Saturday, April 5, 2014

Panhandlin' Pitties

from a reader.



















At every intersection, on every off ramp, at every stop light, there are impoverished people "flying signs", asking for change. Some are unemployed, even hard working, parents or vets. Others are the disabled, mentally ill, or elderly, that society discarded. Many are good people, just trying to get by, without good fortune or family. This story is not about them.

It is about the Bums- 
These are the hopelessly, violently drunk, meth using, often criminal, street people. Also included are homeless-by-choice "crusties", loudly aggressive, toothless women, and the permanently transient, generally dangerous, men. They can be found threatening, cursing, chasing people down, starting fights on busy sidewalks, and causing trouble wherever they go.

And wherever they go, they bring their dogs.

What dogs do these bums love best? PIT BULLS, of course!
I see bums with pit bulls that are barely controlled, frequently unleashed, fighting amongst themselves, or riding on the top of a shopping cart. They reflect, and project, the owners insanity and aggression, but the owners still love to tell you "My pit is the sweetest dog, it won't hurt your kid!". Like all pit owners, they get offended that you don't want your kids near, or find their dogs wonderful- even when they got them for the express purpose of intimidating others. 

Hope no one dies, but the way things have been going, there could be 10 deaths in a week, and we would get a new law that ensured pits for all homeless! With the city paying the vet bills, and landlords not allowed to "discriminate"!



Walking home with my toddlers, what did I see? 
A pair of little dogs fighting right next to me!
One mixed breed, the other pure pittie
But I am told not to worry, the pits "a real softie!"

72 comments:

Anonymous said...

I just want to say, there's a homeless gentleman in my town. He owns a mixed breed dog that might or might not have pit in it. She is well controlled and very well behaved. He's friendly but doesn't bum, he does odd jobs, taking the dog with him, to feed them both. He got the dog when a former friend abandoned her. She's friendly, calm with other dogs, calm with kids, ignores cats, her only vice is trying to chase squirrels. She's am older dog, 7 or 8. He's homeless because between a job loss and a ban on all bully looking dogs, where he last lived, he hasn't gotten back on his feet. She always has an updated rabies tzg and I have no reason to believe he doesn't get all of her shots. I'm just pointing out, not all homeless people with what look like bullies are irresponsible morons. There's at least one who takes good care of himself and his dog, and makes sure she's socialized enough to not be dangerous. She doesn't look like a pit mix anyway, except for the brindle coat.

DubV said...

Taking notes:

1. having this dog is supposedly largely contributing to this man that anonymous mentions being homeless

2. not every single homeless person with a pit-looking dog is dangerous with a danger dog

Check.

I'm glad you cleared this up. I was under the impression that when someone pointed out a general trend with caveats that it was implied that what they state holds in every possible case.

Dick Johnson said...

I think the professor just handed out a C-

Dude said...

I wonder how much liability coverage homeless people carry on their pit bulls in case there's an "accident." A hundred thou, quarter mil?

Anonymous said...

I'm sure all of these dogs have been spayed and neutered so there is no chance of them leaving a trail of mini-mutants behind them wherever they wander. (/sarcasm)

Don't pit bulls eat a lot? How does a homeless person feed such an animal?

This put a new spin on how dine and dash might happen.. which leaves someone faced with taking painful rabies shots and paying all of the bills for themselves and perhaps their pet.

Or even, worse, funeral expenses for a loved one who might have been outside when a random bunch of pit bulls* rampaged through a neighborhood. *and/or other vicious dogs (vicious as defined by the aforementioned hypothetical attack)

I don't have anything against homeless people. I understand that some just had bad circumstances occur in their lives. So, I'm only talking about someone with dangerous dogs that they let loose to roam (either on purpose or because the dogs "somehow" get free). Just to be clear that my comment doesn't universally apply to everyone.

Anonymous said...

When I see a young(ish) able-bodied person dressed in a "punk" uniform and with a cup out it is annoying, but when there's also a dog at his or her side it's ten times worse. When that dog is a bully breed it's just plain infuriating. Still, maybe I'll start carrying a little baggy of dog biscuits for the thinner-looking mutts... not their fault for having useless bums as owners. Pit bulls can go to hell though.

Anonymous said...

BTW I realize (of course!) that not all street people are lazy parasites who choose to be homeless, but from speaking with many of them it's clear that some most definitely are, and a few are totally blunt and shameless about the fact. Those are the ones who really piss me off.

Animal Uncontrol said...

I blame this problem on the so called "Bleeding Heart Battalion" that will fight tooth and nail against ANY standards for pet ownership. Not just pit bulls or even dogs in general - standards for ANY pets.

Look, pet ownership is NOT a core civil right. It MUST be contingent on the means to care for it and control it properly.

Of course, the bleeding hearts will fight that to the end of the earth.

This situation involves more than homeless people, although they present the far end of the spectrum.

