I agree with you. But what about the guy on the off ramp of 178 and Union, he drags his family out there his little boy his little girl and the mom. Everyday he needs more money for rent "for a motel"  Why not stay at the homeless shelter until you can get on your feet?  Why subject you kids and  wife to such heat. Is that a man?  I mean if I had  two kids and wife  I wouldn't do that to them. But he's doing it because  it will make him more money. The little boy won't even turn to face the on comming cars. I feel bad for him and the rest of the family. That's just sad. I'm sure he's doing it to get another rock.  I see more people these days begging, I understand it's hard times. But if you can stand in the heat all day in one spot there are other things you can do. I give to  homeless shlters. I fed the man at Taco Bell on Union and 34th. I do all i can and I think others should do so too. not a hand out, a hand up.

 This is the same old lament: If everyone helps everyone else, then the world will be a better place, and no one will starve and everyone will have a pair of shoes, etc. The sad fact is that people in general are mean, self-deprecating and selfish. Always have been, always will be. So the worlds' population (and it's attitudes towards each other) will never change. Ultimately we will nuke our species into extinction.

 MY HEAD IS ABOUT TO EXPLODE!

Do you see the how our own self involvement leaves others with less than us starving and poor? {NO! absolutely not. The government keeps people poor but keeping them dependent on welfare. I'M SICK AND TIRED of taking are of everyone. I have myself to take care of, Taxes aren't mean to allow lazy, drug addicted losers to keep on living.,  YOU WONT WORK YOU DO NOT EAT} youre on your own. }

Do you see that hobo as a drunk or as a man who has lost all hope? {a drunk, drug addict there are places they can get help, they choose not to, i don't care if he chooses to be homeless. and yes its a choice, i choose not to be homeless}

Do you see that hummer as a luxury or an environmental plague? {i see it as a car, if someone wants one, buy one, freedom. Hippies are environment plagues}

Do you see how you can help those around you and the world?  {Its not my job to take care of others , but if i chose to donate money or time that's fine, but i don't like being forced to} {FUCK THE U.N.}

Will you help me? {probably not}

Hey lady why not put down that designer purse and donate to a local homeless shelter. {no, i worked for my bags, i work to have a home, i pay taxes thats forced donations}

Hey sir you don't really need custom carseat covers do you? (no but he probably wants them, theres nothing wrong with that}

Why not spend that money trying to make your house a more eco-friendly living space? {because i dont have to, nor need to, if i did i'd live in a grass hut, and then i wouldnt have a plug in for my play station and i like playing guitar hero}

Going green and helping the poor is hard. {im interesteed in neither}

Going green can be costly at times and less convienent, but a little hard work would help this fast food nation drop some of that fat right? (i dont eat fast food and i go to the gym for to drop fat}

DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY IS BEING MADE OFF THIS GREEN BULLSHIT?

It's really sad that you see it that way annie. as for that family off union i have never seen them. but i agree that is selfish.

well tell me this then, why do i work hard for the things i have, but still have to work to take care of others? this isn't a socialistic society (although its turning out to be) why am i being forced to take money from my family and give it to people who chose not to use that money to better their life? What are the chances  of them using that money to buy beer & drugs? you aren't looking at things logically. like a typical woman.(statistics show this to be true so don't get all offended and cry) stop listening to everyone sad pathetic story. think with your brain stop living in fear, and living offwhat the media tells you. look at history and learn.

Annie- you do come across as a bit harsh- though I cannot (nor would I ever) judge another persons' choices. I totally agree that people like you and I work VERY hard for what we have- and there should be no shame associated with having things that reflect our hard work. Rock on, Annie!

For instance, I have 1 f/t job, another freelance job for Bakersfield Magazine and I pick up the odd teaching gig at Bakersfield Community of Bakersfield Memorial. I rarely have more than one day off in any given week. I'd say I work damn hard for what little I bring home and I still have no savings, retirement or benefits. I'm not complaining, just pointing out that average people work very hard and deserve (yes, I said deserve) every penny they earn.

Is a Hummer excessive? Hell yeah. But who are we to judge the person who wants one? Or a dozen. Bless them for being able to afford the gas! I'll stick with my little Ford Focus, thank you very much.

Having been homeless I can assure you all it is not always a choice. Every once in a great while life throws some real shit at decent people. Some people rise above, others aren't as equipped. Again, who are we to judge? Some people have very real mental issues that make it impossible for them to live "normal" lives. Is it their fault? No. We can thank Reagan for the number of mentally ill homeless still on the streets. Remember, not every person begging for money is a drunk, addict or loser. Don't let those idiots steal your capacity for compassion.

