excellent points you make Karen. However, I bet even your New Englander friend knew that California is not spelled Mexifornia. Or anything CLOSE to that.

So for the record...I do not consider unemployment to be a handout...I do not consider workers' comp to be a handout...I do not consider veteran benefits to be a handout. All systems set up to protect the citizens of this country.

So do you think worker comp and unemployment are handouts?

No, I don't.

I doubt the friend I mention would have known that California is a state. She probably thought at the time at Hollywood or Los Angeles was a state, and California was something else.

Are you not familiar with the book "Mexifornia?" It was quite a sensation a couple years ago ... with a big silhouette of California on the cover.

[Edwina's Secretary]

.

Are you not familiar with the book "Mexifornia?" It was quite a sensation a couple years ago ... with a big silhouette of California on the cover.

No, I don't. As you know, I am an accidental California resident.

But I consider the intent of the poster who used that mispelling of the state to have been to make a racist statement. And not his first. And apropo of nothing. Except an intent to insult.

So Karen, what the the sensation this book created? You've got me curious. Everything I found when I googled Mexifornia is quite distasteful.

[Karen]

No, I don't. As you know, I am an accidental California resident.

But I consider the intent of the poster who used that mispelling of the state to have been to make a racist statement. And not his first. And apropo of nothing. Except an intent to insult.

So Karen, what the the sensation this book created? You've got me curious. Everything I found when I googled Mexifornia is quite distasteful.

Hmm, I think I may either have the book around in a box somewhere, or have sent it forward to Richard. It was a fairly politically inflammatory book about Hispanic immigrants - legal and otherwise - taking over California. If I remember correctly it was a "Ahhh, panic! Close the borders and make everyone speak English all the time" kind of book ... but it has been a while since I had it in my hands.

Now the term is used to kind of make fun of that attitude ...

[Edwina's Secretary]

Now the term is used to kind of make fun of that attitude ...

Really? How odd I have lived in California for 4.5 years and never heard it used -- truthfully in any way until thread.

Karen, is that what you think the poster, who alternatively spelled California as Kafornia or some such, was doing? Making fun of the hysteria over immigrants from Mexico and not a derogatory statement about Mexican immigrants?

[sparks19]

Really? How odd I have lived in California for 4.5 years and never heard it used -- truthfully in any way until thread.

Karen, is that what you think the poster, who alternatively spelled California as Kafornia or some such, was doing? Making fun of the hysteria over immigrants from Mexico and not a derogatory statement about Mexican immigrants?

Well... he DID make mention of the book so that leads me to believe he was referring to it and the hysteria.

For the record I have never heard of the book until now so I googled it... ah where would we be without google lol

[lizbud]

It is easy, in quickly reading posts, to jump to contusions.

Whew, let's hope we never all get trapped in a small room while
discussing opinions.

Sorry Karen, just kidding.