If I were to propose a standard (code) limiting 1 pit bull to each 100 square feet of living space, they would come flying out of the woodwork with some sob story like "My Uncle Frank has 17 pit bulls in his 2 bedroom apartment! He'd have to get rid of EIGHT of them OH BOO HOO HOO! You meanie! How can you force him to do that!!! Waaaaah! Boo Hoo!"

Again, these people are the f-ing enemy. This is one big reason (but not the only one, necessarily) why we either have no standards or if we do they are not enforced.

Anecdotal sob stories aside we need standards. Not just for dogs but ALL pets.

KaD said...

I think the VAST majority are bums. Poverty is a leading cause of homelessness-in OTHER countries. In the US the leading causes are alcoholism, drug abuse, mental illness (who self medicate with drugs and alcohol), and choice. I don't see ANY of these as good reasons to give cash. Also, I don't believe most of the people begging are really homeless. When I lived in Cleveland cars would pull up to East 8th and let their pros out to beg for money every WEEK day, after which you could see them scratching piles of lottery tickets, smoking a joint, or drinking from a bottle in a bag. One day I saw a young man walk out of my apartment complex and to the nearby highways exit ramp and he started begging. If someone has money to support a dog they don't need mine.

Anonymous said...

Leaving the soulless, dimensionless void of Walmart, my mom and I saw a man and woman holding a cardboard sign " been travelin and need money please help" this, on a busy highway entrance. The pudgy pit bull with them was panting, this in spite of it being an Illinois February. The keepers and their creatures are equally abnormal and self-destroying. How, why, do they continue to proliferate?

scurrilous amateur blogger said...

i've given food to panhandlers. but i won't do that anymore either. years ago, i purchased a cup of soup for one homeless native american woman camped out on the busy sidewalk. then i stood back and watched her purposely knock it over and twist her sob story to elicit donations from people walking by. they can starve for all i care.

scurrilous amateur blogger said...

fyi, i think this trend in panhandlers having dogs is a pity play. tug on the heart strings of a culture who has a soft spot for dogs.

scurrilous amateur blogger said...

"She always has an updated rabies tzg and I have no reason to believe he doesn't get all of her shots."

of course you don't! all of you nutters behave as if you just fell off of a turnip truck. a couple of years ago, a pit skank in washington FORGED her mutant's rabies or license. can't remember which. i have to go find it now. BRB

Anonymous said...

They are often despicable, and we give out of conscience and shame.
I remember being intercepted by a black lady and her bouncily healthy 4 year old in Balboa Park and told that the kid needed money for hospital care. I took out what little money I had (dooming me to ramen noodles for a couple of days..I was 19) and remember her hostile frustration "What about paper? Got any bills?"
I mention race because I felt unable to refuse. I knew I was being played for a stooge, yet chose that to seeing myself as a "bad" person. Yeah..panhandlers can hold us hostage.

scurrilous amateur blogger said...

yep. it was rabies she forced.

see kimberly vasquez. scan down to the hideous tweeker blob in the blue sweater.

"the mutant's rabies certificate was forged and of course, she was not licensed. and prego pittie is now on the lam."

i despise this scum. we should be able to put a fucking bullet in the heads of the trash who force people to undergo painful and expensive rabies shots. no mercy should be shown on these fucking cunts.

scurrilous amateur blogger said...

FORGED! not forced. need more coffee.

Packhorse said...

I saw a scary sight today.

A huge pit bull--easily 100+ pounds--running free in a yard with a fence made out of old BICYCLE RACKS and that cheap 3 ft. baled wire fencing. The top of the dog's head reached the top of the "fence."

"Beware of dog" signs were wired to the gate.

It was running the fence, audibly growling at everything that passed, including pedestrians and people walking dogs in the busy residential neighborhood. I watched with fear from my vehicle. This is a terrible tragedy waiting to happen.

Anonymous said...

"This situation involves more than homeless people, although they present the far end of the spectrum."

Agreed, there should be some damn standards. One of the things I hate most is the fact that people on welfare own pets, especially multiple huge dogs. It's bad enough that idiots who can't afford to feed themselves crank out children like there's no tomorrow, but having pets too? FUCK, THAT.

IMO people should not be eligible for welfare if they own a pet. If they acquire a pet while ON welfare, the cheques, food stamps, etc. should be halted immediately. Also, if a woman bears more than one child while on welfare she should have to either get her fucking tubes cauterized at taxpayers expense, or have her taxpayer support cut off to the point she's forced to live under a bridge. Enough is enough, JFC.

Branwyne Finch said...

When I worked in Boston, many years ago, I had a regular I gave to...a homeless veteran, who was missing both legs from the knee down. He was quiet, he just sat with his cup out and a sign, he didn't yell to people or draw attention to himself. I was happy to give to him.

I also gave to street performers in the subway if they were good....I loved the talented young students playing their instruments, they made my day, and deserved a tip, regardless of their financial circumstances.

Most others I saw were alcoholics, grifters, profoundly mentally ill people, many of whom were aggressive and intimidating to a woman alone, so I ignored them.

Anonymous said...

