First Lady Michelle Obama visited a soup kitchen that feeds the homeless not too far from the White House a few days ago. The place is called Miriam's Kitchen, and its known to serve 300 people everyday, mostly men. The center also has a volunteer staff of 1,200 people.Upon her visit, Mrs. Obama presented a donation of food collected by White House Staff employees. Given our failing economy, with people losing homes and struggling to put food on the table, one has to conclude this as a very nice and welcomed gesture. But not so fast, not everyone sees it this way.
As usual, right wing conservatives are using the pic above as an opportunity to bash president Obama's economic policy, and liberalism in general. Instead of their focus being on the obvious need for community activism, volunteerism, and service, they're concerned about the gentleman in the pic above possessing a cell phone. That's right folks, forget about the 300 people this center feeds per day being only blocks away from The White House. Or the fact that people are struggling to maintain; never mind that. Instead, the question from them is: How can a person be homeless and have a cell phone?
Here's an example from the blog of the great oxygen thief known as Michelle Malkin:
"In D.C., the homeless are just like you and me, and they have cell phones, they have cell phones.
Via Andrew Malcolm, here is one of the homeless cell phone owners snapping a pic of First Lady Michelle Obama — ruining what was supposed to be a sob story photo op of the compassionate Mrs. O catering to the downtrodden.
Say cheese!
Some folks are wondering where the cell phone bills get sent.
The answer is obvious: ACORN headquarters."
That's right folks, and the insanity doesn't just stop there. Here is what was said in an article in the LATimes by writer Andrew Malcolm. This is actually the piece that sparked this whole thing:
"these news photos were widely distributed across the country and even around the world.
It doesn't detract from the first lady's generous gesture or the real needs she seeks to highlight to ask two bothersome journalistic questions about these news photos:
If this unidentified meal recipient is too poor to buy his own food, how does he afford a cellphone?
And if he is homeless, where do they send the cellphone bills?"
But, but, but, wait...it gets worse! Here's another exceprt from another right wing nutjob Kathy Shaidle of the blog "Five Feet of Fury":
"Today's "poor" are the rich Jesus warned you about: fat, slovenly, wasteful of their money and other people's.
I prefer to call them "the broke."
A lot of (really naive) people are wondering (or pretending to wonder, when they're in public) how this "homeless" guy could "afford" a cellphone:
It would be better phrased: why is a guy with a cellphone homeless? Because then the question answers itself.
He spends all his (our) money on cellphones and, most likely, tattoos and drugs and booze and other crap, and has no money left for a home and food. And why should he bother? We pay for his shelter and food anyhow."
And yet people wonder why the republican party is out of touch. It's this very mindset which is responsible for the virtual ass whoopin they received at the polls last November. But I guess they've got their heads so far up their asses to see what's really happening in this country. Somebody needs to tell the small minded midget who wrote that last bit above what's really going on.
These are the same people who criticize president Obama's Rescue & Recovery Program for the economy, and applaud republican governors for refusing to accept any federal funds from said program. That's right, the same funds which could provide much needed extensions on unemployment assistance and food stamps for citizens who are trying to stay alive without having to stand in line at a soup kitchen.
Yup, these same assholes were quick to support the give away of $750 billion without question to banks upon the urgency of Bush & Company, but are questioning poor people having cell phones? Hell, who's to say this guy in the pic above was in fact a homeless person. And even if he was, what the hell is wrong with him having a cell phone. Must the poor lose all sense of dignity before a hand is outreached to them? And hell, I thought this was about community service and volunteerism. How the hell did it become about them spending tax payer dollars?
What I find rather ironic, is that this criticism is coming from these fear mongering, war loving ass clowns on the right, when there are approximately 250,000 homeless veterans who sleep on the streets and shelters every damn night. Hell, I don't know the guy in the pic, but chances are he just might be a veteran. Now wouldn't that be a bitch if he was?
And even if he was, and was actually homeless, wouldn't it be a good idea that he had a cell phone if not anything else in trying to find a job? Apparently that's not a good idea either to Michelle Malkin and her com padres. According to Ms. Malkin, "slum dwellers" like the lady she wrote about in this piece right here, should not have 60 inch television sets in their homes. That said, how dare they have cell phones?!! Oh well, if today's "poor" are the rich Jesus warned us about, I wonder who were the rich people he was talking about back then. Surely they couldn't have been republicans.
6 comments:
First what the hell is this Mulkin bitch?
Is she Asian, Hispanic or what?
The way she acts she is a Blond haired blue eyed Becky. Or maybe that is what she really wants to be.
But this is America man.If it is White it is alright.
I wonder if she said anything about those rich WHITE men that flew to D.C. in private jets to beg for her tax-dollars to bail out the companies that they ran into the ground?
It's so discouraging to think people will hate a homeless person because he has a cell phone??
Like, if he sold it, possibly endangering himself, it would only bring like 5-20 dollars at most.
And how long, given the extreme inflationary rates of survival would 20 dollars even last?
These people are pigs and proud of it.
I sent you a trackback today!
Actually, it's smarter for him to have a cell phone especially if he doesn't have a HOME for a home phone. If you're out there on the streets and you need people to get back to you about jobs and such, who are they gonna call? spending that money on a prepaid phone is a smart idea. now if he's burnin thru his minutes, that's a different issue lol
OMG, First I volunteered for Miriam's Kitchen....and some of the men (and few women) were questionable, not everyone is homeless, but somepeople just need a good meal, because they don't have enough money to make it to the end of the week let alone month, because they are using everything they have just to get to and from work, they are trying to keep their lights on, and water running, they are trying to provide for Children & families. They have finally gotten off the streat, but still don't have the resources to eat a decent meal....for some of these men and women, the breakfast Miriam's provide is the only solid, nutritious meal they will eat that day....
I live and work in DC, yet, these "fat cat republicans" who come to the city to do their business choose to walk pass men and women on the streets, they choose to see through rose colored glasses, and that's why they lost in 08, citing "recession, what recession", "war for 100 years", etc.
BS I tell ya....I can't believe it
P.S. Miriam's is a great resource not just for the breakfast, but for the other services it offers...check it out
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