Not Asking for Help - or Hatred

Why is it that people who do not wish to help others will speak with such venom when saying so? Instead of simply saying, "No thank you. I gave at the office", or, "I'm sorry, but I can't afford it right now", they get absolutely vicious. I'm talking about politicians, too, mind you.

Spouse related seeing some irate senator spouting off on some news program. "Why should we give our hard-earned money to others? Why?" It wasn't a question he appeared to want answered.

To answer the irate senator's question, I can only think of one answer: Because you want to.

If you don't, and he spent an entire speech spelling out why he didn't, then I can't think of a reason.

What I'm curious about is - why doesn't he want to? Why does he appear to hate people in need so much? What is it from his past which brought him to the place where he feels no compassion whatsoever toward people who are losing - or have lost - everything? He talks as if these people suffer because they want to. That it's all their own fault. I will grant him that in some of our (yes, I'm saying our) cases that is true. We have been foolish and stupid.

But what the h*ll's the matter with this guy? He's a frikkin senator for Pete's sake. (Thought I was going to use a different name, didn't you? I'll be honest. I nearly did.) Hasn't he been paying any attention to the news? Millions of people have lost everything (or nearly everything), and not because they were stupid or careless. They simply trusted people who should have been trustworthy, but who turned out to be the worst financial criminals ever. Don't these people deserve even a little compassion?

A lot of people thought they were immune. They thought they had enough insulation between themselves and poverty. How frightening to learn that wasn't true. I never used to feel sorry for the wealthy, or once wealthy. Having fallen with them, I do now. Oh, my perch wasn't nearly so lofty. The kind of money I was used to having wouldn't have seen them through lunch. But now many of them are no better off than I am. I feel sorry for them. Many have no idea what it's like down here at, or near, the bottom of society's step-ladder of success. I've been here before. The lower rungs are not all that unfamiliar. Not pleasant, though. Get stepped on a lot. Sometimes by one's own feet.

A few weeks ago I saw a woman interviewed. She had been a wealthy author or editor. The story didn't make that clear. What was clear was that last year her portfolio was worth tens of millions of dollars. Unfortunately, she had made her investments with the latest Wall Street scammer, and it was ALL GONE. All of it. She was in tears as she told how she didn't know how she would be able to keep her apartments and other things. (Yes, I said apartments. Plural.)

There was a time, I'm ashamed to say, I would have laughed at her. My thoughts would have been along the lines of, "Serves you right! Now see how it feels to be poor."

Not exactly loving, was I? This was after I became a Christian, people. Shame on me.

Couldn't do it this time. This woman, after losing nearly everything, still has more than I ever had when I was at the top of my financial life. Yet I found myself with tears on my face watching her and listening to her cries. She had no clue how to live a simple life. She was terrified. I understand terror. It hangs close to my elbows all the time, waiting for those moments when I'm tired, physically or, even more so, emotionally and spiritually. Then there is this senseless desire to run! I don't know where. I just feel if I can run I can get away from the troubles which beset me. (Fortunately, I am in such poor health I can't run, so I can't give in to the panic.) I know that's what this woman was feeling. That's why she was crying so. She's scared.

I hate to see people cry. Always have. Even when I used to pretend I didn't care. Someone would start to cry and I would begin to hurt inside. When Helvie and I used to fight, as long as she didn't cry I would continue my barrages. But once the tears began, I stopped. Sometimes she used that as an opportunity and beat the cr*p out of me. Mostly, it just ended the fight.

Why aren't people like this senator affected by the very real tears of the helpless? I guess I can understand not responding to people on newsreels. We don't know them, and it's easy not to care. We see so much faked drama on television shows and movies we become desensitized to what we see on a screen. But doesn't this senator know anyone personally who is suffering? Is he that insulated from the rest of us? Everybody I meet has been personally affected by this financial collapse to some degree. My helplessness to help makes me cry just walking around.

But it isn't just the senator's (and there are plenty like him in this country) lack of compassion which brings me so low. Why does he hate us? We're not enemies. We're just poor.

NOTE: This post came out by accident. I had intended to write something funny. Well, laugh it up, I guess. Got good news to post on The Great Sea. Give me a few hours to post it, though.
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