Dawn James, if he's forging it, the local vet's office is in cahoots. They have a wall with pets and their owners, they take the pictures on the days the owners bring the animals in. I had to rehome my Boston terrier/beagle mix when I moved, but saw him and the dog on the wall. I've been in since then with friends and family, and noticed new pictures. When I asked them, they told me he always poses with her when she gets her shots. I haven't been in since last June, but even if there's not a new picture right now, it doesn't mean there won't be, later this year. I see him and Tillie all around town, she's always leashed. He did tell me his story once. He'd moved into a trailer with the agreement to fix it up, and someone told the landlord he had a pit bull. He got the notice to get out and chose not to fight it. With the loss of his job, paying his child support was more important, than fighting for the trailer. He has told me she's been spayed, the friend who dumped her had it done. He doesn't panhandle but, if someone brings him food, he accepts it with grace. As I said she doesn't look, or even act like a pit. No underbite, tall, her eyes aren't set like one, and she doesn't wiggle or jump on people. She simply sniffs a hand and lets them pet her. Most pits start licking and jumping, almost like they're tasting you.

I'm not a nutter for the record. I've seen good and bad dogs in many breeds. I've seen even worse in owners. I carry pepper spray when I go to and from the bus stop with my little boy because the 100+ pound pit mix two doors down clearly isn't friendly. I'm adding a butcher knife when school resumes. I warn people about the dog, especially the senior citizens across the street. If being prepared to kill that dog if I have to makes me a nutter, so be it. I'm not a member of the church of pit bulls, I'm an advocate of being a responsible and good dog owner.

Anonymous said...

Mickey the mauler, the pit bull who attacked Kevin, has been spared by the judge and is going to spend the rest of his days rotting in a sanctuary, likely the Lexus project. The Lexus project also raised $5,000 on this site to save this dog.


There's a lot of debate as to whether there was a bone or not. I was wondering if you were planning on giving this story the old Craven Desires treatment. Lots of research. What you do.

^ Trucks

scurrilous amateur blogger said...

i have a general familiarity about the lunacy surrounding MICKEY the mauler but i don't have particulars. if you have some kind of smoking gun i'd be happy to take a look but i don't have the time to research it.

scurrilous amateur blogger said...

pit bull apologist, how did you go from
"She always has an updated rabies tzg and I have no reason to believe he doesn't get all of her shots."
to
"Dawn James, if he's forging it, the local vet's office is in cahoots. They have a wall with pets and their owners, they take the pictures on the days the owners bring the animals in. I had to rehome my Boston terrier/beagle mix when I moved, but saw him and the dog on the wall. I've been in since then with friends and family, and noticed new pictures. When I asked them, they told me he always poses with her when she gets her shots."

i think you are just padding this story to make your anonymous point stronger. i call shenanigans.

Anonymous said...

Big problem is women collecting food stamp money, WIC and related income, heating assistance money, and welfare payments for their kids BUT the money is going to feed and pay vet bills, toys, fun pit bull novelties, registration fees, for their or their boyfriend's pit bulls

The dogs are eating up the kids food stamp income! They buy human food for the dogs. Some of them are even buying steaks for their pits while the kids get buy on school lunch/breakfast/dinner.

The kids get screwed! The taxpayers get scewed.

All those social workers and no one is making sure the kids are getting the assistance.

A lot of this tax money is also getting used to run the pit bull breeding businesses- oh yes, they don't report the household income which they are legally required to do if they get any kind of assistance.

If you know any pit bull breeding households and any memeber of the household gets assistance, report them for failure to report income and food stamp/welfare fraud. You can do it anonymously.

Anonymous said...

Comment One pit pimper shows up.
Really disgusting when a pit pimper comes here to try to make people feel guilty about being "mean to the homeless"

I call bull on that

First of all, if he can't take care of himself, he can't take care of a dog. If he lacks the social/emotional abilities to care for himself, he doesn't have the social/emotional abilities to protect others from harm or nuisance.

If he's working as a handyman, for example, he can't be controlling his dog and protecting others from harm or nuisance.

He can't protect others when he is asleep outdoors.

Not of course to mention the high proportion alcohol/drug addiction component which makes being responsible toward others and protecting others from hasrm or nuisance impossible.


Then there is the bottom line that the "homeless" question has become a political football that has separated from reality. A too large proportion of the politically labled "homeless" are nor poor innocent victims but felons escaping warrants for previous crimes and staying under the radar, escaping child support, etc


Painting a picture of a community of poor, innocent hoboes just trying to love on their doggies is false. A lot of the "help the homeless" movement is just a political thieving racket for middle class parasites lobbying for more budget to stuuff in their pockets and emotionally manipulating the public to hand more money over


The "homeless" are also being used by the No Kill scammers as a place to unload dogs that aren't adoptable to typical families, because, for example, they are vicious. Also another tear jerking, cheap trick fund raising flag.

As well as the CHEAP TRICK of a pit pimper commenter 1 blaming BSL laws for his "homelessness"

You sack of crap pit pimpers will try any kind of emotional manipulation you can won't you?

