Republicans, volunteering, and my eye opening and disappointing experience today.

I have a married couple who are friends, but more than that since they consider me their 4th son and a member of their family. They are only about 14 and 16 years older than me so not really old enough to be my parents. I was once best friends with their oldest son and we have known one another for almost 32 years. They would do anything for me and I for them, all any of us have to do is ask. They are Republicans and I realize that many here at DU would believe I should have nothing to do with them because of that.

The wife turned 70 this year and so she finally retired. Although they do not need the money she has taken an on call job working in the kitchen for the local school district. I told her that as soon as I no longer have to work, that's it, I'm done, although I might do some volunteering. She said that she would never volunteer or work any job for which she is not getting paid. Her husband chimed in that maybe if they had to pay people there would be more jobs and people working. I was simply dumbfounded by that attitude.

These are people for whom I have mowed their lawn every summer for 25 or more years and recently have been mowing it every 4 days. I make money on the side mowing lawns in my neighborhood, charging the mostly elderly people in my neighborhood only $10 for mowing their small lawns. In fact, one woman wanted to pay me to mow her grass because she couldn't get her mower started so I got it running for her. I am not mercenary about this and only cut people's lawn if it really needs it since most of them are on fixed incomes. I have never asked or expected a dime from my friends for mowing their lawn all these years. So I was surprised about the mercenary attitude of theirs of not doing anything unless you are paid.

Finally I realized that this affirms my belief about Republicans and their YOYO (You're On Your Own) attitude. Republicans seem to be against spending any public money, or their own, unless it somehow directly benefits them. They resent anyone who get anything that "they" perceive is undeserved. For all of their pseudo-Christianity their real god is Mammon and they worship at that altar. They believe that God helps those who help themselves (patently and Biblically false since why would you need God's help if you can help yourself--God helps those who cannot help themselves) and if you didn't work hard enough to help yourself then You're On Your Own, no help for you, too bad, so sad. I find this attitude to be tragically sad.


I am hurt and sick to my soul by this attitude of people I love like family. Am I my brother's keeper or not? Who is my neighbor? When I retire I might not want to volunteer by mowing people's lawns, but I would be more than willing to volunteer at a hospital to simply hold tiny babies with AIDs who simply need a human touch, to do something that adds meaning to the world and my life. Don't these people (with this YOYO philosophy) believe in anything greater or more important than themselves, that nothing is greater or more important than making a buck? For all of their religiousity they had better hope there is no God and they never have to stand before Jesus and justify their lives by their actions and choices.

...that what GOPpies SAY is rarely what they DO. In the case of your friends, I am betting that their attitude about volunteering is based on a view of the world that is based on the usual GOPpie Us/Them mentality. They perceive "volunteering" as a scam to benefit "them"-- the lazy, morally inferior, unmotivated burden on hard-working good people.

However, I'm fairly sure that if YOU, or someone your friends regarded as part of the "us" needed help in any way, they would spring quickly into action and be uncommonly generous and helpful.

They are not mean, they just have a narrow, constrained worldview that makes them fear the terrible unknown but suspicious consequences of unchecked altruism. Their own altruism is THERE, it's just... straitjacketed by the limitations of their sad, pinched view of humanity.

regretfully,
Bright

It's part of their rational to deny any sort of social safety net that involves government programs and TAXES!!!!!

The idea is that they help take care of their deserving (christian.white. republican) neighbors in need and no need to support those lazy, cheating "others". It's fair.

Of course, the lord giveth...the lord taketh away. If the folk they are "helping" aren't showing their appreciation then the givers stop giving. They can go to sleep at night secure in the knowledge that they are good christians and keep the government out of our lives.

they needed to have me out there raising money for basic health needs of people. I felt like I was a fraud. We did direct mail, special events, phone banking, and grant writing to foundations. It's a profession called Development. And it's too bad when it comes to health care. These things should be taken care of by the government, not dependent on the ups and downs of an economy that could benefit donors one day and impoverish them another.

I'm glad I'm retired now. I'll never raise money again for anything...

And it can be hard feeling like those closest to you have attitudes that make you feel like people aren't going to do the right thing unless it directly benefits them in the short term.

