And they had the nerve to condemn Palin

I've spent years in intercity ministry- homeless, incarcerated, drug addicted and mentally ill. I beg to differ. It may not apply to you and your circumstance but I have seen enough to be qualified to comment.

Not to mention, I've spent my time on the receiving end of the line too.

 

Perhaps these particular individuals could stand to be a bit offended.

 

I'm not surprised......... and neither am I surprised that there are some who are so materialistic that they will reproach one person and excuse another.

I had an aunt and uncle who had only one child. Both of them worked. She, as a teacher, was meticulous about her appearance. She retired in the late 70's or early 80's...... to give you an idea of the timing of this..... and had the longest tenure of any school teacher living in the state of Alabama at that time. She hired a full time maid so she could be active in her school, church, and have social events as her husband was a businessman in the small town and was also on the town council. In addition to paying her maid her regular wages..... anything that she tired of wearing or bought and then decided didn't work with her wardrobe, she passed on to her maid. Some things her maid used..... but I'm quite certain some were taken back to her community and were bartered, exchanged, or even sold.

Nowadays few people have maids that cook, clean, do laundry and help with the marketing unless they are wealthy. Chances are she was employed during an era where wages were not controled, and hired under provisions which allowed her to maintain some eligibility for commodities and social benefit programs which were in place at that time....... from a little scatter talk I picked up on when I was young and visiting.

Now adays I see the same thing occurring: During a brief period of unemployment I joined for a couple of days trial with a lady to do housekeeping work. It was long enough to see that in some cases this practice still continues...... rather than bundling things together and taking them to a thrift shop, some who hire domestic or garden help will pass on useful and sometimes even new items with tags still on them.

I know others who having a limited budget on which to shop, but a enjoyment for shopping...... make it a hobby to routinely visit yard sales and thrift stores and develop a good eye for quality and bargains. They know labels and quality and how to dicker down the price.

I'm sure there are some who sponge off the system.... or have a hidden income or sources which enable their materialistic appetites. But in all fairness, one can take a group of poor people who have or display items which say 'money' and came by those items in many different ways.... some legal and some not so legal, some as the result of another's benevolence and some due to their own bargain hunting smarts or willingness to do a repair on a good item another discarded as worthless.

With the current economy going the way it is....... it is very likely that those who have never been in the position that Donna speaks of, will learn through their own experience what it can feel like......particularly when they discover that it sometimes takes a lot more industry in the home (foods from scratch instead of pricey conveinence foods, mending and sewing clothes, preserving the produce gifts or bargains one finds, etc.) to fight the strain on the budget so that one has no time left for bargain shopping if they devote what remaining time is left to children and spouse.

There's a broad cultural and range of values among the poor. There are some families that are extended where shopping is a group event for several adults and children: they share the load of cooking and child care. They may delegate the care of younger chilren to the watch of older children so they can participate in their bargain hunting or other social activities. Because they share the economes of their domestic labors and their material goods, they are able to extend their monies beyond that which others might suppose who lack that advantage of culture and communal agreement within the family. It comes with a price, in somecases, because the values which the children receive may be more diverse from those of their own parents due to frequent and influencial exposure of greater diversity represented by behaviors which are accepted in other family members.

I dare say that there are some who see the display of expensive accessories or clothing in a voluteer service to the poor as being a challenge of worth and personal self value, there will be some who will covet..... and that becomes a tease or a temptation to try and duplicate by any means possible, and there may be some who wouldn't care or notice who are not materialistic..... unless someone points it out.

Whatever....it was rediculous when something was made of Palin when she had the help of the campaign staff concerned to make her into their image, and it is ridiculous to make something of the first lady when she dresses like the first lady. It would have done nothing for the poor if she'd showed up in tattered jeans, a tee shirt and flip flops. They would have known better.... and her appearance would have then been an insult.

Its the people who control the news and wish to make these things an issue who are contributing their part ..... from the 'right' and from the 'left' who are working to divide our country by increasing the consciousness of our differences.

Personally, if I were poor and in a food line being served by the first lady, it would be okay....... if that's what she was doing, did enough to make it look like work, and looked me in the eye with behavior or comments which spoke of sincerity and neither judgement of worth or pity. However, what would revolt me, is for her appearance to be so brief, or accommodated by such fanfare surrounding her that I felt like I or the poor around me were little more than staged props for the advancement of whatever image and political agenda was up. That I would have no respect for!

 

I work in the beverage industry (19 years). I have 36 years of total grocery experience. In '73 there was very little notice of a first of the month increase in sales in the little town of Palatka, FL. Most every week the sales were highest on Friday and Saturday. Then in the '80s there came a steady increase of first of the month sales and food stamp govt assistance. Now every food store chain gear their ads toward the first of the month shopper. This is not just increases in food items that are payed for by food stamps but increases are noticeable in alcohol, tobacco and non food items. Sense the govt provides food (and even housing) for "the needy" they now have money for the expensive shoes too.

 

Well I guess you must be a psychic, since you apparently think you can perceive what I know. Rather than personally attacking me, how about telling us how someone having something is mocking? YARP = Yet Another Ridiculous Post

So here are the "mocking shoes". :laugh: I don't think anyone would have any idea how much they cost unless they are really into this brand. I know I wouldn't. Should America's First Lady dress like the poor while helping them?

 

Them are the ugliest $540 shoes I ever saw.


For that much money, I could buy 3 more pair of Tony Lama boots. The two I have are getting thin in the soles.


I don't begrudge her her shoes. "cept that they ugly.

 

Yep. I agree. Reminds me of OJ Simpson's comment about the Bruno Magli's...Ugly A...Shoes. :thumbsup:

 

Said in jest, but a seriously good idea! Think of the publicity your church would get. Set up a fund raising event, let the media know, and you have more coverage than buying ads. Maybe even get some new church goers out of it.

 

Beats me. Should Jesus have have dressed like the king of the universe when he walked the earth helping the poor?

 

I don't know, but those were not exactly king of the universe sneakers.

 

She was stupid for spending that much on shoes (shoes are never worth that), she was equally stupid for flaunting her wealth and the press was stupid for making a big deal about it.

 

But did Jesus wear silver-laced sandals?

 

Yes, but he only paid 400 sheckels for them.

 

The idea is that if she "really" cared about those poor people, she could have just worn Keds and donated the remaining $500.

 

Do you know how much the Obama's donate? I imagine it beats what you or I make in a year.

 

Since you bring it up, a few numbers are contained here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/03/25/obama-tax-returns-low-on_n_93353.html, such as in 2006 they reportedly gave $60,307, of which $27,000 went to the Trinity United Church of Christ, and $13,107 to the Congressinal Black Caucus [that's a charity?]. And while 2/3 of these contributions went to these 2 bodies, also included is a statement that "...Michelle Obama made $12,000 more than previously known from the organization Treehouse Foods."

Now, let's find what changes there were to '07 and '08.

 

Well, since you asked, I am against Obama's stance on abortion. I am against the unnecessary killing of a human life, which is what abortion is. I am against the homosexual agenda, which I believe Obama supports. I am against giving billions of dollars to companies, such as Chrysler, which declared bankruptcy any way.

I believe one problem you have is assuming that since I am not against every thing Obama does, it means I support everything he does. And, as I have already said, I did not vote for Obama in the last election.