Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Layers upon Layers

As usual, the challenges that grip our nation are multi-dimensional.  However, the answers are simple, straightforward.  The answer to any problem was and always will be the same.  God.  Only when we bend our knee before His throne and conform our desires to His will, will our families, our nation and our world be transformed into a haven of refuge.  Until men bow before their creator and acknowledge their sinful lives, our world will be filled with corruption, greed, strife and envy.  And so it is - our problems are layer upon layer - our answer is simple - God.

A reader sent this rebuttal to my post entitled Once Upon a Time.

And now, we are being told that there is no longer an American Dream. Protesters are littering our streets demanding a bigger piece of the pie, but they want it given to them. They want the dream but they don't want to have to suffer for it. They will tell you that they would rather collect unemployment than work at a job that is "below" them. They will say that they are "worth" more than that. Says who? They are "worth" what someone is willing to pay them. Besides, their worth doesn't come from their paycheck - their worth comes from Christ alone.

that's simply not true, enola. none of the protestors are demanding work that isn't beneath them, they just want work. and they want the wealthy to pay their fair share, too. go towearethe99percent.tumblr.com. read the stories. the people there are hard working and humble- and drowning. they work 40, 70, 120 hours a week and can't make ends meet, and that's if they can even find work. there are 15,000,000 unemployed people and 5,000,000 jobs. no matter how hard anyone tries, that's 10,000,000 people for whom there is no work.

ows wants fairness. it isn't right that GE paid less in taxes than you last year. it isn't right that Bank of America can layoff workers and cut salaries and benefits while posting record profits and giving its CEO millions in yearly bonuses. that is not christian, that is not democracy, that is not capitalism, it is greed, nothing more. 

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While the protesters are from all walks of life and have many different reasons that led them to protest, they are not simply hard working Americans looking for a better way of life.  The truth of the matter is that many are there because they answered an add on Craigslist offering a paycheck in exchange for their "rightful indignation".  Even more still are camped out because there is free food and a change of scenery from their normal basement apartments.  And then, there are those that truly believe they are protesting "corporate greed" all the while being played like marionettes at the end of union strings.  Corporate America is broken.  However, they are not responsible for personal debt - people are responsible for that.  People, the same ones that are protesting corporate greed, are guilty of their own version of greed and envy.  They wanted the house they couldn't afford.  They signed the papers on a loan that was too big to maintain.  Nobody made them sign - they chose to take on that debt.  Yes, the banks are greedy, but the people are just as greedy.  The difference is, the people have the ability to "just say no".  They can say no to the high credit card rate BEFORE they apply for the card.  They can say no to the 50 year mortgage BEFORE they sign it.  They can say NO to dish TV, high-speed internet and in-store credit.


Corporations don't pay taxes.  People pay taxes.  Anytime the government raises "corporate taxes", it really just raises your taxes and mine. Corporations do, however, employ America.  Should executives be held accountable for illegal activities?  Absolutely.  Should executives be held accountable for immoral behavior?  Without a doubt.  Corporate America is corrupt.  So is our Government.  But the truth of the matter is that external controls never work.  Only when the hearts of the men and women in places of power are changed will our families and our nation be changed.  


And our protesters ARE demanding work that is "worth" their while.  They are not just demanding work.  They want work that will pay them what they think they are worth.  We live in an area not far from the vast apple orchards covering a large expanse of central and eastern Washington.  The apple farms are in dire straits.  Is their predicament due to a poor apple yield?  No.  The apple farmers are in a position to lose their farms due to the fact that they cannot find enough workers to harvest their crops.  They are so desperate for workers that they are taking ads out in local papers and on television and radio offering workers $150.00 A DAY to pick apples.  A DAY!  I don't know about you, but I think that's GOOD money.  The interesting thing about all of these jobs available for the plucking is that none of them are being taken.  And even more interesting is that the unemployment rate in the vicinity of these farms has not dropped - not even 1/10th of 1%.  So tell me now that people just want a job.  Bunk!  They want the job that they want, or they want the government (that means you and I) to pay them until they secure a job befitting their place in life.