Why do people fall for this crap and get defensive? Do you not realize you are getting worked?

Anonymous said...

Comment One pit pimper shows up.
Really disgusting when a pit pimper comes here to try to make people feel guilty about being "mean to the homeless"

I call bull on that

First of all, if he can't take care of himself, he can't take care of a dog. If he lacks the social/emotional abilities to care for himself, he doesn't have the social/emotional abilities to protect others from harm or nuisance.

If he's working as a handyman, for example, he can't be controlling his dog and protecting others from harm or nuisance.

He can't protect others when he is asleep outdoors.

Not of course to mention the high proportion alcohol/drug addiction component which makes being responsible toward others and protecting others from hasrm or nuisance impossible.


Then there is the bottom line that the "homeless" question has become a political football that has separated from reality. A too large proportion of the politically labled "homeless" are nor poor innocent victims but felons escaping warrants for previous crimes and staying under the radar, escaping child support, etc


Painting a picture of a community of poor, innocent hoboes just trying to love on their doggies is false. A lot of the "help the homeless" movement is just a political thieving racket for middle class parasites lobbying for more budget to stuuff in their pockets and emotionally manipulating the public to hand more money over


The "homeless" are also being used by the No Kill scammers as a place to unload dogs that aren't adoptable to typical families, because, for example, they are vicious. Also another tear jerking, cheap trick fund raising flag.

As well as the CHEAP TRICK of a pit pimper commenter 1 blaming BSL laws for his "homelessness"

You sack of crap pit pimpers will try any kind of emotional manipulation you can won't you?

Why do people fall for this crap and get defensive? Do you not realize you are getting worked?

Anonymous said...

By "you" I meant the you in general, the community of idiots that lets a vilely corrupted social welfare system steal, or is a part of this scam, and also uses these false emotionally manipulating fables to rationalize dumping on others and furthering their own political agenda

Anonymous said...

Branwyn, billions of dollars are spent on veterans benefits and housing.

The "veteran" you were giving money too wasn't telling you the truth.

Disabled also get housing and countless benefits that provide for every need.

Panhandling is an occupation in this society not a need, and these people make more money than most people going to work and paying the taxes that pay for their benefits.

Anonymous said...

I was backing up my reason for not questioning her rabies tags. I can tell you she's never nursed puppies too. There's no sag to indicate otherwise. Keep making up names for me. I never said I love all pit bulls. I admit to meeting some who were very sweet. I've also met the vicious ones. They should be put down like any dangerous animal. I'll agree their breeding can make them more dangerous than other types of dogs. I'd rather have a beagle mix since my son is only six. Even if it did bite him ofds are he'd survive without plastic surgery. I don't think most pit owners do the dogs any good. It's always blame everything but the dog. I read Mickey's story and I blame his former owners. Leaving a dog they didn't even want on a chain, in a yard with no fence was begging for trouble. I got the email from change. org to 'save " him. I guess they did but really wouldn't he be better off dead?

Anonymous said...

The only homeless people I've ever seen with dogs had skinny mongrels that I don't think belonged to them so much as hung out with them.

I guess an exception would be temporarily homeless people. But, guess what, they don't beg as a general rule. I could see a person like that having a dog that generally looks o.k. (I just mean a dog, not necessarily a pit bull).

And Ruckus the maurading pit bull supposedly came from a man who was living in his car.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous other than me, why not a beagle for your son (rather than a mix). I had a 13 inch beagle when I was a child and he was an excellent dog. He was not papered or anything, but he was all beagle. About the only negative with beagles is they are very energetic. But, with a kid, the energy is usually well matched... especially with a 13 inch since that's as big as they ever get pretty much. Meet the parents and if they are sweet, the babies 99.9 percent of the time will be sweet. Of course, where I live beagles are super common.

Anonymous said...

I saw a mini documentary not long ago (online not on television) about people riding freighters (this video was made pretty recently with people doing it at the time, not in the past). The people in these photos remind me of the people riding the rails. BUT, not the exact same folks of course. The only the is, I didn't get the impression they stayed anywhere but instead traveled around a lot. At the end, they showed photos of differents ones into that lifestyle. Some of them (not all or even most) had pit bulls and that was the only kind of dog I saw. But, riding the rails or sleeping in abandoned places (something else they do) are dangerous activities.

I don't know if they beg for money. They didn't mention that at all. They also NEVER referred to themselves as 'homeless' although someone might think they were.

I didn't think about how they might get money. They were all pretty young, so I thought maybe their parents?

Anonymous said...

A beagle would be great too. I'll adopt either way. Our last dog came from a shelter and she's still a sweetheart. I knew the people taking her. I made sure she had a great home and we can still see her.. My apartment is pet free unless it's rodents or fish. I still haven't ruled out a hamster, we both miss having a pet.

Anonymous said...

Can you get a guinea pig? They're bigger and more pet-like.. and furry. I've never had any rodents. But, if I got one, I think I'd get a guinea pig although some people really do like rats.

