Today I recieved my very first blow off from Congress. I've been sending letters to different folks in Wash. and China on behalf of two Tibetan monks who were denied trials and sentenced to death in China for, essentially, opposing China's rule in Tibet. And when I got my mail today, there was a letter written by my congressman saying that although freedom of speech and freedom of religion are important, this is China we're talking about and we don't want to upset them, so we'll wait until there's legislation that says we can help them before we do anything, but you feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns you may have regarding anything else. Today I feel like a true American. <img src="http://www.arlo.net/ubb/smilies/smile.gif" width=15 height=15>

Ters, congratulations! Someone in Washington actually READ your letter, THOUGHT about what you said, and then WROTE a reply that actually mentioned what you had written about. That's more attention than most such letters ever get. So frame the letter and the response, hang that on your wall, and have a big piece of chonklit cake to celebrate this important milestone in your life as an American!!!<img src="http://www.arlo.net/ubb/smilies/tiedye.gif" width=17 height=17> I'd bring you some cake and sing a bar of "Alice's" with you if I were anywhere near.

Ters, I'm interested to know exactly what you thought the people you sent the letters to would or could actually do. I wouldn't consider it a "blow off" -- as stated by Ceashel, they did actually read and answer your letter.

Again, what exactly did you expect in response to your letter(s)?

I am saluting.
<img src="http://www.arlo.net/ubb/smilies/peace.gif" width=16 height=16>


btw pickle, you made your own point...she was heard if for only a second.
It's planting the seed and without farmers we all die.

<center><FONT COLOR="#000080">--- Edited 1 times, lastly by georgia on Feb 03, 2003 ---</FONT></center>

Last I heard, Freedom of Speech and of Religion were American, not Chinese, rights. China is an autonomous nation and might well get a little testy if we expect them to live by our rules instead of theirs. I'm not saying they're right, just that it's not our call.

Then again, the Capitol Hill and Washington D.C. that I lived and worked in must be a different one from the one Ceashell is talking about. I used to hear about the letters sent to Congress, from the people whose job it is to read -- and respond to -- them. One of my friends was constantly going off to her boss' congressional district to investigate the stuff they got letters about, and was expected to come back with accurate information. Sending a letter doesn't mean you'll get the results you ask for, any more than saying a prayer does. It simply isn't possible to give everyone everything they want, especially in a democracy. You will get heard though, and it may even have an effect on policy.

And here's the thing: I've run into more bad guys in Woodstock than I ever did on Capitol Hill. I'm not saying there's nothing wrong in the U.S. It's just that there are a lot of people masquerading as hippies who behave more like gangsters, or who look like New Age "Buddhist" Yuppies while behaving like stormtroopers. There are also plenty of people who make no bones about acting like the conquistadors of old and simply plundering this country; using our system to their own advantage and milking us all for everything we've got, while calling it "Capitalism," "opportunity," or worst of all, "business as usual."

However, I've encountered more racism of all sorts, greed, lying, cheating, intolerance, hypocrisy, violence, apathy, theft, child abuse and neglect, and organized cruelty here than I've run into anywhere else I've been. (<u>Way</u> more than anything I found in D.C. This remains the only place I've been beaten up, and where I don't dare walk alone at night.)

That's been my experience -- but not only mine. As the rockers I used to hang with in D.C. put it so well, the people from here may talk the talk, but they sure don't live it. I'm not saying there aren't nice people here, but they're mostly in cemetaries if they haven't managed to escape to Florida or somewhere.

Incidentally, "Woodstock" isn't just a town. It's a network of people, that spreads throughout the world.

Certainly I'll be punished for saying this. I always am, whenever I dare vocalize. Freedom of speech is about as acceptable here as it is under the Taliban.

(Some folk have been through to see if what I'm saying is true, and they've gotten quite an earful. The way you can know it's a lie is that everyone's sticking to the same story. Word for word. Eyewitness accounts tend to differ drastically...)

