Black Friday, for the last ten years or so, has provided some hilarious, tragic, and ultimately instructive lessons on human behavior. Last year, an Ethiopian worker at a New York Walmart was trampled to death by the crush of people entering the store. Today alone, two people were shot in Tallahassee, there was a rampage in Omaha, a gang fight in Michigan, two people shot in Los Angeles, and a melee over phones in an undisclosed location. The same scenes repeated thousands of times today, all over the country, having nothing to do with race.
These stories remind me how very thin is the thread that holds society together. All it takes for the breakdown of society is a discounted cell phone, laptop, or widescreen TV. Or rush-hour traffic. Adherence to rules and civility goes out the window, and it's every man for himself. Woman, for that matter.
The truth is I don't believe in humanity that much. Certainly the goal of Obamacare is noble, but it was stupidly done. That's issue one. Issue two: My taxes go up for Obamacare, and the money goes to pay for some scumbag who punched somebody in the face over a parking spot. No - the truth is, I don't want to help all that much. The people who need help in all likelihood need it because they made poor choices. A safety net, for the truly needy, should be in place. And there are certainly good people that need help. That's why I volunteer. But the local yokels out there slugging it out over a pair of sneakers? You can forget it. I take care of me & mine, I expect that people will take care of them and theirs.
Hope everybody enjoyed their Thanksgiving.
Originally posted by sasquatch672And yet, when Hurricane Sandy struck, communities largely held together and cooperated so as to weather the aftermath. In fact, victims of Hurricane Katrina even came all the way from New Orleans to lend a helping hand as a way of reciprocating for the aid the nation had sent to Louisiana in the wake of that storm.
These stories remind me how very thin is the thread that holds society together. All it takes for the breakdown of society is a discounted cell phone, laptop, or widescreen TV. Or rush-hour traffic. Adherence to rules and civility goes out the window, and it's every man for himself. Woman, for that matter.
You truly have to be one of the saddest souls to haunt this forum.
Originally posted by SoothfastOh, quite happy indeed. I assure you. And very fulfilled. Wonderful wife, wonderful family and friends. By the way - did you see the piece where some Dartmouth students planneeosin anti-Mother Teresa event? You can read all about it right here: http://www.catholic.org/hf/faith/story.php?id=48640
And yet, when Hurricane Sandy struck, communities largely held together and cooperated so as to weather the aftermath. In fact, victims of Hurricane Katrina even came all the way from New Orleans to lend a helping hand as a way of reciprocating for the aid the nation had sent to Louisiana in the wake of that storm.
You truly have to be one of the saddest souls to haunt this forum.
Sandy and Katrina both illustrate, one more than the other. Certainly, good people came to assist. Lots of them. In Queens, people by the hundreds were arming themselves with sticks, bows and arrows - anything they could find - to protect themselves from looters. Katrina - another story entirely. People by the thousands used Katrina as an opportunity to help themselves to televisions, microwaves, Playstations, and a whole lot of other things that don't help you survive a national disaster. The Superdome was the scene for stories of horrific abuse - sexual assaults and rapes among them.
Your revisionist remembering of recent history notwithstanding, you provided two excellent examples of how easily society can break down.
Originally posted by sasquatch672Preferring to see only the bad in people, rather than the good, is a common trait among your stripe of "conservative," so I cannot say that I am surprised by anything you say here.
Oh, quite happy indeed. I assure you. And very fulfilled. Wonderful wife, wonderful family and friends. By the way - did you see the piece where some Dartmouth students planneeosin anti-Mother Teresa event? You can read all about it right here: http://www.catholic.org/hf/faith/story.php?id=48640
Sandy and Katrina both illustrate, one more than ...[text shortened]... tory notwithstanding, you provided two excellent examples of how easily society can break down.
Spare me the hard-nosed dog-eat-dog-rule-of-the-jungle-liberals-are-pussies macho-man chest-thumping that typically comes in the wake of my above observation, because I've read it all before and it gets really boring.
Originally posted by SoothfastI see people for what they are, good, bad, or otherwise. Everybody's got both in them. I see the world for what it is.
Preferring to see only the bad in people, rather than the good, is a common trait among your stripe of "conservative," so I cannot say that I am surprised by anything you say here.
Spare me the hard-nosed dog-eat-dog-rule-of-the-jungle-liberals-are-pussies macho-man chest-thumping that typically comes in the wake of my above observation, because I've read it all before and it gets really boring.
(As I thump my chest and yell at the top of my lungs "Liberals are pussies this is a dog-eat-dog world subject to the law of the jungle" - sorry, it was there, I crack myself up.)
Originally posted by SoothfastHere's your communities holding together:
And yet, when Hurricane Sandy struck, communities largely held together and cooperated so as to weather the aftermath. In fact, victims of Hurricane Katrina even came all the way from New Orleans to lend a helping hand as a way of reciprocating for the aid the nation had sent to Louisiana in the wake of that storm.
You truly have to be one of the saddest souls to haunt this forum.
http://mobile.theindependent.com/grandisland/pm_111882/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=ANGWBvDU&rwthr=0
Originally posted by sasquatch672"Rats and roaches live by competition under the laws of supply and demand. It is the privilege of human beings to live under the laws of justice and mercy."
(As I thump my chest and yell at the top of my lungs "Liberals are pussies this is a dog-eat-dog world subject to the law of the jungle" - sorry, it was there, I crack myself up.)
Originally posted by sasquatch672So, lets see. One death last year, none that you can put your finger on this year, and 'thousands' of unspecified scenes. This in a country with a population of what?
Last year, an Ethiopian worker at a New York Walmart was trampled to death by the crush of people entering the store. Today alone, two people were shot in Tallahassee, there was a rampage in Omaha, a gang fight in Michigan, two people shot in Los Angeles, and a melee over phones in an undisclosed location. The same scenes repeated thousands of times t ...[text shortened]... ith race.
These stories remind me how very thin is the thread that holds society together.
Surely it must have been the most peaceful day your country has ever seen? You couldn't even find one solitary murder or rape?
Originally posted by twhiteheadIt's not a number of deaths, or some other arbitrarily plucked statistic. It's the behavior. It's the breakdown of society because of a pair of sneakers, or a marked down tv.
So, lets see. One death last year, none that you can put your finger on this year, and 'thousands' of unspecified scenes. This in a country with a population of what?
Surely it must have been the most peaceful day your country has ever seen? You couldn't even find one solitary murder or rape?