Designer bags... custom car seats.... All valid choices made by people who can afford them. Last I checked, this wasn't a Socialist country.

"Green" is a fad; a money-generating, media-induced hype that will lose favor as soon as the next craze comes along. Should we do what is reasonable? Of course. But let's not be wasteful in the process. It defeats the purpose of being "green", no?

Bottom line, people tend to resist when they feel they are being judged into doing more than they already feel comfortable doing. I think the better approach is to praise what they can do or are doing. After all, it's not what you give, but the spirit in which you give that counts.

 Gwyn, what I think it really comes down to is this: Average people, like myself, and Sheree, and Annie and the multitudes of others who might relate to this aren't trying to be selfish or incompassionate or uncaring. Certainly not towards other people who might otherwise benfit from such expressions and certainly not towards the planet in general.

We know that the average people like us are taxed beyond reasonable explanation, that we pay the most for the least, that we struggle to maintain a semblence of the American Dream, such as it is.

We also know that people are always trying to dig deeper into our pockets; deeper into our sympathies for those we can actually sympathize the most with- the fiscally and emotionally depressed.

The posts I read above are not expressions of ignorance, apathy or uncaring, but those of people that already feel the pinch of an economy whose noose is ever-tightening around the common Joes' neck. Uber-rich people (the ones who won't feel the dent of $5 here or there) don't read this MB. The super-poor don't either. What you're left with are the hard-working people inbetween that already do as much as they can. Sure, it may not seem like enough. And that is where all will have to agree to disagree.

Even though you're speaking for yourself Gayin08, I'm glad you clarified because the posts do come off as selfish and uncaring. I don't have a problem with that, though. People basically have the right to be that way as long as it doesn't infringe on anothers basic rights.

I work in old downtown and get tired of all the people that I've talked to personally whom refuse to do what they need to to get out of their situation. You typically don't see the ones willing to pull themselves up a whole lot so it gives the false impression they're not out there. This is why I don't blindly go to help whomever is asking for it. Just as there are a-holes that have money, they're a-holes who don't. I tried to embark on a photo assignment about the homeless in the area and gave up when they relentlessly asked for money for alchohol and were jerks if i didn't give it to them.

I don't like a barrage of statistics. They mean nothing when not given context or origin. Students of history know that atrocities and injustices are bound together with the human spirit. They will never go away. With information so available its easy to get overwhelmed by all the causes and sorrows around the world, but we're doing pretty darn good and things are getting better. Corporate responsibility is growing. Private foundations are pouring money into causes. If you want to change the world on a grand scale, good luck. Its an extremely rare occurance. Start with those around you. You know someone who deserves help? Help them. Start with people and causes that you know will bring results on an individual level. Don't wait for the world to change.

Thanks for your post, Gwyn! It was very moving and right on the money. Our society could be so much more than it is and we all could be so much better off if people would really listen to the points that you have made and take them to heart. There's a lot of wisdom in your video, and a lot of truth and a lot of soul....

 peace

oh a quick note...the girl in the video isn't me. she's a good friend though.

"Thanks for your post, Gwyn! It was very moving and right on the money. Our society could be so much more than it is and we all could be so much better off if people would really listen to the points that you have made and take them to heart. There's a lot of wisdom in your video, and a lot of truth and a lot of soul...."

And this is where I jump off the bus- I can't see a reason to live in the land of What If. I live in What Is and know that change on the scale Gwyn is suggesting will never happen. I agree 100% with gbriano- help the people closest to you when/if they need it. Hopefully, they'll do the same for someone else and so on. Kind of like the Pay It Forward mantra. But history is the sole reliable indicator of where we as a race are going. And I have no doubt we will butcher ourselves to extinction.

Perhaps the bus can make more headway without dead weight dragging it down.....

i agree (gayin08) I help my friends and family. thats truly giving and i want to, i love to help people, but i will not be forced, thru others or government to give people my property. THE USA is slowly slipping away, because of .... (nevermind)

=D

You can go ahead and take that bus to fantasy town on the island of utopia. I'll just get off here in reality.
A friend of mine together with 5 other students raised $15,000 for...

wait, why the heck am i even making a counterpoint, none of us in here are utterly against helping those in need. "in need" being the operative term.

Lao Tet TZue(sp) said  a journey of a thousand miles starts with one  step. If each of us helped one person imagine the impact,