I am disabled, was homeless, jobless, carless, 1st after the storm, then the crash of '08, and again after the BP spill, but I created (I forgot.....I didn't build that!) an income from nothing thru resourcefulness and need. I have taken no gov't help to do so, and while I have had a "hand up" (not a hand out) in my endeavors as people became aware of my situation, I owe nothing that has not been repaid or reciprocated

People lose things because they fall for the debt trap of the banks and their gov't enablers. Living in debt beyond your means is never a wise choice, so your idea of "beyond their control" should actually be "because they lived beyond their control".

Don't confuse stupidity with hard times. Smart people live within their means, sacrifice when they must, and expect the unexpected.

How is that everyone elses fault?

If you can't control your own destiny it's because you are dependent on someone else, lack ambition, suffer catastrophic hardship (that I understand, but those numbers are very small indeed by comparison to the population now on assistance), or simply wish to be lazy thinking the world owes you a living.

There is a need for charity but not to 45% of the nations population! Since that is the case, look no further than your corrupt gov't for the cause!

That is awesome! It takes a lot of work to accomplish that, even more so than work it takes a DESIRE and NEED to work. If when you were homeless you started to automatically get a check that took care of your needs, it may very well have squelched that desire. That is my issue with just giving money to the homeless, I think it would do more harm than good.

It already has done more harm than good my friend. It is bankrupting and destroying the very fabric of our nation. The gov't has grown so out of control they can no longer maintain the limits of their greed. They know the people will eventually revolt, and they want our guns........

resourcefulness,, requires a RESOURCE

when people have resources reduced,, they sometimes need assistane

as to 45 percent of the nation population, I don't know what that number refers to,,,

and as to people 'automatically ' getting a check, especially those with no residence,, Im not sure the percentage that holds true for either

I think it is always good to help someone have a meal when they are hungry, whether you drive them to the kitchen and want to protect your investment by staying to watch and make sure they heat protein and vegetables in stead of harmful junk

or whether you just spare the dollar or two you were going to spend on overpriced starbucks or some fast food junk of your own,,

or whther you take them for a meal yourself and order to ensure its not harmful

,in my opinion, erring on the side of someone possibly eating is etter than holding back on the possibility that they might not use it in an unharmful way

BS! I had nothing, I worked in the kitchens for my meals and hitch hiked to get there when I couldn't afford a bus.....or walked.

I talked to a "scraper" who said he would watch for computers people threw away and I help him for those machines and a couple dollars as he could afford it.

I turned those parts into working machines, sold them, bought more. Some days I didn't eat, But I never panhandled or begged for anything.

So don't tell me about resources being the problem. The only resources you need are feet, desire and ambition

As usual you are trying to explain to me where I come from without knowing anything about the reality of it!

My kids once told me I could make a castle from a cardboard box.... I take pride in that

that is truly wonderful,,,,Im not sure where or when his occurred but I am glad you had resources like

1. business owners who were willing to let you work for them in return for food

2. funds to afford a bus sometimes

3. the skill set to 'help with computers'

4. someone who would assist with finding and paying for that help

5. a customer base who would purchase from you

6. your own time (not obligated towards anyone else for anything else)

don't know where anyone here comes from, I just know that whether people acknowledge it or not,, resources matter, and those who pick themselves up don't do it without some form of resource,,, resources that many find themselves without,, depending upon their own geography, physicality, and network,,


I don't particularly find it as difficult for a grown up with only themselves to look after,, but I empathize with them as well

its different than being an adult responsible for others who are unable to do for themelves,, like young children

Get off your high horse. I scrounged for every bit of it! Created it! None of it "existed" until I made it happen! I built trust, took the effort to make those contacts where none existed.

You and your messiah want to tell me "You didn't build that!"....well I did. And without a single dime from any gov't program.

I could go into details but I'm not going to air my past personal laundry any further to prove how wrong you are.

And you are most definitely wrong.....as usual! It might help to know about a topic before you preach on it to someone who has been there!