Right on Muffy!! Thanks for speaking your mind/opinion.

It is my belief that we have a lot of things we need to fix in the United States -- injustice, etc. -- before we worry about what is going on everywhere else in the world.

As everyone is entitled to their own thought, I will respect that ours differ Pickle. The way I see it is that we all live together on this planet, and when you are only going to be involved in something for the benefit of yourself, someone else gets hurt. So when we (Americans) focus all of our attention only on fixing the problems of this country, we then fail to maintain our worldly relations.

In response to your thoughts on China Muffy, I understand that they do not follow our freedomous thoughts. I also know that America has a history of going in and helping countries that don't ask for it so to think that they might want to help the people of Tibet - who did ask for help from us - might not be such a long shot. We are not asking China to change their beliefs or laws, but simply to let go of it's hold on Tibet and let it's people come back to their homes. There have been unthinkable things done to the people of Tibet. They have asked for help from all over the world, and recieved very little. I am simply opening my heart to their suffering and their fear and adding one more hand to fight in their struggle agianst China. I'm not telling you that you should do the same, just sharing in my frustrations at our own political leaders.

As a follow up to the original post, one more Tibetan, wrongly accused and imprisoned, has been murdered by the Chinese govt.

One voice crying in the wildness, if heard may change the course of human developement..

Free Tibet, Free the monks, Free all my brothers and sisters all over the world.

If I speak not when they come for the homosexual, If I speak not when they come for the Jew, If I speak not when they come for the blacks, If I speak not when they come for the native americans then Who will be left to hear my cry when they come for me.

Ten thousand hungry children in the third world gives me no right to ignore the hungry child next door, and if I choose to see only my own pain and my own problems then this will blind me to the many greater problems of mankind, and that is sad because being blind I will not see how very blessed I am.

PROTEST INJUSTICE, whenever and wherever you can, yours is but one voice but joined with others the roar will surly bring down the walls of apathy and reveal injustice to the light of day.

<center><FONT COLOR="#000080">--- Edited 1 times, lastly by Nathen on Feb 04, 2003 ---</FONT></center>

Ters, I also respect your opinion and thank you for your respect of mine. I do agree that we need to help and be mindful of plights in other countries, but believe we do too much in other countries and not enough at home. Oh yes, we all rallied around the Trade Center tragedy, the floods in different parts of the country, etc. -- usually where a lot of people were in need of help, but we seldom seem to help the individual -- e.g., the homeless man you see on the street (and I'm not only speaking of government helping now -- I'm speaking of individuals as well).

Keep writing your letters to Congress because they can make a difference, but next time you pass a homeless person on the street, go and get a carry-out dinner and bring it back to them -- they will not blow you off. Your reward will be awesome and immediate!!

Peace.

I was so in hopes that this was going to turn into a real cat fight, can''t you folks think about it for awhile and then come back in and start calling one another names?

I feel sure that we can arrange something, but would prefer a different topic -- Meow!!

Someone needs to write Congress about Tibet and someone needs to do something about a meal for a homeless person, and someone needs to help protect Woodstock, and the environment, and protect our civil liberties, and write poetry or march to try to avert the looming war, and, and , and... but in the early '70s, I guess I thought I needed to be totally devoted and committed to to every cause I believed in. And I guess a lot of people felt the same way, and so we kind of crashed and burned for awhile. Arlo--remember Arlo? There's a song or two by Arlo--said something; sorry I can't remember the exact words or when or where it was, but it was recently that he talked about each of us doing what is most important to us and within our capability. Since I've been coming here, I've met people involved in all kinds of things, and been given small ways I can help with them, and been given much to think about, changing my opinion on some things and clarifying it on others. Ters is right and Pickle's right and Wyld and Pat are always right and Sherry's MIA but right and sometimes even Nathen is right. Larry's just crazy...I'm getting dangerously close to Clear Form Zone here....naaa...