But, OMG, I saw these tiny little hamsters at a certain chain pet store one day and they had the most white fur on their face that looked almost like a beard. They were really small and (supposedly) were some variety of Russian hamster (which... I doubt it, but...). So cute.

Anonymous said...

I haven't lived in a city where I saw homeless people a lot (as in the same people or people in the same places) in over ten years. So, I don't know if pit bulls (in general) were as popular then. The Michael Vick thing hadn't happened yet, for one thing.

It occurs to me that the type of mongrel stray you'd see here and there that used to be semi-claimed by a homeless person perhaps has been KILLED OFF by pit bulls that are also either homeless or allowed to roam far and wide (as so many seem to be). Because while there are people who will go to a shelter and dump their unwanted dogs/puppies, there are also people who'll just dump the dog. And there are people who barely keep track of the dog in the first place.

With the way pit bulls are overbred especially by wanna-be dog fighters, I can easily see someone just dumping their dogs that they know won't really ever earn them money and letting those dogs be someone else's problem.

We've read about well-fed and cared for pit bulls killing and eating weaker animals even as people are trying to stop this from happening.

So, maybe in addition to the question about the PEOPLE in the article, we have to wonder about the dogs as well. Some of the people might have bought the dogs or gotten them from someone they know. Others might have just found a stray or abandoned pit bull somewhere and made a pet out of it.

But, did all of those people specifically chose pit bulls or were pit bulls pretty much the only choice they had?

The mongrels I used to see were reduced to begging for scraps from people who barely had any food in the first place.. some pit bulls will go out and GET food if possible. And what they consider food might not be anything anyone really wants them to eat.

Have the pit bulls taken the place of the mongrels by brute force whether any human directly caused them to do so?

I will say, it does look like the people in the photos have the smaller variety of pit bulls. But, they can still take on a dog bigger than them. They can still be a problem unless those people really keep tabs on them.

Anonymous said...

Besides my six year old, I have a 22 and 19 year old. They actually get along well enough to be roommates in a rental house, not far from me. When they were younger we had all manner of pets. My late husband was an animal lover. We've had hamsters, dwarf hamsters(not great for small children), mice, rats (females are very clean and sweet, but their claws can hurt, again better for slightly older kids), anoles, cats, dogs, gerbils and one bird. I took care of a guinea pig and they are sweet. She was in a ten gallon aquarium and cleaning it daily didn't kill the odor. Keeping her for only a month, buying a new cage wasn't something we wanted to invest in. The odor was enough to make me not want one. Hamsters get big enough for him to handle and can be very sweet and loving. Really I'm an animal lover, raised by animal lovers, and raising another animal lover. As a smaller dog and cat person, I'm not a pit bulls biggest fan. I once cussed the police out for refusing to do anything about the pit who ran amok in a trailer park. He'd killed a girl's cat. It was the sixth time in two weeks he'd gotten out, the fourth time he'd mauled another animal. In my posts about the homeless man, I've said that I don't think the dog is a pit. If she is, she's the oddest looking one I've ever seen. My town is very pit bull friendly, like maybe 5 landlords ban them, out of 70 at a rough guess. So far only one attack on a person has been reported, but I have no idea how many animals have been killed. That doesn't make the news. I know there's a dangerous one down the street and it's the first dog I've really been scared of. However, if it's not biting, and growling from it's property, there's nothing the police can do. I know if it comes after my son, it'll be dead. If the owner wants some, I'll take him too. I've raised a cautions boy when it comes to animals, and one who respects them. He does have a right to practice riding his bike on our sidewalk, and knows not to go near that building. It would be an unprovoked attack. It would be the last thing that dog did.

Anonymous said...

If you go down that street where the bulldog is, it might lay in wait for you one day. So, be careful about that.

I've never known anyone who had a guinea pig, so I didn't know about the smell.

Mom in Eugene said...

Anon, and the other one, thanks for showing up to spew your douchebag, utterly ignorant BS about "welfare". You guys always show up on any thread about poverty. BRAVO, assholes.

We have 450,000 homeless FAMILIES, most of them WORKING, so I wouldn't be so smug if I were you. It doest take as long as you would think to get there. Being educated, responsible, middle class, is no longer enough to protect you.

This is why you tell yourself that people on assistance are all parasitic losers on drugs. It is what you need to tell yourself so you can feel safe that it cannot happen to you. I hope it does!

The biggest welfare queens? Big, profitable corporations that pay low wages, no benefits, then SEND employees to get SNAP and Medicaid- Wal Mart and Mc Donalds both do this.

The MIDDLE CLASS subsidizes the profits they make via low wages, tax cuts and tax evasion. But hey, those that keep wages low, ship jobs overseas, cut benefits, hire part timers only, crash the economy, suck the middle class dry, AND get BILLIONS for doing it… Thats OK!!!

Take a few hundred in food stamps (which boosts the economy) = you're a parasite.
Take MILLIONS (hurting society and the economy) = you are admired.

Wake the fuck up. You are hating the WRONG people. I know, the poor are such easy targets, and have the bonus of making you feel superior!

