I'm pretty sure we help out the poor. Yes we struggle in some areas and peoples political differences get in the way of us differentiating between helping those in need and enabling laziness/lack of motivation. We are the most generous and charitable nation and capitalism gave us the opportunity to be so.

 

Charity is different that helping the poor. It offers a reprieve, but it does not create conditions that allow people to move out of poverty. It is one of many steps that must be taken for us to fulfill our Christian calling.

I don't think Jesus would worry or complain about paying for it either.

 

I think Jesus said it was his mission to get it done.

 

Luke 4:16-21 (New International Version, ©2010)

 

16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

 

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,

because he has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

and recovery of sight for the blind,

to set the oppressed free,

19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”[a]

 

20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

 

And a great article.

 

http://blog.sojo.net/2011/02/24/this-is-not-fiscal-conservatism-its-just-politics/#disqus_thread

One of the main things we hear on BGP in public vs private debates is how parents send their kids to private schools for a better education. Now you are saying the education received at a private school is the same as a public school? I have gone to both and I honestly believe a child would get a better education at a private school but that is just my opinion.

Better education at it's core, no. It's a better environment in many cases which lends to a better result for a higher percentage. I believe the top rated school in the state is a public school, am I wrong? Signature school in Evansville is one of the best schools in the country but is a public school.

Poverty causes learning barriers. It is that simply. Not rural poor like most of us experienced, hard poverty. I am telling you guys I live it everyday. And the students I have in my school, while they went to the same schools as my son DO NOT have the same opportunity at learning. Some MAY still make it, and make their lives much better. Others will not, and it will not be entirely their fault - it will not even be mostly their fault. It will be our culture, socio-economic condition, family life - all of those things. But the odds are certainly stacked against them.

 

If they want it they'll get it. Trust me I spent years in a mentoring program with a mother who didn't want a boy and a father he never knew. That kid is a jr. in college now with a 3.5 GPA and plans to go to med school. He had nothing at home, but he knew what they had wasn't what he wanted and he fought like no other to make sure that wasn't his life.

 

It's sad that kids don't get home support they need, but at some point if you don't help yourself then it has to be your problem. No one can help the family they are born in to, but at some point you are old enough to make the conscious choice of what your life is going to be. Unless you have some sort of severe disability mental or physical at some point the blame becomes yours and not your circumstance.

Adding to my last thought too, all too often by making these excuses for them as adults we do nothing more than what held them back to begin with, give them an excuse. Instead of being a crutch we should tell people how they can better themselves and they don't have to settle for less. That does more than saying oh they are just failing because of their circumstance. If a teacher can help tell a kid he can change his life and he's capable of doing it it will go further than when a teacher just looks at a kid and feels sorry for them because of where circumstance has left the child.

Charity is different that helping the poor. It offers a reprieve, but it does not create conditions that allow people to move out of poverty. It is one of many steps that must be taken for us to fulfill our Christian calling.

 

Did you not read up on what the money does we send to places such as the continent of Africa?

 

On a local note, here in America, to imply that we don't help our poor is just ludicrous. We offer almost every chance for someone to succeed if they want to. If they cannot work or choose not to they will get welfare. If people cannot afford medical coverage, we cover them. If they cannot pay for school, we give/loan money for them to do so. If they get fired during a time such as this, we give them unemployment. I am aware that there are spots where we can improve on. We will never satisfy every single persons needs and wants. That is a given.

 

I feel for those kids that in the example you put in post 45. It is a sad situation but to say its 'cause of our capitalistic system that gives everyone an opportunity is beyond me.

If they want it they'll get it. Trust me I spent years in a mentoring program with a mother who didn't want a boy and a father he never knew. That kid is a jr. in college now with a 3.5 GPA and plans to go to med school. He had nothing at home, but he knew what they had wasn't what he wanted and he fought like no other to make sure that wasn't his life.

 

It's sad that kids don't get home support they need, but at some point if you don't help yourself then it has to be your problem. No one can help the family they are born in to, but at some point you are old enough to make the conscious choice of what your life is going to be. Unless you have some sort of severe disability mental or physical at some point the blame becomes yours and not your circumstance.

 

You mentored one kid with a mother who didn't want him and a father he never knew, and now he is a junior in college. I applaud you for mentoring. However, that makes you knowledgeable enough to say, if they want it they can get it? I work every day with 52 kids grades 9-12 who have lives much worse than simply a mom not wanting them and not knowing their father. There is no way that you can say "if they want they will get it." Most of them have to have some therapy, many of them need to be hospitalized to get their body chemicals in line, some probably need to go to a group home to get out of their environment for a while so they can get a grip on their lives. Simply "wanting" it is not going to get it done. There has to be a system set up to help these kids. I have profiled my students on here before, if you want me to run through some of them again - those who have been verbally, mentally, sexually abused. Those who FOUND a parent who had committed suicide. Those who have ADHD and OCD so their medicines actually fight one another. Those who don't know their mother or their father, but have been raised by a family friend. Those whose whole lives are consumed by substance abuse, those who are homeless, or on the verge of homelessness all of the time. The Bi-polar kids. Those who get so angry they threaten to burn the school down or shoot a teacher in the face (we do take these kids to court and try to get them help). I can go on and on and on. I have 52 that come from 3 different high schools in my community. We have 3 social workers and 6 teachers and we still can't get to them all like we need to. I also know that there are hundreds more still walking around in the high schools that I don't have room for, or haven't caused enough problems yet to get recognized as needing to come hang out with me.