Ters, my cynicism about writing to Congress stems partly from having been in Dick Armey's district. A friend who wrote him a lot has a file full of response form letters that don't even acknowledge the topics she wrote about. I really was impressed that you got a topical response. And I admire you for doing what you could; it probably will have more long-term effects than you think.

Pickle, I agonize about what to do about street people. A friend's teenage son was assaulted last fall when he made eye contact with a homeless man in downtown Dallas. The people running the shelters and agencies say not to speak to them unless they speak first, and not to give them money, that will make their problems worse, because so many are suffering from mental illness (thanks, Reagan, for putting them out on the street!) and the money will go to substance abuse. But most of the time, the only ones I see are camped out at suburban intersections of six-lane streets, holding signs and accompanied by children or dogs, and the shelter people say they're cons and not street people at all, and to give them money encourages that con but also takes needed funds away from the street people because those who give them money think they've already given something. So I sit there waiting for the light to change, unable to make eye contact with them, thinking about Woody and what he would think and do (WWWD?); Hobo's Lullaby starts up in my head, and I feel like the jerk of the world for not giving them something.

I too have seen the guys beside the freeways and their signs, and yes I think that many if not most of them are con artist, the same MO appears in many parts of the county, the same signs ect...But I have also worked for homeless shelters and I know they take a lot more of the funds for management and operations then they ever give to the needy so either way, charity seems to be taking advantage of the giver.
If you see a need and you feel like helping out, then first ask, Hey buddy you okay? then listen and you will know if a helping hand is the right thing to do. One point I would make is that much of what is given is turned into cheap highs, an area I worked in Vancouver BC sold thousands of bottles cooking wine each day and not one bottle in a thousand was used for cooking and it made for some mean drunks, but surly you can tell a down and out drunk from a fellow just down on his luck.

Been there done that and passed on the charity to others I happened upon along life's highway,
The kindness of strangers as bought me more then one meal and I am still thankful to those folks who just happened by.

There are far too many cons--and far too many truly needy. Being a cynic married to a very trusting soul has taught us both a few lessons.
Common con 1: "Will work for food." When offered a job for either food or money, no one has ever been interested.
Common con 2: "My car is broken down and my wife and kids are in it. I just need $20 (or so) bucks for a part. If you give me your name and address, I'll send it back as soon as I'm paid." Usually this is at a gas station or near a car parts store--and yes, wife and kids are in the car. Offer to buy the part he needs--even offer to help fix the car. Nope. Not interested. And for goodness sake, don't give them your name and address unless you are looking to collect on insurance. However, we did run across a family who were truly in need--they'd run out of gas on the highway. They were not asking for anything except to get to a phone to try to find some help. We filled their car with gas and bought some food and diapers for them. The point is--they didn't seem to be scammers.
Common con #3: "I haven't eaten in two days. I just need a few bucks for a meal." Offer to buy a meal. Not interested--want the bucks.

Mind you, I am sincere in offering a job, a car part, a meal. I just have yet to be taken up on my offers.

I stopped giving to panhandlers when I learned from a panhandler in Wash., DC, many years ago that he lived in the 'burbs and made about $30,000 a year.

We have had the chance to help some "down on the luck" people and welcome our ability to do so. I consider this a "pay it forward" thanks for the help I've received from friends and strangers.

It is an unfortunate fact that many of the homeless are not simply down on their luck--they are unable to receive the help they need to function. (Again, thank you, Reagan, for turning them out on the streets.) Shelters are unable to provide the psychiatric help so many of these people need so desperately. Granted, many state hospitals were deplorable. Instead of working to improve the conditions in the hospitals, however, they were simply shut down. I guess in the politicians' minds it's cheaper to let them freeze on the streets when all the shelters are full or to stuff them in jails and prisons.

I wish I had an answer, but I don't. Meanwhile, I'll continue to support programs like Habitat for Humanity and Meals on Wheels, and donate to Salvation Army stores and food banks. I'll also continue to pay it forward whenever I can.

One last thing. I am in awe of so many of you who do so very much. You are an inspiration.