Hey everybody! I've been gone for awhile.

I notice that a lot of people who depend on the social safety net (whether it's Medicaid/Medicare, food stamps, housing subsidies, etc.) have a deep resentment towards those who abuse the system. The problem is, I don't know anyone who abuses the system. Oh, I'm sure they exist--but it's an insignificant minority, and not enough to actually make a meaningful impact on the program. And I know some people who depend on these programs who don't meet the bar of "respectable." I know a lot of artists and musicians who depend on food stamps, but I can imagine people telling them that if they can afford a new amp they don't need food stamps. Problem is, of course, that if they don't buy the new amp they won't be able to perform and if they can't perform they won't have an income. To my mind, our current safety net system punishes individual priorities. Another example would be thinking someone doesn't need food stamps because they buy nice clothes. But what if they need nice clothes for work? What if they need nice clothes because they're LOOKING for work and no one will hire them if they don't look professional? Or maybe it's an important part of their mental health and self care, like in order to feel okay with themselves they need to look clean and presentable. Whatever the circumstance, it is their life and they get to decide their priorities, they get to decide how to allocate their resources, and no one should have to starve because they bought a nice blazer for a job interview or something.

But because the idea of "welfare" or "charity" (I don't think these programs are really either of those things, but that's a whole different conversation) is so emotionally loaded, I think a lot of people who benefit from these programs find it hard not to judge other benefactors from the programs. It's hard for me to understand. My family has tried to apply for some programs in the past, but because of our unusual circumstances we don't fit in any of the boxes and we haven't been approved. I think this experience, of needing relief and not being able to get it, is more common than abuse of the system.

But what I really REALLY don't understand is, well, exactly what your aunt said. That Trump is only going after the "bad guys." I've heard people saying this about his anti-immigrant bs too, that he's only talking about deporting "the criminals." What this view point fails to take into account is that in Trump's capitalist-white-nationalist-worldview, anyone who depends on welfare programs is a failure who deserves to suffer (that's the capitalist position) and anyone who is an undocumented immigrant is by definition a criminal (the white nationalist position). So when he says "we're going after the bad guys" he's actually talking about EVERYONE, because he thinks the label applies to everyone. He's not even lying about what he's going to do, but his supporters often don't have the same worldview as he does and so they don't really understand that he's referring to them.

Or at least, that's my current theory. I've been trying to spend more time around people who might have voted for him to try to understand, but it's been really frustrating. Like...there's a town near me that used to be a fairly affluent mill town, but then the mill closed and all the jobs left and now it's really depressed, there's no work, a huge alcoholism problem, you know the drill. But so many of the people in this town think the problems started when a low-income apartment building was built near the downtown area. All these people I have spoken to think that what destroyed the economy was not the mill closing down and the jobs leaving, but rather an apartment building. This is nonsense. The apartment building wasn't even built until AFTER the economic downturn in this town. But I guess it's easier to blame poor people than a company??? I honestly don't know, I personally don't find that easier...

Welcome back Pwale. Ya those people in that town are stupid as hell and refuse to admit the truth. It is easier to blame the people who have nothing to do with the problem than the problem than itself.

My husband and I both depend on food stamps and SSI to survive and it's not easy. Apartments are not cheap here in Ohio and we got a low income one and are on the list for section 8 to help alleviate some of the money struggles we go through. Neither of us abuse the system. We bought steak and some potatoes for our wedding meal and that is a huge splurge and that was a one time thing. Nothing wrong with something like that. Other than that we live on hot dog and burgers practically. Not too healthy but all we can afford to feed two people for a month.

I agree that not many people abuse the system. Now there might be some like both of you said but to be honest I don't think it's many. Heck the people I see at Walmart that use food stamps all dress like crap and I don't think they are wasting the money for stupid things like I read in one article months ago that people go out and buy new iphones with government assistance... I was like "WTF". Ya ... like we all do that shit. Totally believable... God I hate some of these morons.

Saw on twitter last night that some congress man named Ted something was going to read something in front of congress about impeachment and one other thing. That is all the cover sheet said that he posted a picture of. No idea what's going on besides that. I'm more ignoring the stupid news about that red haired baby. Don't need to read more bs than I already had to deal with in the last month or so.

I just don't know anything anymore. I have crap ass health and if we lose insurance.... I'm gonna end up dead one of these days when it gets too damn hot out and hubby can't take me to the hospital since we have no damn money to pay it or the damn bill at all. Not exactly something we want to deal with. I just hope this crap about insurance and that doesn't happen because too many people need insurance and help and have a hard time enough as it is dealing with what they got, they don't need more. And the fact that the previous issues list that was released stating what isn't going to be covered by the new insurance really upset me. I have a few of those issues and ... some of them are just mind boggling to say the least to be on that list. Nothing makes sense anymore in this country and I really hate seeing how down the toilet it's beginning to get (worse that is).

Haha nice comment Moi. I rather like how you responded. Very true too.

I just wish people don't judge someone for being different. Just because they at times we hear about in the news doesn't mean they all are that way. For christ sake most pedos and rapists you see are white but you don't see people running around saying to watch out for all whites. >.> It's rather sad and sick at the same time. People do different things, doesn't mean just because that person over there looks different from me they are automatically bad and I'm not. It could be there other way around. I hate how some people are just too stupid to think of the real things going on and worrying about whos different and whos the same.

And with that Manchester attack things might not go that well for people of color now because of who they caught and his brother. Well who died and his brother that was caught I should say since the bomber offed himself I guess in the explosion as well. Not too sure on that part. I read it once and caught bits here and there since it happened. Mostly I see are people going on and on about how much sick jack offs there are making jokes about it.