I know that I have made a whole lot of generalizations, lumping people in the same group.  And I know that everyone has different circumstances and that there are some people who REALLY have gotten the short end of the stick.  But, for the most part, we all make our beds and the time has come when we have to lay in them.

26 comments:

  1. well-said......I serve at a food pantry where our clientele come in with cell phones, sometimes even SmartPhones....something that we don't have in our family because we choose to not have that high bill. Cell phone? yes.....and our state even offers free (very basic) cell phone service to those in need....but cigarettes and Smart Phones?

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  2. I agree with your statement about corporations not being responsible for personal debt. That applies to student debt as well. I think that the government should be completely out of student loans, and that they should be in the hands of private banks. Why? Well, just like you have to convince a bank that you can pay back a home equity loan or a car loan (in theory), you should have to convince the bank that they should loan you 80K in student debt, even though you're majoring in 17th century Russian literature or ancient Japanese basket weaving. Shouldn't students have to make a case for why they think they can pay back such staggering debt, even though they have basically zero real-world skills?

    Plus, why don't they protest the universities that charge such outrageous student tuition rates? Some of these universities (i.e. Harvard) get billions (yes, billions) in endowments, which could easily pay for all students' room and board many times over. Why not protest them? Don't the protesters see that even the universities and the government have a profitable scheme running?

    Blind fools is what they are. Such is what public education produces today.

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  3. An absolutely spot on response, Enola. The vast majority of the Protesters are spoiled and aren't willing to work for less than "they" think they are worth, which is a vastly inflated egotistical amount.

    Unlike the Tea Party who wants less Government, representatives who abide by the Constitution, and less debt for their children and grandchildren, the OWS wants more Government involvement in individuals daily lives and more handouts.

    There are many websites that are spewing out propaganda in favor of the OWS. They are slanting the image to make it appear that the protest is one of frustrated everyday hardworking citizens that can't find a job. Not so - many of the people there are, as you said, being paid to show up; they aren't out looking for jobs or working at whatever they can find.

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  4. Amen! to you and the other commenters. You are so right about the simple answer--turn to God and obey His commandments. We can change the world, but only one heart at a time. We can't enforce obedience and take away people's choice. We can take away the rescue from consequences and let them learn from their poor choices. Also, I feel sorry for the apple farmers. If I was there I'd sure take the job!

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  5. i sure wish those apple farmers were here in n.e.mississippi...i would be there with a smile on my face at the crack of dawn...and they could pay me half of what they are offering too. the protesters are protesting for the wrong things to the wrong people and for the wrong reasons. sadly, it looks like it is gonna take awhile for them to realize it. i thankyou enola-for speaking your mind.

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  6. could you provide the info about the apple picking jobs?

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  7. I don't really have much info on the jobs, however here is a link to a website for WA. apple growers: http://www.orangepippin.com/orchards/united-states/washington

    and here is the original article I read in the paper: http://www.postbulletin.com/news/stories/display.php?id=1472189

    I think most hard-working Americans would jump at the chance for such a job!

    Enola

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  8. Apparently the person who sent the note to Enola never sees the communists, socialists, or anarchists who are at the OWS "protests" and calling for the overthrow of capitalism and of our system of government. Apparently that same person doesn't see the signs that call for killing bankers, taxidermy of bankers, and for the invasion of private property owned by Wall Street executives. Apparently the reader also missed the anti-semetic statements and signs that were shown in the news clips.

    That reader would be much better off if s/he turned off MSNBC, PBS, and NPR and instead listened to Glenn Beck or even Bill O'Reilly. By seeing only a small fragment of the big picture, this particular person will do us all harm.

    NoCal Gal

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  9. Where in the world did this Nation develop the belief that it is WRONG to make a profit in performing a business transaction?

    Why are we condemning the industry of non-union corporations who make healthy profits with their products?

    Business is just that. An endeavor entered into that requires a purchase or exchange for a product, to make a profit.

    If this country must now redefine Business, why must it only be to profit ALL of "The People"?
    No one MAKES you purchase that company's product.(yet)
    Only those that perform physical work, should be paid for that work? Then, why be an owner of a Business, if you have to do the same job as your workers?
    What incentive is there to being a business owner, if you are demonized for being successful and making profits?

