OMG!!!!! This just isnt right!!!!

Hey gang, take a look at this OMG!

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_local_blogonomics/2009/10/gotta-love-the-readers-whose-smugness-is-matched-only-by-their-ignoranceafter-sundays-story-about-an-out-of-work-50-year-old.html

"Jobs are scarce but plenty of venom to go around"

Gotta love the readers whose smugness is matched only by their ignorance.

After Sunday's story about an out-of-work, 50-year-old graphic artist, I read through a long list of angry/hurtful/petty comments from folks who, apparently, are immune to layoffs and the frailty of human compassion.

My favorite postings came from two readers who felt the subject of the story was getting just what she deserved because in the past she'd worked for the Democratic Party.

Here's what poortaxpayer said (in its raw, unedited form):

She did work for the communist demorat party. Maybe next time she will think twice about that.

"Hmm," I thought, "that's weird." The woman we'd featured hadn't said anything about politics. We'd talked about a lot of things, but never once did she say she'd worked for a political party.

She's a graphic designer who worked for about 10 years at a company that makes pencils. So I went back and re-read the story and found this passage:

For 10 years, she was at Dixon Ticonderoga designing everything from sales catalogs to specialty pencils. Whitten reaches into her portfolio and hands me a collection of pencils decorated with spider webs and other Halloween images. A few others are from the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

"I did those,' she said. 'I was the resident pencil person."

Oh, I get it now poortaxpayer. You're confused -- wonderfully, remarkably confused.

You took the fact that the artist's employer supplied pencils to a convention and somehow concluded the artist had worked for -- how did you put it? -- oh right, the "communist demorat party."

Of course, by that logic, employees for every vendor at the conventions were working for the party. Damn political hacks.

Amid the virtual venom -- "What a loser" -- and self-righteousness -- "I am 44, and had never been unemployed for a single day since I was 17" -- I found this post from Marrigan.

I'll give him or her the last word.

The cruel posts here are shocking and disappointing. The smugness expressed is nothing less than cyber-cannibalism ... No "there but for the grace of God go I," but "let's kick 'em when they're down." Yikes. It's so easy to be a keyboard coward ... It seems to me that a little less judgment and a lot more understanding is in order.

And Sundays story is here, make sure you read these comments!!!!!!
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orl-jobless-search-100409,0,2206453.story

People can be just pond scum, makes me appreciate the ones who aren't.

As the old saying goes, you learn who your real friends are when the chips are down, many more people are seeing large segments of society as well as individuals for who they really are.

I should say, There but for the grace of God go I...meaning glad I'm not one of those soulless keyboard cowards.

nancym, unfortunately these comments are typical of the comments I read on many news sites. Very few of the comments on these sites are empathetic. What is not typical is Ms. Whitten's story. Most of us do not have a craft we can use to make jewelry or anything else to sell for pocket money and I don't know of anyone else collecting unemployment benefits able to take a vacation. As for financial help from relatives, I'm sure it is there for some but I don't know anyone personally that has family able to pay their bills for them. It also sounds like her sister has her enrolled on her company's group health insurance plan which may constitute fraud depending on the contract. I fear that the story, while purporting to be sympathetic to people whose benefits are ending is slanted is such a way that it reminds me of a favorite saying of my mother's "She cries poverty with a loaf of bread under each arm."

Very informative & interesting discussion. Brace yourself, the figures are staggering.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bu8Nd7xuix4&NR=1

grandmom49 wrote:Very informative & interesting discussion. Brace yourself, the figures are staggering.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bu8Nd7xuix4&NR=1

Finally! Someone on tv keeping it real about class warfare, instead of pooh-poohing it and pretending it doesn't exist. The horrible part of this is that most of those people he talks about who made so much money in the last couple of decades were such a soulless bunch of sociopaths that I doubt you could find more than a couple of them who would even think of taking him up on his idea of giving back from the people they took it all from.

You are right on Nancy, They would rather set up foundations to benefit residents of foreign countries and get tax breaks from this country. Examples, Bill & Melinda Gates, Oprah Winfrey & Ashton Kutcher & Demi Moore. I know that their businesses are multinational, but if they hadn't earned the bulk of it in the US they would not be multimillionaires.
As for others who don't give back anywhere, look at bank & insurance co. CEO's and even non-profit CEO's. I know we are a capitalist society but I don't think our founding fathers foresaw the extent that some would be able to pervert the system to their own benefit.

GMA investigative report on travel expenses of Legislators & their staffers. If they would similarly fund unemployment benefits we would never have a problem again.

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/members-congress-staffers-travel-high-style-taxpayers-dime/story?id=10440334&nwltr=GMADF_featuredstories_hed2