The WILL and DESIRE to succeed are the most important and valuable resources a person needs to succeed. Being resourceful doesn't require capital....it does require ambition and desire, neither of which requires monetary support.

Monetary SUPPORT may be a resource to the recipient but it surely doesn't make the recipient resourceful. If anything it will cause the recipient to be less resourceful.

Resources is just another name for the crutch you use to feel good about taking the hard earned money of others.

So, what would you do then if such programs didn't exist to receive the money of others......die, or actually get motivated by "real" need?

Desire, ambition, effort, and discipline is all someone really needs.

Many 'support' programs can take away that desire, or even worse get rid of it all together, and even create an 'entitlement mentality'.

The only thing gov't ever created with absolute success is victims

I agree , actually. I never said money was the only type of 'resource'.. but resources are necessary to pull oneself up,,, and many people really don't have any,,, as hard as it is to imagine

if you have people willing to help you,, that is a 'resource',,,whether they are a government entity, or an employer,,,it is still a 'resource' that is not available to everyone everywhere when they fall upon hard times,,,

tell it to Miriam Webster

resource", a source of supply or support : an available means —usually used in plural

a source of SUPPORT (to give help or assistance to (someone or something)


without someone to HELP us, whether it be allowing us to work for them(for money or food),

without an available means, transportation, money, marketable skill, consumer base


no one can pull themselves up,,,,

thankfully, just as in the above posts you imply that someone 'helped' you by looking for computers, and others were willing to buy those computers

God blessed me with a family that help me when I am struggling to get on,, especially for my children,,,,,

being a woman, Id have resources of my own that people would be willing to pay for,, but God forbid it ever would come to that

if I had SOME MONEY and was in an area where there were a MArket for it, I would see if others would be willing to provide me with 'food' or money for cleaning

but whatever I would need to do would require some type of resources to pull off,,,,something that was marketable, a means of getting it to consumers, and the consumers willing to pay for it,,,

and resources,, even chris gardner had them,, although his story is amazing,,,,,

Yes,good people should care,but not getting reduced to Milchcows by Government!

Compulsory Government-Charity is no Virtue!

its only charity if there is nothing expected in return,, there is no compulsory government charity,,,, recipients are expected to contribute with their efforts, their productivity, their taxes,,,their whole lives,,,,, with the exception of MAYBE a couple years

Paint your picture any way you wish that makes you feel good about stealing the money of others to enable an element of society that is prone to taking.

Their idea of resources is a welfare office, they call when their check is late from their free cell phone, and many pick it up in the new car they bought. But they have to leave their subsidized apt to go get it....their idea of ambition.

Entitlements have bankrupted more than one generation. Add unfunded forever wars, a congress who keeps raising the debt limit on our credit card, have already looted SS so it too has become an unfunded liability and in danger of collapsing, and you have a sucking sound rather than music and laughter rising from a once proud nation.

Ambition determines whether a resource is a hand up or a hand out. I said as much. Welfare has become a crutch. Greed and laziness, not ambition, made it so. When you provide something to someone the odds are better that it will be abused. The idea of work for most becomes how to get more from it, not how to get out of it.

You don't feed a cancer sugar to cure it, you cut it out!

I care enough about homeowners, working tax payers and truly needy enough to want to see gubbament arm us as well as Barry arms his Muslim Brohood.

people steal,, there are laws against it and consequences for t

there is no walk of life where people exist that thieves and cons cant be found

I feel good to be in a country that cares about human beings enough to realize that the economy is SET UP for some people to not be able to earn a living,, and to realize that the highs and lows of the economy and the struggles of life will leave people with times that they need HELP, and that some people have no SOURCE of help to keep them and their kids safe , and fed

I feel great that we live in such a country, I fear the hell it would be if we really left people to 'fend for themselves' or die,,

I Care about all citizens, whether they own homes or pay taxes is irrelevant as far as whether I Care about them

there is a different thread on the topic of 'arms'