 

I am exhausted, and this is a rant, by people telling me that the public schools are failing OR that kids simply need to want it. I live it and work it every day. I see our successes, especially with these tough kids, and I see situations that continue to break my heart. Do not tell me that it is simply a matter of Wanting it. That is important, but there is way more to it than that.

Did you not read up on what the money does we send to places such as the continent of Africa?

 

On a local note, here in America, to imply that we don't help our poor is just ludicrous. We offer almost every chance for someone to succeed if they want to. If they cannot work or choose not to they will get welfare. If people cannot afford medical coverage, we cover them. If they cannot pay for school, we give/loan money for them to do so. If they get fired during a time such as this, we give them unemployment. I am aware that there are spots where we can improve on. We will never satisfy every single persons needs and wants. That is a given.

 

I feel for those kids that in the example you put in post 45. It is a sad situation but to say its 'cause of our capitalistic system that gives everyone an opportunity is beyond me.

I thought that if you get fired you don't qualify for unemployment only if you get laid off .

I thought that if you get fired you don't qualify for unemployment only if you get laid off .

 

I beleive it depends on the reason.

You mentored one kid with a mother who didn't want him and a father he never knew, and now he is a junior in college. I applaud you for mentoring. However, that makes you knowledgeable enough to say, if they want it they can get it? I work every day with 52 kids grades 9-12 who have lives much worse than simply a mom not wanting them and not knowing their father. There is no way that you can say "if they want they will get it." Most of them have to have some therapy, many of them need to be hospitalized to get their body chemicals in line, some probably need to go to a group home to get out of their environment for a while so they can get a grip on their lives. Simply "wanting" it is not going to get it done. There has to be a system set up to help these kids. I have profiled my students on here before, if you want me to run through some of them again - those who have been verbally, mentally, sexually abused. Those who FOUND a parent who had committed suicide. Those who have ADHD and OCD so their medicines actually fight one another. Those who don't know their mother or their father, but have been raised by a family friend. Those whose whole lives are consumed by substance abuse, those who are homeless, or on the verge of homelessness all of the time. The Bi-polar kids. Those who get so angry they threaten to burn the school down or shoot a teacher in the face (we do take these kids to court and try to get them help). I can go on and on and on. I have 52 that come from 3 different high schools in my community. We have 3 social workers and 6 teachers and we still can't get to them all like we need to. I also know that there are hundreds more still walking around in the high schools that I don't have room for, or haven't caused enough problems yet to get recognized as needing to come hang out with me.

 

I am exhausted, and this is a rant, by people telling me that the public schools are failing OR that kids simply need to want it. I live it and work it every day. I see our successes, especially with these tough kids, and I see situations that continue to break my heart. Do not tell me that it is simply a matter of Wanting it. That is important, but there is way more to it than that.

 

Did I mention, I grew up in a home with 2 teachers, I had 3 grandparents that were all teachers. I've spent my whole life around this country's education system. I've seen all the cases you talk about when my parents would bring them home to stay with us because they had no where else to go. Or when I went to look for a specific toy and it was gone because mom gave it away to a student with none. I've seen it, it's ugly. But at some point you have to become responsible for yourself. There is more to it than wanting it, but if you never want it then the other stuff doesn't matter. You have to want something to be able to say these factors stopped you from changing it.

 

I'll add I certainly applaud you and your efforts along with all our educators, coming from a home full of them I've seen first hand the thankless hours that go in to the job. It takes a special person to do it, and I'm all for throwing more money in to education. And don't take offense to what I say I just believe at some point you have be responsible for yourself despite your circumstances, I learned a long time ago if you won't do it for yourself no one will do it for you. My mom always told me I didn't make good grades in school for her, I made them for myself.

Did I mention, I grew up in a home with 2 teachers, I had 3 grandparents that were all teachers. I've spent my whole life around this country's education system. I've seen all the cases you talk about when my parents would bring them home to stay with us because they had no where else to go. Or when I went to look for a specific toy and it was gone because mom gave it away to a student with none. I've seen it, it's ugly. But at some point you have to become responsible for yourself. There is more to it than wanting it, but if you never want it then the other stuff doesn't matter. You have to want something to be able to say these factors stopped you from changing it.

 

I'll add I certainly applaud you and your efforts along with all our educators, coming from a home full of them I've seen first hand the thankless hours that go in to the job. It takes a special person to do it, and I'm all for throwing more money in to education. And don't take offense to what I say I just believe at some point you have be responsible for yourself despite your circumstances, I learned a long time ago if you won't do it for yourself no one will do it for you. My mom always told me I didn't make good grades in school for her, I made them for myself.

 

Then I agree. We cannot do it for the kids, they have to want it, but simply "wanting it" is not good enough. There has to be a great deal of help and support, and our socio-economic structure right now does not have that help and support.

 

That background does also give you some more credibility when speaking on the topic.

Great conversation between ace and HT. Conversations like this is why I will always be a member of BGP.

Then I agree. We cannot do it for the kids, they have to want it, but simply "wanting it" is not good enough. There has to be a great deal of help and support, and our socio-economic structure right now does not have that help and support.

 

That background does also give you some more credibility when speaking on the topic.

 

Sure it does, just not to the extent you think it should.

Sure it does, just not to the extent you think it should.

 

My vocation for the last 8 years makes me disagree.

My vocation for the last 8 years makes me disagree.

 

I'm in a similar vocation at one of those homes you mentioned in one of your earlier posts. Our vocation is proof that the support system exists.