    How is it that our government is allowed to pick and chose just who remains solvent or who must default and go?
    A bit of irony and arrogant hypocrisy if you clearly see, that they haven't allowed themselves to financially default, even when they clearly are financially bankrupt.
    Who else is allowed to just keep printing money?
    No one. It's called fraud. It's punishable by law and is a federal criminal offense. Unless you're the Fed?

    Enola, you are so on target. God has clearly blessed some of us with the gift of discernment and wisdom and I would bet that it's those who are the recipients, who follow His commandments and give Him glory for all that they have.
    Pray to God for Him to help us. For evil is walking as men on this earth and the blatant corrupt evidence is all around us, if we are blessed to see it, and rebuke it.


    ray of light

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  10. There are so many contradictions in the this arena, and such a diversity of protestors. No one size fits all. To begin with there are so many contributors to the national – even international – crisis we’re facing.
    · Some would like to blame the rich, the “1%.”
    · Others point to government enabling of the financial sector. The 1% like to do that, of course, because it absolves them of responsibility.
    · Of course this goes ‘round and ‘round because the rich and corporations lobby legislators to get the legislation they want in exchange for funding the election of that person.
    · Another group places the blame on the individuals who participated in the madness by borrowing beyond their means; the student who borrowed too much to go to college, the homeowner who believed that a house was a great investment.
    · Finally, there are those who didn’t participate in the madness and who — sometimes with great vanity and chest beating — proclaim their righteousness mostly by castigating those who did.
    · A very small minority simply sat on the side with a bowl of popcorn, watched and shook their heads, and remain silent today.

    All of us fall into one of these categories.

    We’re a group of people, standing in a circle, pointing the finger of blame at the person next to them. What we fail to realize is that (mixed metaphore warning) all of us are in the same pot now. The unfortunate thing is that the OWS protests might be the final log on the fire needed to bring the water to a boil.

    Some protesters are legitimate, as the person rebutting your post noted. Others responded to a Craigslist ad, still others wanted to camp out for a few days and felt the urge to protest something. Some want a job, others gave up jobs to join the protests, and some are offended if the word ‘work’ is even mentioned.

    I think we’ll have to wait and see who takes charge of this group and what they become. In view of the stated goals of many on the edge of true power today I am not hopeful. Optimistically, I have been wrong many times before. Pessimistically, I can see things getting way out of hand.

    I do find it horrifying that at the height of the protests to date the Fed enables Bank of America to shift their failing derivatives into a bad bank portion of that parent corporation, with all their depositors. That’s a classic move: separate assets into a good bank and a bad bank, then declare bankruptcy. The good bank is easily brought out of bankruptcy, into a profitable status, and in this case the taxpayer, through the FDIC, is stuck with the bad bank. I could see this move when the people have been distracted elsewhere, but now? … with the protesters right outside the door?

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  11. Fifteen million unemployed and only 5 million jobs?
    The person who wrote this clearly has no concept that that "employment" is not the be all and end all of earning an income.
    If you can shine shoes on the street corner for a dollar then you have a "job".
    Find the busiest tradesman in your area, put on a clean shirt, and tell him/her you'll do all their crappiest jobs in return for a pittance and the chance to learn...
    You turn up on time every day.
    You bust your guts.
    In three years you'll be in a far better position than 99 percent of the university graduates that have little more than a degree in laziness.

    Seems almost everyone wants a job that pays a million a year and doesn't involve getting your hands dirty.

    The rest argue they'd be content with half that much so long as they're required to do nothing at all...

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  12. It is funny that the protesters don't have a problem with Hollywood or sports celebrities making 'outrageous'salaries. But, corporations are evil. People support them all. If you don't agree with the amount they are making, quit buying what they sell. No more designer jeans, endorsed shoes or the latest and the greatest in electronics. When you feed the beast, expect to get bit.

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  13. Amen & Amen! I so agree with all that has been said! It begins with us and our families NOT the other way around. And yes, I believe that our schools are teaching this "self deserving" attitude that has engulfed our nation and our world!