FYI- The majority of "welfare" users are WORKING families, or recently unemployed, and the average for people using "welfare" is TWO YEARS. Most pay into the system for years before and after, but I guess they ought to starve in the meantime- Its the American way!
Other advanced nations do not have these millions of homeless, millions more impoverished and hungry, but do have drugs and other ills.
I think the difference is that they do not hate their own people. We do.

The only thing more disgusting than the mooching billionaires? Ignorant fools like you that bash the poor, while letting these greed pigs and their politician henchmen destroy our great nation! SHAMEFUL.

Author of this post said...

Obviously a few of you did not read the first paragraph. I am not anti homeless at all. I have learned a lot about this topic in the past few years.

Most people associate homelessness and "welfare" with BUMS, and assume all people needing assistance are like them. Couldn't be further from the truth, but there IS a legit reason for this.

The reason for this is BUMS and drugged out MOOCHERS are visible. They are rowdy, stink of booze, brag about getting one over on anyone. They aggressively sell their EBT for drug money. They beg for pills on the taxpayers dime. Many were entitled, spoiled before this.
They ARE real lowlifes.

While…
The homeless, and working poor on assistance, are nearly invisible. They beg when extremely desperate, but usually they are in their cars (aka, homes), at workforce centers trying to find work, hunting cans to redeem, doing odd jobs.

The better off are working, but just not making enough. They are ashamed of using EBT/Medicaid, so they keep it secret. They try hard to look nice, and may have belongings from better days (phone, car, TV). The stigma keeps them silent, hidden.
These are the MAJORITY. Really.

The honest are hurt most by cuts, and deserve the help. But people are so focused on the minority of BUMS, they refuse to care for their neighbors. It is shameful.

Anonymous said...

I don't hate poor people. Anyone can be down on their luck and need some help to get by (ideally though, a person's immediate and/or extended family and/or friends would comprise all the "social safety net" they would ever require. Then private/church charities etc. for backup, and for those unfortunate souls who have no one else to turn to). But some people refuse to help themselves or take responsibility, they feel "society" owes them something, and I have no patience for them. Women and men who choose to bring children into the world (or animals into their homes) when they are in NO position to properly care for them are some of the worst (and 9 times out of 10 pregnancy IS the result of a choice to have sloppy, unprotected sex and risk the consequences). Many of the chronically poor are selfish, irresponsible assholes who are poor as a direct result of their own actions (or inactions). Not all, but many.

As for "the rich"... Corporate welfare is still welfare and I don't like it either. Charity given of individuals' own free will is one thing, welfare distributed by the state is something else.

Anonymous said...

I have never been on WIC as I do not even have children. I have been a cashier. WIC is very specialized and geared to feeding babies, very young children, and breastfeeding mothers. It can be abused, of course. Anything can be abused, but here is how it works.

The person on WIC is given certificates that are good on certain dates. The certificates are geared to how old the child is, whether the mother is breastfeeding or using formula, etc.

The certificate also specifies what can be paid for with that certificate. Such as one gallon of whole milk, one carton of large eggs, and one package of American cheese (the mild kind that kids like.. but real cheese, not the "cheese food"), one container of juice (only certain juices qualify.. Juicy Juice is the most well known, most of the juice aisle doesn't qualify). So, that might be a certificate that could be used in a week as a very common example.

Other things that people can buy with WIC are baby cereal, formula, carrots (this is for the moms). Most stores label what is WIC approved. But, people can only buy that item with WIC if they have a current certificate that lists the item.

I've seen the way people abuse WIC.. now, most people aren't abusing it at all. The people I most commonly saw abusing it might have something to do with where this store was located, IDK.

I'll just say, they tended to have a lot of children and cashed in all their certificates at one time even though some of the items would obviously go bad and there was time on the certificate so they could have come back in a week or so.

A lot of the stuff you buy with WIC isn't individually expensive, but it is very important for a baby, toddler, or breastfeeding mother to have. Other people can possibly eat some of the items. But, I don't know if there are too many adults drinking formula (IDK, maybe?). I guess formula was about the only thing that was individually expensive.

However, little of what is on WIC is going to really appeal to dogs. Puppies... I could see how more of the items could be used for puppies than for adult dogs.

But, overall, I am just hoping the food goes to the children since it's freaking free (for the parents) and all. It upsets me when I know it doesn't because I wonder if their kids are just doing without because of stupid crap their parents needlessly did with the WIC certificates. :(

But, I guess if the kid's parents have a mauler or four roaming the house/apartment/trailer then the kid has more problems to worry about than loss of some milk. :(

tropical storms said...

Animal companions are very expensive to keep well. They also provide comfort and companionship to elderly and disabled people. I do not advocate homeless people keeping pets but have no problem at all with people on public assistance whether elderly or disabled keeping a small animal companion. They benefits they bring (the owner's well being) is well known and can reduce medical and clinic costs. This doesn't mean bulldogs or any large dog/animal, only small companions.

Anonymous said...