I have the same issue. My brother and his wife are fairly conservative, and very anti-tax and anti-social program. Except when it comes to healthcare, on healthcare they support medicare for all. It bothers me, they oppose social programs as wasteful or unfair, except the one they directly benefit from. That one is ok.

I'm not going to and never will starve. But I support subsidies to domestic and international nutrition projects and I have donated money, my own food and voted for politicians who support these agendas, despite me never directly benefiting from them.

Back in the 70s, it was not unusual at all to hear people, usually women, say that liberals should not do volunteer work. Their argument made a lot of sense. Women were "expected" to do all the volunteer work at schools, hospitals, etc. but when a paying job opened up a male was usually hired. If was as if women were good enough to work for free, but when a pay check was offered only a man could do the job, even when it was the same job. So the rationale was "if you need the job done, hire me. I am worthy of being paid for my labor."

I've not come across this situation in the last 10 or 15 years.

I would not get too upset with your friends. Maybe some life changing event will alter their view. There are lots of Republican volunteers with youth sports teams, the local Y, etc,

Your friends listen to Rush. It is no longer in the vogue to volunteer. They probably forgot that they ever felt differently, but I am almost certain that they did.

So they once again contradict themselves, on one hand they say pull yourself up by your bootstraps, if you have an illness and don't have insurance than your neighbors should help you But on the other hand Rush and the other morons consider helping your neighbors, neighborhood, cities and states socialism.

Idiots the whole lot of them.

The whole point of that "Thousand Points of Light" was to con people into getting people to do more work on a volunteer basis so that they could cut tax-payer-funded jobs. Why pay someone when there are those willing to do the job for free, after all?

My memory exagerates, I guess.

Rush works hard to get his listeners as worked up as possible. We cannot talk politics at all without the husband getting so worked up I'm afraid he will stroke out. He was raised by a father who hated FDR so the apple didn't fall too far from the tree. The irony is that his youngest son grew up to be a flaming Liberal. His dad blames his son attending the University of Minnesota for this since they brainwashed him. Dad had him for 18 years and UM for four, but evidently they are all powerful. The other irony is that the Liberal son is the one who keeps in touch with his mom and dad, have them visit the cities once a month so they can see their young granddaughters. Myself and this youngest son are real flies in the ointment concerning their beliefs about Liberals.

I took my car to the dealership for an oilchange, and the car salesmen were discussing the political item of the day. I've forgotten what it was. I do remember hearing, "We'll have to listen to Rush to know what to think about this." -- direct quote, and frightening.

Rush started out with little lies and he found out that people believed him. His lies have gotten steadily bigger. I keep thinking that he has to be pushing the envelope of credulity with his listeners, but still he is on the radio. everywhere.

My dear liberal father has taught me that the best way to make Republicans hate Democrats less, is to continue to treat them with kindness and charity. He truly believes in the "Do unto others" principal. Your actions make a difference, even if the fruits of your labors are not readily apparent. Eventually most reasonable people will weary of the hate that Rush, and those who have come after him, cultivate.

and yet one time he was so upset about something I said about politics that he virtually leaped out of his recliner and I thought he was going to come after me. It was weird and scary. I don't know if my friend truly comprehends the degree to which Rush gets his listeners all worked up and I am very much afraid that one of them within the next few years will attempt something horrible, but then Rush will deny any responsibility for what happens. I wonder what my friend will say then?

to make up little parts of the attempted slashing of agencies' budgets. The Rethugs volunteering in the newspaper pictures are always the wives of fatcats in high profile venues, never in laboring spots.

and not to his misguided beliefs. He also is not only my friend, but like a father to me and I know he would do anything for me, his disbelief in volunteering notwithstanding.

If people didn't have the YOYO attitude, then charities would be out of business. It because of this attitude that they can feel superior by giving a paltry sum when charities come a-groveling.

I have a different attitude about charities. I feel that if something needs to be done, from caring for babies with AIDS to feeding the poor or housing the homeless, then the government needs to be doing it. The government (all of us) needs to look out for the most vulnerable members in society and make sure that there are well-funded safety nets to catch the people in danger of falling. The Repubs leave such things to the "faith-based" who spend only on those who they think they can successfully proselytize.