Like one guy tweeted right when it was announced that this happened, at first it sounded like he was sad it happened but the tweet ended with him saying the last time he listened to Ariana Grande he thought he died..... Way too distasteful. And it seems there are alot of people like that making comments when the explosion occurred. For god sakes, 911 jokes are still off the table.

I think my anxiety is mostly controlled but in certain situations it isn't; like large groups of people or tomorrow a funeral of my husband's family member (too many people I don't know and will never see again being in the same place for 3 damn hours). And I know if I got a job... I would be ok for awhile but my OCD and anxiety after a few days or so would kick in and all hell would break loose. Kinda sad I think I can handle it for a short time but after awhile something stressful might happen and I will break. But at least I'm aware of it and can try to fix those things. Though stress coming you can't.

I had one job in my life but ended up quitting because the manager who said they would work around my schedule wouldn't all of a sudden when I didn't want to wake up at 4am to walk to work at 6. (I still can't drive and legally I'm not really allowed to until I stop passing out once a year.) I oddly enough could handle it but it might of been because I knew I was the only one supporting me and I had no one at all to depend on but that lasted a month since I couldn't get more than 2hrs a week.... Ya like anyone can pay rent with that let alone anything else.

I completely agree with the fake christians as I like to call them. They tend to spew crap not even in the damn bible as well and make you think they are smart. Thankfully my moron ex taught me what really is in the bible and what isn't and when the idiots came to my door I had fun at times. Like corrected them on the crap they said was in the bible, I'd correct them and shut the door. In Ohio no one does that so it's rather nice change for me having to deal with that for so long in Wisconsin where they'd come to your door at least once a week every summer. Ugh.

Too many christians in the news we see say things that Jesus never said and never were in the bible. I don't even think half of it is in the new crap the catholic church keeps bringing out. I don't think about christians since most you hear about are the ones you talked about. I'm not going to bother myself with people who don't talk the truth and spew hatred when God and Jesus were never like that. You hear all the time Jesus said love thy neighbor but you don't see these christians acting like that but say they are true followers of God... Doesn't make sense to me at all.

The videos you watched remind me of a video from England of this muslim woman I think she was who let a white woman in front of her in the store line and then got crap said to her about who she was and no idea what other stuff. Just know it was hatred non stop. And all this woman did was let her in front of her in line to check out faster. She recorded it and posted it on facebook with the white woman's face shown so people can see what happened. Not many people were happy about it who posted comments according to the article.

Most my news I'm reading comes from England now. I like how they are reporting on things around the world even before the US news will tell us anything and it's crap from the states too. So I read british news more often now. Plus it's not full of the president so it's a nice change to read about stupid meaningless things instead of things that will end up upsetting me.

What... the hell shit school did you get tortured through? Holy crap that is the worse thing I ever heard before about a christian school. I didn't know they could be that bad.... My mind is blown right now.

You are right though, how the hell can you tell a child that you are to be scared of someone but love him? Logic isn't really there on that one. I'm glad my family weren't outright religious in anyway. We just did things silently I guess you can say. Didn't realize it until yesterday when I went to a funeral for the first time. Now the way my family was with death made so much more sense with them being catholic. And being a strict very old school family things made even more sense. Glad I choose at 9 to believe what I wanted to. Now being an adult I pretty much call myself Asatru. I always believed in the gods of mythology. Heck as a kid I told my grandparents dog it was the gods bowling when thunder hit LOL. So reading religion more and more growing up to find my place; when I came across asatru things seemed to fit in place alot.

I have no idea how stupid people are, like how it's possible. You are lucky to live in the area you do. I don't see too many people acting better that others. You might run into a dick here and there but it's so rare that you don't pay attention to it at all.

I remember one day in 9th grade; no idea what class it was. But we were talking about if it's nurture or nature with racism and I had to shut my mouth because another kid in class was giving me shit since I said I think nature. Since it isn't easy to get that out of your head growing up in the exact same household as racism. Some might but I honestly can't see how it's possible. I might of been raised in a racist family but being from the type I'm from it was hell for me to get the crap I saw and heard out of my head. Like finally being a grown ass adult (like last year) and accepting I'm a girl and being ok with someone calling me that. I got pissed being called a girl until last year. My husband made me get over that. Kinda hard to be ok being a girl when your grandfather is raising you as a boy and actually yells at you for being a girl once (never made that mistake again).

My school though was stupid as hell and didn't acknowledge me really since I wasn't an in kid. I was the loser everyone hated even though I never spoke and in presentations I got yelled at by the teacher for not being heard (what do you expect when the kid is terrified of public things moron). Even got a F on a opinion question for a science test so that should say how bad my school was LOL. I went to only public school. I think I took a summer school class that was at the local catholic church, forgot why but it wasn't because my mom wanted me to be more religious I know that. I went to church with grandpa twice and I never liked it at all. Boring as heck, but I was a kid so that might of had something to do with it.

Oddly enough my great grandma was the religious person out of the family, prayed every single night before getting in bed, read religious booklets all the time but she was the kindest and sweetest person out of the entire family and accepted me for me and never expected more out of me. Everyone else who wasn't religious... Ya I hate them still to this day since they are really not good people in anyway (don't even get along with my mom but I'm thinking it's because I was born and she couldn't abort me due to catholic reasoning). I'm a bit messed up but at least it helped me understand the world more and sympathize with people of lower class and race. I think that is a decent way to put it. The people others mostly hate. >.> Again I suck with wording.

If your religion requires that you treat others who don't share your beliefs like crud, or says it's okay to deny help to those who need it, then your religion is a bad one. Doesn't matter what religion it is. If your religion requires you to hate? Find a new one.