I'm a widow. I get survivors benefits for myself and my youngest son. Bills and food are my number one financial priorities. He's on Medicaid. I don't get food stamps. I'm only allowed to make so much or lose my benefits forever. I'm hoping our boys and girls club hires me. That would be ideal, a job that works with my six year old's school schedule. It's either that or drain the system more by getting free daycare. Not everyone living off of government money made that choice. I've tried working fast food and it's Hell to get out in time to meet the school bus., The warehouses are all temp shit unless you're illegal. Oh I do use the food pantry St. Vincent DePaul runs twice a month. I'd rather use that help than food stamps. Our apartment is clean and in order, my son is very well cared for. His school knows he's my first priority in life. Being poor is a fact of life financially. Being lazy and stupid would be choices. I appreciate what we get and no it's not owed to us but it's nice to have.

Packhorse said...

So there's a Tea Party candidate who wants to legalize cockfighting.

http://thedailymaul.com/on-tea-party-candidate-matt-bevin-and-efforts-to-legalize-cockfighting-in-kentucky/

Could dogfighting be far behind? I am sure the nutters are looking forward to the possibility.

tropical storms said...

Actually the political right has always wanted to overturn all laws against animal fighting. These were the same groups who opposed outlawing or upgrading laws from the beginning. Check which states were last to criminalize cockfighting and which had the weakest laws against dogfighting. It has never been a secret.

scurrilous amateur blogger said...

there was a push to decriminalize cock fighting in hawaii ~3 years ago. i don't remember which politico was behind it but they were taking the cultural heritage approach.

Anonymous said...

Senator Sensenbrenner (Wyoming? don't remember which state) has always been in the pocket of dog fighting and its silent allies in the shadows, the breeders. He fought hard to oppose all anti dog fighting laws, pulled every trick in the book, and stood right up for the fighting and the illegal gambling, tax evasion

One of the lowest of the low

Anonymous said...

Food stamps and much other assistance is now given as cash for recipients to spend on whatever they want.

If you've read the news, that includes strip joints, beer, gambling, and tattoos. And pit bulls, dog fighting,

There also is a lot of fraud, trading them in for cash.

People who really need it are a low percentage. It's handed out to buy votes including to the criminal classes so certain entities can stay in power and keep pilfering on a large scale

Anonymous widow, there are countless job training programs. The longer you don't work, the less power you will always have, and the more likely your son will just follow the pattern. You gotta break the benefits slavery.

Also why didn't you have life insurance for your spouse?

Anonymous said...

Mom in Eugene, take your propaganda crap and stick it.

welfare is now funding a huge criminal subclass that preys on everyone else, and also keeps people dependent and powerless.

As shown by people who won't get a job because they don't want to lose their handouts, or who produce children to get the benefits and then the kids are kicked aside

all this does is use their children, make their children live like crap with no hope of a better future, and create generational poverty.

Billions get given to private charities for food programs. It is ridiculous to rationalize taking tax money from people, your neighbors who are working really hard, to subsidize rationalizers like you who have excuses for taking.

You sound like the bank robber who gave as the excuse "it's covered by the corporation's insurance"

Congratulations on teaching your kids to rationalize idiocy. you are giving them little future to grow on.

Get into a job program, get educated, and you won't have to lie to your kid about why you take from other people.

No wonder a moronic American society tolerates letting their kids get ripped up by pit bulls. Ignorance and selfishness is a disease and it spread

tropical storms said...

Anonymous that may be the results of your research in your area but far from it in mine. The vast majority of recipients are active duty or former military, employed parents of young children and employed seniors not yet drawing Social Security. No where can SNAP be used to purchase alcohol or tobacco and the prison time for misuse of benefits is a fairly good deterrent here. I'm sure someone somewhere does use SNAP to buy human food for their pets but it really wouldn't go very far supporting a dog yard. On of the few positives I'm willing to grant dogfighters is their ability to contain their dogs and keep them well fed also.

Dick Johnson said...

Actually, TS, you raise an interesting point. I'm not sure about this "right" but I will say one thing about the dog fighters: Their pit bulls didn't run loose and kill neighborhood pets. I could never understand why it's a felony to let pit bulls do what they want more than anything. i.e. to rip each other apart, but it's not a felony to let pit bulls tear apart harmless little non-fighting dogs in neighborhoods.

Anonymous said...

More Republicans do tend to support dog fighting, but I don't know if many people know why. It is because more Republicans receive agriculture/farm lobby money via lobbies like the Farm Bureau who always totally oppose all animal regulation, especially if there is an anti-cruelty element.

Like the breeders, the farm lobby tries to crush any suggestion of regulation.

It is mostly Republicans getting this kind of backing now, but there are a growing number of Democrats doing the same.

If you want to see how things like dog fighting and puppy mills are supported and protected from regulation see what your state's Farm Lobby is up to and what political candidades they are supporting.

crapshoot said...

fuzupf has been dead for a while. did pibble kill him?