She follows Ayn Rand. And has read her book(s) dozens of times.

It's horrifying to me.

she must be paid. Funny thing is that she told me about her granddaughter who just turned 5 and started kindergarten and how she wouldn't get on the school bus. I have since wondered how she might feel about if she volunteered for a school helping the young kids get on the bus. I wonder how her vision and that of her husband can be so narrow minded.

Their youngest son, their Liberal son, is 41 and suffers from MS. He has insurance coverage through his wife, but if she were to lose her job he would be shit out of luck with his pre-existing condition. Yet my Republican friends are against healthcare reform and ObamaCare and his socialized medicine while they enjoy their Medicare and all it provides for them. You might think they would have some foresight to see how a government safety net for healthcare might just benefit their youngest son and maybe save his family and his young daughter from financial ruin or refused coverage for a pre-existing condition.

What makes these sort of people so small minded with such a lack of empathy for others? Certainly my friends are willing to help those they know, it's just that they are so stingy of spirit to others in need and well as being judgmental.

I will see them tomorrow for their 51st wedding anniversary and maybe I can gently and carefully try to broaden their view a bit, just a bit, bit by bit.

I am currently in my later 50's. I am now disabled (from Army in 60's)and have a long history of volunteering.For years I was a member of 2 Rural Fire Protection Districts. I was an acadamy trained firefighter 2 with extensive hazmat training along with Certified Police acadamy graduate . Where I lived for many years we had a public safety dept both fire and police were the same. A few months I would work fire , afew police or bounce a bit to change shifts with others needing time off. When I laft that part of the US and moved to the midwest I was fortunate enough to join 2 local Fire depts in my area. the 10 acres I owned was on both city lines so I was SPECIAL. I also worked as a deputy sheriff in our county. For the 11 years I worked the fire depts I always returned my checks from the fire calls I went on. Never took a cent even paid for my own way at conferences etc. I was basically volunteering. The 11 years I spent with the local sheriff's dept I did so as a PART TIME deputy. I used that pay to augment bills for my wife's CVID sickness. I also kept a full time job in a major city all these years 20+ to pay the bills and keep food on the table. I ended up taking VIOXX and had 2 heart attacks (MI) and I had to end most of my volunteer activities. Now I just try to get along , can't do too much....damn legs are shot from Army and the heart is shot from VIOXX.I never concidered what any of the volunteers I worked with were politically, we would talk and banter between each other. Hell the county board head was a democrat , the fire cheif in 1 dept was repub the other democrat. Hell we had 1 guy who actually was a commie! He made us laugh most of all.

My point to the original writer........

It doesn't matter what political , religious , color , or favorite crayon color a person has ... each volunteers for the sake of their community.....sometimes we even bitch about the pay.....even when there is none we still make jokes and complain just like the people who get paid.....

oh and by the way I always vote for the canidate I like male, female , white black, catholic or jew I do not vote strait party tickets since I was old enough to vote. I guess that means I am an evil dooooer also ...........'


Like I said....I had to write after reading all these months silently...........god bless u all

and I respect and appreciate all your work.

I hope you don't mind.

but yet they don't want to help others?

WHO does the helping then if they don't back up their own BS.

I'm so confused :P

would never consider volunteering to do it, and that I could understand. I would look upon retirement as the opportunity to do something that maybe I could not afford to do during the years I had to work doing whatever I had to do to make money.

I consider a doctor I saw at a local pro-healthcare reform rally the other week. After she spoke she immediately left the rally because Thursday night was a time when she volunteered her skills at the local free health clinic. She loves her work and so it is not really work, so even volunteering doing what she does to make a living is not work either.

I was disappointed in the mercenary attitude of my friends and I do think it does reflect the YOYO attitude which many Republicans seem to have. They would do anything for me, but I'm not sure if they would be willing to do even half that much if they did not know me. It makes me think of the Bible verse Hebrews 13:2, "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it." Money need not be the motivator and at the end of every road.