bprice@bmcg.UUCP (11/16/83)
This is not in opposition to the original posting--when I read it, I was struck by one phrase that appeared. My response is directed to each person, individually, not to labelle alone. It is a challenge--read it and ponder. >From sdcsvax!dcdwest!ittvax!decvax!harpo!seismo!hao!hplabsc!labelle > 1) Feeding the stomachs of all the starving people in the world dosn't solve > the problem- only perpetuates it. What the world needs now is not love! It > needs education. Then people can solve their own problems. They had all > those babys because they didn't know any better! Of course it is love that they need--love that causes them to get themselves educated, love that causes each of them to be responsible adults, supporting themselves rather than having kids to either put to work or to collect government subsidies for. It is not love you show when you give someone a fish: love is when you teach him how to fish, and thus feed himself. When you feed him, it is not out of love, it is out of your own greediness and guilt. When you are "kind" to him by bailing him out of his own troubles, you are not showing love--you are showing him contempt and hatred. You are showing him how "good" you are, and by contrast, how "bad" he is. You are showing him that you want to enslave him to your purpose, trying to buy his love, respect, or admiration: "See how wonderful I am for feeding you this meal that you can't provide for yourself!" On the other hand, when you demand of him that he feed himself--that he change whatever he must change to make his life better--you are showing him love. This "tough love" does not make you feel better than he is--it is hard work, without immediate gratification. The positive that you get from it is the knowledge that you cared enough to help, rather than destroy. You are telling him that he can, because he must; you are telling him that he is worthwhile, worthy of respect for himself. What the world needs, what the 'starving people' need, is love of the toughest kind. What the world needs is people who are willing to give that kind of love. We have enough of the "dogooders" who will only do enough to satisfy their own little guilt feelings, but won't do enough to do good instead of evil. We need people--many people--like Reagan, who care enough to do what is right and what works, rather than the people like Tip O'Neil who will spend all of your money to destroy the people in need. Do you care enough to help, out of love? Or do you just want some quick gratification out of the misery of others? If you really care, get to work-- find some way to really help. Elect some congressmen who will support RR's tough-love policies. Learn all you can about the realities of life, to displace the gratification-responses you have been taught in your church, schools, newspapers and (especially) television. Learn what life and love really are all about. Get tough with yourself--tough enough to reject the temptation of the "quick fix" and the guilt-easing charities, especially the government life-destroyers of the "public" schools and the welfare schemes. Find other ways that you can show yourself that you care. Join the BSA or GSUSA and teach some kids about life and love. There are plenty of opportunities to learn and use "tough love", if you care enough to do it. If you don't, at least get off my back, RR's back, and the backs of the rest of us who don't want to enslave the poor, but want to liberate them from their (self-imposed) bondage. Stop demanding that we pay for your "welfare" enslavement and other government-sponsored oppression. If you don't care enough to get involved, at least, damn it, get out of the way. -- --Bill Price uucp: {decvax!ucbvax philabs}!sdcsvax!bmcg!bprice arpa:? sdcsvax!bmcg!bprice@nosc