Anonymous said...

i also noticed that tarantulaguy1976 has been very quiet about his own pibbllypoos. he got a chihuahua a while back and commented weeks later in that video that he returned the dog to the shelter due to it having house breaking problems.

he also had another pit bull named blue who mysteriously died of cancer.

his third pit bull was returned to the breeder because he said his main dog titus thought he was dangerous to the kids or something.

i thought it was all in how you raised them.

scurrilous amateur blogger said...

"fuzupf has been dead for a while. did pibble kill him?"


LOL!

scurrilous amateur blogger said...

well this has turned into a fun thread.

Anonymous said...

you should edit this article of tige to feature images of him attacking the bull and his master.

Anonymous said...

plan on doing a truth article of other scapegoat breeds such as the german shepard and the rottweiller?

Dick Johnson said...

@anon 10:35 -

I don't know where to begin.. "other scapegoat breeds"? Are you seriously suggesting that pit bull type dogs are "scapegoats"? i.e. that the nearly 600 disfiguring or fatal pit bull attacks on Americans last year never really happened? Or that the tens of thousands of helpless animals tortured last year by loose pit bulls were all imaginary? Pray explain what possible connection the concept of a scapegoat has with the grim reality.

As to the articles on GSDs or Rottweilers, there's nothing to write. There are no corrupt organizations spending millions to promote GSDs or Rottweilers, or to spread dangerous misinformation about them. Nobody's claiming that GSDs or Rotties were ever "nanny dogs" as they do with the present day pit bull type dogs, all of which are descended from the torturer breeds or the old UK. So there's nothing to uncover.

Not only that, but both GSDs and Rotties are considerably less dangerous than pit bull type dogs. To help you appreciate the enormity of the gap between pit bulls, with by far the most bloody and violent record of all canines, and Rotties, which come in second only to pit bull type dogs in terms of disfiguring or fatal attacks on humans, consider the fact that, during the most recent period during which pit bulls have mauled to death some 30 people, Rottweilers have mauled to death about 2 people. Deaths from all other breeds combined don't come close to the numbers (and the pain and loss that are symbolized by those numbers) committed by pit bulls.

A blog about the problems with GSDs or Rotties would be pretty short and sweet, don't you think?

scurrilous amateur blogger said...

i plan on doing a lot of things. the doberman was on my list.

Anonymous said...

@Dick Johnson

instead of putting words in my mouth be smart and ask instead of accusing me of things i didn't say.

to clarify, i am using scapegoat similar to how craven has used it herself. or do you not know what the term scapegoat means?

get off your soap box. i don't need to be educated. you are preaching to the choir.

Anonymous said...

you wrote about double a pit rescue a while back. looks like they have a facebook page.

Anonymous said...

nutters are so stupid. do you think they will eventually believe that buddha had a pit bull?

Anonymous said...

lexus project already made around $5,000-$7,000 to save mickey. they have to defang him now. the estimated cost is around 3 grand.

that's around 10 grand that's been wasted on one dog. imagine the dogs that could have been saved.

Anonymous said...

that cost is ignoring the fees needed for a lawyer and the dog's upkeep while awaiting trial.

scurrilous amateur blogger said...

i definitely think that the doberman is a worthy topic in the scapegoat department. i've already done a fair amount of research on it. just need to find time to write it.

Anonymous said...

Oh, that is so insane.

They will apply any and all good things to their maulers. They're going to get all dogs outlawed in the interest of public safety at the rate they're going.

Anonymous said...

Back to the subject of the article... someone should talk to these people and find out who they are. I don't think they are homeless. I also am not certain they're even poor (but not rich).

I think they're traveling around and panhandling to pay their way. I can see how some could disagree with that. But, I'm just saying... that is a different thing than a homeless person begging to be able to eat.

People should give or not give money as they see fit. But, if these people are not on public assistance and are honest about who/what they are, then I don't care about their panhandling.

Their dogs.... that could be a problem and it is going to go back to how good is each individual in keeping tabs on their dog. But, this kind of thing could explain pit bull attacks when no one has ever seen that dog before and it is never seen again. It doesn't HAVE to be this, but it might be.

Anonymous said...

Doberman Pinschers are one of the few 'scary' breeds I've ever voluntarily gotten close to. I mean by that, I had a friend who had one and I spent time around the dog and even petted it.

I've known several people who have owned Rottweilers and the closest I've ever gotten to their dogs is looking out a window when the dog was standing outside. I don't know if it's because Rottweilers are bigger or what, but I was just too scared to be where there was nothing except air between me and the dog (the owners accepted this).

Pit bulls half the time seem scary even in videos chronicling behavior their owners find 'cute' (crazed licking).

Dick Johnson said...

@anon 2:17 -

Yes, I am familiar with the meaning of the term "scapegoat" and I am also familiar with the popular definition. What I am hearing is your indignation at being misunderstood.

So, just for my education, you weren't implying that pit bulls are being used as scapegoats?

Anonymous said...

i never did share a link showing how much the lexus project raised trying to save mickey.

Anonymous said...

Fangs or not, Mickey can still seriously hurt someone. How are they spending more than they raised?