The poor you have always with you

   When resurrecting my blog, some condensation occurred. True, some articles fit together more aptly than others but it seemed worth putting these particular 'eggs' in the same basket. The running theme, when one has been determined, is used as the title for the now-composite blog. (jbd, 2019)

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   Christian Scriptures tell us that Jesus said, "The poor you have always with you." Apparently, some consider that a reason to not aid the unfortunate; lest they go against the word of God. My outlook holds it to be a challenge issued: to see if those of us who have been blessed with more, would share with those who have not.
   While I'm on my soapbox, don't tell me the economy is doing great, while there are people working two and three jobs, in an effort to keep body and soul together. Unless/until there is a burgeoning middle class, "the numbers" [usually stock market] don't mean diddly-damned-squat. I mean really: while there are people going to bed hungry and/or without access to potable water, nobody should be a billionaire. Criminy, it's no damned wonder that Jesus wept.

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   Mid Twentieth Century, when I was a child, the planet's entire population scarcely numbered three and a half billion. It has now more than doubled; heading towards triple.  I seem to recall a statistic from my grade school years, that the population of the United States of America was 200 million. A lot has changed since then: I have dwelt on this earth for over six decades, and the population continues to grow at an alarming rate. In spite of this, women are often compelled to have babies they either don't want or can ill afford.
   Not so very long ago, a former classmate had posted a meme on Facebook, saying the 85 richest people in the world, had more wealth than the poorest three-point-five billion people, combined. Do you realize how many zeroes that includes? Eighty-five individuals to three and a half billion!
   In the comments following the meme, one of my friend's acquaintances wondered what caused such disparity, to which my response was, "Politics/greed, mainly." Apparently, that touched a nerve in another contact, who felt the need to take me to task, saying, "Don't jump to condemn, disdain or assume that rich people are corrupt in some way simply because they're wealthy. Some might be but at the same time, many others most likely are not. Wealth envy is also a form of greed, you know. Remember Jesus' parable of the responsible steward." My first inclination was to blow it off or, at most, comment in a Facebook status update. Talking it over with my roommate, [this was probably 2012, during my first couple years back in Michigan] who supported my statement of inequity being a result of greed and politics, it seemed worthy of a blog post. Greed is expressed in many ways, not least of which is being able to hide money in off-shore accounts, to avoid taxes. That did not used to be the case in the United States, outside of the criminal element. Unfortunately, grand-scale greed has been deemed respectable, and therefor suitably rewarded. Anyway, I had neither condemned, disdained, nor made any assumptions regarding anyone's level of corruption. Also, seemingly contrary to this person's own assumptions, there is no envy of the wealthy, lurking in my heart. But if being rich isn't a crime, (and in my humble opinion, more often than not, it is) why is being poor treated as one?

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(Eyes, planks, and Myanmar)
              
   It has been said [and variously attributed], "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." One can only hope to be so fortunate as to catch a glimpse of that justice in one's lifetime. There are also sundry proverbs and adages which assure "What goes around, comes around." Maybe; don't hold your breath.

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   Not so very long ago, maybe 2018, someone posted a tweet extolling Myanmar as a wonderful place for a retreat. This someone was then chastised for promoting tourism in a region where genocide is committed. The laudable lives side by side with the reprehensible, throughout the world. Natural beauty, or immense wealth, across the street from a village whose residents are starving as a result of human-generated famine. It is nothing new.
   Can't you just hear the furor, should visitors be discouraged from coming to the United States?

Prominent Tourist: I had a wonderful time in United States; there are wonderful places to visit. Everyone should come.

Global Public Media Source: Are you insane? Look at what they are doing to those poor bedraggled asylum seekers. Their law enforcement personnel are really just a bunch of thugs, who prey on persons of color. Plus, the citizenry is gun-crazy: you could get shot.

   Trust me, Individual One's digits would be worn to a frazzle, during the ensuing tweet storm. He probably would have trouble picking a target for the first burst of outrage. He sees the 'speck' in his brother's eye, but not the 'plank' in his own. (A reference to New Testament [Christian Bible] passage: Gospel of Matthew, Chapter Seven, Verses three through five.)
   It is advisable to clean up one's own mess, before calling attention to some other party's situation. Excuse me: that is the way of "accountable" people - those who rely on distraction and deception, employ less forthright tactics.
   In my frustration, I will resort to my fall-back position and try to treat encountered individuals with kindness. It usually works. But just for a moment, allow me to digress, returning to a certain set of thumbs. With a number of elderly people running for office of U.S. President, I wondered if a thumb-wrestling contest might be more entertaining than a debate, then figured 45 would have an unfair advantage. 

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(Fruit of the poisoned vine)

    All relationships are fraught with potential dangers. When a toxic personality is added to the mix, run for your life. Seriously. Run - with all due haste. Toxicity can take varied forms and come in a variety of strengths and guises. Whether or not humans are made "in the image and likeness of God," once that product "rolls off the assembly line" anything can - and usually does - happen. People do not live in total isolation - not even hermits. Experiences gained through contact and interaction shape one's psyche.
   There are many disorders which can distort a personality. Since people live in communities, distortions are not contained within the affected self but leach into surrounding persons and situations. If a person contracts a deadly and highly contagious disease, that individual is placed in quarantine. The penal equivalent of quarantine is solitary confinement. Alternatives to those two extreme solutions can include restraining orders, divorce, even "unfriending" on Facebook. It isn't always so simple - not to diminish the accompanying trauma of even the least of these actions.
   If you have ever been in any relationship in which abuse was a factor you are likely aware that knowing the need to get out and actually leaving can be miles apart, as it were. Whatever actions are or are not taken will affect the lives not only of the immediately concerned individuals but also their satellite people. And not just current generation, but progeny. One recalls the John Donne (1572-1631) quotation "No man is an island."
   There are persons who have chosen to break the cycle, by remaining childless. Others have taken a less drastic path, instead changing parenting tactics. Both courses of action require tremendous inner strength - not only from the central character but supporting cast of friends/relatives. If you are in any role of an unfolding drama, I applaud you - and wish you a successful run.
   Whatever choice a person makes, is determined by a variety of influencing factors; some are chosen by a given participant, others are dictated by society at large or an individual's societal circumstances.

   By 2050, it is projected there will be 1.5 billion people over age sixty-five. I recently heard of a program to use "grandmothers" to help people overcome depression. We need to help each other; in so doing, we help ourselves. In this scenario, older persons [hopefully, there are also participant "grandfathers"] get to feel useful and impart the wisdom of life experience, while younger folks get the undivided attention of someone who has been in a situation similar to their own. Presumably, there is a commensurate pay scale but it is probably less than that of a medical professional. So far, I have not heard of doctors claiming the elderly are stealing their jobs; goodness knows, there will always be a place for practitioners of healthcare professions. No one need be left out of helping others: it begins with kindness.