Comments on: Who Are The Poor?

By: mike

mike — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 01:42:29 +0000

…”The truth is the poor are truly poor, not because they don’t have money, but because they don’t have love.” ……WOW!….im somewhat familar with the homeless and those living on the margins of society but i had never thought of their condition in terms of a lack of (brotherly?)love but YES your right!..Now put yourself in their place for a moment and then imagine what you would be thinking about someone like YOU walking by…These adjectives immediately come to mind..SNOB-HOLIER THAN THOU-SELF RIGHTEOUS-MERCILESS-COMPASSIONLESS SOB….

By: Mary Taylor

Mary Taylor — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 20:49:32 +0000

I loved the article with the exception with your grievance with the word, “sir.”

Most languages have a formal you and an informal you. Formal you is used to show respect, primarily to someone who is older and in a position of authority; someone with whom one might prefer to keep at arm’s length. The informal you is used when conversing casually with friends.

The English language does not have this difference. You is you. Therefore we use sir and ma’am to address persons to whom we show deference. My children attend an exclusive private school. They are required to address their teachers as sir and ma’am. When my children’s friends call me ma’am I am pleased; I feel that by addressing their superiors with respect, they are respecting themselves. I also feel it teaches the valuable lesson that respect is something that is earned. Unfortunately, with humankind, it is not our birthright.

My husband is a physician who addresses all of his older patients as ma’am or sir. He feels that because they have lived longer than him they are worthy of this respectful gesture.

There is also the factor that the words “sir and “ma’am” soften one’s addresee by their deference and are just part of the game of life.
I have been pulled over by cops several times for speeding. Every time I address them as “sir” even though, in my book they are all poorly educated, totally unfit blockheads. I do it because those two words may make things a bit easier for me.

In a perfect world we could possibly do without these differences. Unfortunately, this is a world in which rules exist. And the bottem line is that people do soften and respond to expressions of deference.

By: nike shox

nike shox — Wed, 05 May 2010 08:33:36 +0000

I always believed that if you through enough money at poverty that It was possible to fix it but your indeed right.

By: Dangerous Christian

Dangerous Christian — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 16:13:35 +0000

Excellent article-especially for Holy Week. Being one who’s had the privilege of serving the needy, it’s something to meet them where they are instead of just “throwing money” at their plight. You get to hear their stories, not what someone else may say.

As we remember Christ’s passion this week, we need to remember that He met us needy folk by coming to Earth to meet our spiritual needs. And that one of the criteria for entering the Kingdom is going to be how we treat the poor among us (Matthew 25).

Peace!

By: Paul Waltz

Paul Waltz — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 12:44:35 +0000

“The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches but to reveal to him his own.” -Benjamin Disraeli

By: Brandon Kuehl

Brandon Kuehl — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 14:52:05 +0000

You hit the nail right on the head. I truly love this article you wrote. I have noticed this since I have moved downtown.

By: Gstamos

Gstamos — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 07:01:55 +0000

This is probably some of the most insightful material that I have ever come across on the issue of poverty.

I always believed that if you through enough money at poverty that It was possible to fix it but your indeed right.

It’s the lack of personal development and understanding that makes and individual truly poor.