    Keep preaching it, Sister!!

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  14. just WOW
    what a bunch of profoundly uniformed comments

    the banksters and fraudsters of Wall Street are LITERALLY
    sipping champagne and laughing their butts off
    they've got the proles attacking each other
    divide and conquer
    works every time

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  15. I do believe that if all the illegal workers were to vacate the jobs they have then we would have a lot less "jobless".

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  16. Like so many protests, it's just a way to get your 15 minutes of fame. There are two benefits to even the worst job- a paycheck, and a reference point. A bad job makes you look for something better,and appreciate it when you find it.
    There was a picket line here where *all* the picketers were hired from a day-labor place! I became a local joke.
    I have both a cell phone and a smartphone-both are Pay As You Go models(I don't use a cell phone all that much,and it's the cheapest way to go for someone like me). Some cities-even small towns-have city wide free wifi, or lacking that, many public libraries or fast-food places do.
    I have never had a credit card, despite the fact many people tell me I "need" one.
    Though the twentysomethings usually get blamed for being "gimme" types, it's been my experience that many of the half-century or so set are just as bad.
    Almost all corporate crime probably has some sort of government assistance-some official somewhere paid off, or at least paid to look the other way.
    All of the jobs I've had I obtained by just walking into a place I thought might be hiring-no want ads, no Internet job services-I just got on my bike, rode around and asked at many different places. I'm sure that technique still works.

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  17. I sent an email to the Wenatchee Valley Visitor's Bureau, asking them to forward apple picking employment information to me.

    I'm not proud, and we really need the money.

    :|

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  18. $150 a day to pick apples, wow that's great I know 4 of us you would have loved to pick apples for that pay. My 2 oldest sons and I have worked 10 to 13 hrs a day. Picking apples seems to be a no brainier. A fully charged Ipod or MP3 good music and we are good to go.

    Too many what something for nothing. America was built on blood, sweat and tears. Not the tears of whining,

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  19. I would like to thank you for another thoughtful and thought provoking post. You demonstrat that there is more than simply hope for us all. Again, Thank You from Tomthetinker2500@aol.com.

    TTT

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  20. Enola, you have a great way of putting things in perspective. When the "small" amount of people decided for "all" of us that JESUS, the ONLY Saviour and Lord was to be taken out of everything in this country, things unraveled faster than it has ever unraveled. NOW, they are reaping what they have sowed.
    I pray that this country comes back to JESUS. But, the Book of Revelation tells the end of the story....People need to choose this day who they will follow!!! Man or the God of all creation...
    And, one company's employees just voted down having a union come in and take over. And this is in a RIGHT to WORK state...NC
    God Bless!!

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  21. This has been a great read. There are definitely jobs to be had out there. I've never had trouble getting a job because I've always been willing to do what needs done. We can certainly live with much less than what is considered NEEDED in our country. What are you willing to give up or do without. Our family of 7 lives on a little over $1000.00 per month. It Can be done!

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  22. You want to know what they are protesting?

    Well here it is:

    http://www.businessinsider.com/what-wall-street-protesters-are-so-angry-about-2011-10?op=1

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  23. But this guy REALLY lays it out:

    http://youtu.be/OAOrT0OcHh0

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  24. Recently I listened to a radio interview of one of the protestors. She had received a scholarship to go to medical school. The commentator asked her why she is protesting and not taking advantage of the scholarship to be able to earn her way. She said her family have been life long welfare collectors. She made it clear that she will stay and protest as that is her goal "to change society from the rich and give to the poor" rather than go to medical school.
    The announcer tried to imporess upon her that she might want to thinnk ahead to when she is 35 years old and where she will be then if all she wants to do is protest.

    In the end she preferred to protest on the streets rather than take advantage of something an honest, hardworking young person would sincerely appreciate and be grateful for. I know my grand children would be grateful for such an opportunity to have a scholorship at a university to become a medical professional.

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  25. I agree, all we can do is make the best of our situation. Let us face the new year with renewed hope, and an appreciation for the things we do have.

    -Alissa

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