Ebenezer Was Right

National Review Online ^ | December 22, 2003 | Jennifer Nicholson Graham

[livesbygrace]

Isn't it wonderful when real life lays waste to the 'it takes a village' mentality...

[nuconvert]

"compassionless conservative...?"

Meaning WHAT exactly?

[Taliesan]

Liberals love these poor people. In the abstract.

[maeng]

True, but sometimes we do (unaware) entertain angels. Maybe, just maybe, this was one of those times.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Bowling was the last straw.

[AppyPappy]

Too bad we closed the orphanages.

[sitetest]

Dear livesbygrace,

"but, as a conservative, I know that as long as the neighborhood — the village — cared for them, her mother never would."

Whether the "village" cares for them or not, it's likely the mother never will.

Then, what's the answer?


sitetest

[Egon]

True, but sometimes we do (unaware) entertain angels. Maybe, just maybe, this was one of those times.

I used to believe this as well. I'm a lot more careful now that I have a wife and kids. I've read/heard too many horror stories about crimes being committed by people being helped by good samaritans. It's one thing to take the risk when no one's counting on you, or is put at risk along with you. It's an entirely different thing to take these risks on behalf of others. I think the angels you refer to probably take this into account as well.

[CatoRenasci]

Indeed. Really compassionate conservatism would take these children away from the mother and place them in decent foster homes or in orphanages where they would receive decent food, clothing, shelter, and moral guidance. In a truly just world, those of us more fortunate would not let our children mock and make fun of kids in those situations. The children are not responsible for their parent's choice, but they suffer the most. Get them away from the parent and break the cycle, at least the children will have a chance to become decent citizens. But, I'm sure this is too politically incorrect.

[No Blue States]

This lady did a very good thing, although it didnt seem to be appreciated by the mother, there is He who noticed.
She will be rewarded in both this life and the next:


Luke 6:36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
6:37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
6:38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

[madprof98]

I just posted an Atlanta article describing what happens to these kids--and to mama--as they get older. It's not consoling. These people are winning.

[AppyPappy]

Just the threat of taking the kids (along with the free government money) will cause some to straighten up. Many of these "parents" use the children to blackmail money from relatives as well.

[maeng]

I agree, but sometimes I find myself not helping when I probably should. The climate in our nation makes one very wary. However, I do not think a good deed goes by without the Almighty seeing it. I think this person will be blessed for just trying to do something to help.

[ccmay]

I always thought the people on the Jerry Springer Show were actors, or were hatched from pods dropped by aliens. Now I know where they come from.

--ccm

[HarleyD]

This reminds me of Elizabeth Smart's mother who hire the homeless man to fix the roof because she felt sorry for him. There are many ways to help-just be careful what ways you choose.

[yankeedame]

True, but sometimes we do (unaware) entertain angels. Maybe, just maybe, this was one of those times. <>But that's not the way I'd bet.

[No Blue States]

Thats a good point. In the past as a single man I might give a hitchhiker a lift, having had a car break down plenty of times in the past myself. Now, I just cant take that type of risk with my family involved.

People who prey on good samaritans should have a special place in hell, considering the effect it has on many who would help others.

I guess we just have to be very wise when helping people these days.

[maeng]

Where God is concerned, I would not be surprised. He does many wonders and gives us numerous chances to be good Samaritans. Who can really say how.

[Lurking in Kansas]

DITTO

Get them away from the parent and break the cycle, at least the children will have a chance to become decent citizens. But, I'm sure this is too politically incorrect.

You are correct, sir.

[SamAdams76]

No good deed goes unpunished

Sadly, that is often true when lending a hand to those who have fallen upon hard times. It sounds so heartless and cruel to say that, especially at Christmastime, but there it is. My wife and I have been burned several times over the years by helping out friends and family.

The most egregious example of this happened about five years ago with a childhood friend of my wife. She married somebody who ended up being sent to prison for sexual molesting children and found herself evicted from her apartment and without a good enough job to afford another one (she worked entry-level in a department store). We took her into our home where she sort of took over the place. She parked her old wreck of a car in our driveway that needed $800 of work right off the bat (which we paid for so she could get to work). Of course, the car was full of laundry baskets and plastic bags full of clothes and pots and pans that we had to lug into the house and store in the basement. The car was a mess after we got everything out of it. I'm talking candy wrappers and empty potato chip bags with all kinds of food crumbs all over the floor and seats (yes, she was about 100 pounds overweight). It was disgusting.

I mention that because that is how she lived in our house. Just a total slob. She would spend hours in front of the TV munching on snacks, getting crumbs all over the furniture. We have a rule in our house that food is only eaten in the dining room or kitchen but she ignored our hints that she should do the same. We knew she was going through hard times so we tried to be as tactful as possible.

For the first couple of weeks, she was endlessly thanking us for taking her in. But then she gradually became getting comfortable and more rude towards us about certain things. She started lamenting about "how fortunate" we were to have "all these things" and how she has never had anything but bad luck. After a month and a half, we discovered that she still had zero savings from that crummy job. Which is not hard to understand because she had already "called in sick" close to 10 times during that month and a half in which she sat on our couch watching TV while WE went off to work. Then her car broke down again and we started having to drive her to and from work. It became hell having her around.

Once we started hinting that we wanted her to leave, she became very hostile and started saying things like "You guys just want me to go away so you can go back to your Norman Rockwell lives" and things like that. Finally we got her out but it was a horrible experience. She did not show one bit of gratitude at the end even though we were out literally thousands of dollars in car repairs, food, etc., when all was said and done. And she was in no better position financially when she left our house then when she came in even though we paid almost all her expenses for her.

After she left, we had to get the rugs cleaned, the couches repaired and at my next party, I discovered that almost all the liquor in my liquor cabinet was diluted with water. Evidently she had been helping herself to my stock and pouring water back in the bottles so that we wouldn't notice.

So I can definitely relate to this article.