With What Money?

I follow a blog that has to do with human trafficking on change.org. Now, I have to say up front that most of what is posted on this site I do not agree with. I do like the human trafficking section and tend to agree with or at least be able to understand where they are coming from on this issue.

This week I received an email from them (I must have signed up for that somewhere) about the shelter crisis for human trafficking. That article can be viewed here. In the article, Amanda Kloer points out that there are 100,000 new human trafficking victims each year and 80 beds of shelter in which to offer them refuge. She asks us, the reader, during the course of this posting, to contact our state representatives to support and fund services for human trafficking victims.

She goes on....

"The Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Deterrence and Victims Support Act of 2010 would help get American victims the help they need. If passed, the bill will award six block grants to state or local entities who have a plan to investigate, prosecute and deter sex trafficking, while at the same time providing special services and shelter to victims. It would also help local law enforcement reach out to at-risk populations, like runaway and homeless youth, before the pimps do. And it would help fill the massive gap between the number of children being exploited in America and the number of shelter beds ready for them."

I can get on board with that, but my question is, with what money?

Pennsylvania, the state in which I live, is in debt $41,844,487,003.

That is a lot of money. Now, if I was in debt that much, I couldn't afford ANYTHING!

I hear numbers thrown around all over the place about the debt, our nation's debt, state debt, etc. It almost sounds normal to us to hear these numbers - like they are no big deal. But lately, this has been hitting me differently.

In my opinion, we as Christians, are far too quiet. Too quiet and not taken seriously. I don't think we need to be aggressive, but this is enough.

It is not the place of the government to be stepping in, especially when we have NO money - less than no money even. It is our place to be stepping in. It is our place to support the non-profits that are making the differences in areas we want them to be stepping in - as much as we can - in whatever way we can. It's not always financial. It may be a volunteer effort. It may just be encouragement.

I want the children who are at risk of being trafficked to be taken care of - by US, the PEOPLE, not the government.

Let's step up.

Countering the Culture of Entitlement - Government Handouts

Did you know that 44% of the United States population is living in a household where someone receives government handouts?

That statistic was shocking to me! That is a lot of people buying into, in many cases, the culture of entitlement.

I believe that there are many cases of legitimate need out there - of people trying to support their family, desperately searching for a job who need some assistance while doing so. My heart breaks for the children out there who would have no food, diapers or essentials without food stamps. They are the victims and they deserve to be helped. Or those who are disabled and need a helping hand.

A helping hand is differing than a handout though.

There's almost a sense of pride now, for people who receive handouts, in the fact that they do. It's not a source of shame or motivation. It's more of a sense of "I beat the system!" How do you teach your children that responsibility is a good thing and better than receiving something for free?

The problem is now generational. There is a whole generation of kids who grew up "in the system" or with parents who took advantage of it. They think it's normal and the way its supposed to be to see what you can get from the government and others. Is that something that can be countered? Is it possible to motivate a different sense of pride - a sense of pride that comes with accomplishment and hard work?

What do you think?

Countering the Culture of Entitlement

Have you noticed entitlement around you lately? Entitlement to treat anyone however you'd like and have them respond however you'd like? Entitlement to get whatever you want when you want it? Entitlement to receive things you haven't worked for or earned, even just on good merit? A "you owe me" mentality?

Last week I went into Barnes and Noble to look for a particular book. I knew they had had it on the shelf because I had looked it up on-line, but when I got to the store I couldn't remember the complete name of the book. I remembered that the word "farmhouse" was in it, but that was it.

When I walked into the store a woman walked over to me and asked me if she could help me. I said yes and explained to her what I was looking for but couldn't remember all the words in the title. She told me to go with her while she tried to look it up.

Fine so far right?

She started looking it up. But, she couldn't find it right away and I think that frustrated her. And so she took it out on me. Asking me question after question and interrupting me as I tried to answer her...... "Is it a book on interior decorating? You don't remember any other words in the title? Author? (Umm. I do good to remember the title let alone the author's name!!) And then the kicker. Well if you know it was on the shelf, you must have seen it so you should know where it is!" (I saw it on the virtual shelf, which you didn't give me the chance to explain!!)

I told her to nevermind. I would go look for it myself.

I walked around the store a little bit, very huffy I might add, and a couple of minutes later she came up to me with the book and just handed it to me. No words, nothing. Just handed it to me. I said "thanks", to which she responded with an abrupt, "Yup" and walked away. I took a brief look at it and put it down. I'm not spending money anywhere with any employee that treats me that way.

This interaction bothered me on several levels.

1. She had approached me to ask if I needed help. I would think she would have been prepared to actually help me.
2. As a small business owner I appreciate every shred of business I receive and I would not want someone working for me like that and losing not only money, but the customer's respect, appreciation and business.
3. Am I buying in to entitlement in thinking that she should have been polite?

I want to start talking about and thinking about these things because this isn't a once in a while experience. It's a very frequent experience in my world. Who likes to call to make any kind of inquiry about a bill or statement or magazine offer? No one! Because you have to wait through impersonal prompts and then when you do get to an actual person, they are more than likely going to be rude to you and bothered that you even called!

This entitlement mentality is prevalent in all sorts of ways in our culture. I want to tackle it so I don't buy into it and my children don't buy into it.

Can you relate to any of this? What would you have done with the lady in Barnes and Noble?