Foster children would be allowed to get clothing only from second hand stores
Under a new budget proposal from State Sen. Bruce Casswell, children in the state’s foster care system would be allowed to purchase clothing only in used clothing stores.
Under his plan, foster children would receive gift cards that could only be used at places like the Salvation Army, Goodwill and other second hand clothing stores.
This guy's a real prick. These are foster children, not juvenile delinquents. These are kids who haven't done anything wrong. These are kids whose parents have either died or failed them so completely that they have to be taken in and cared for by strangers, but I guess Bruce Casswell feels that they ought to be stigmatized a bit more.
And he doesn't even bother trying to make up some justification about how this is a "cost-saving measure" or something. Here's his rationale:
“I never had anything new,” Caswell says. “I got all the hand-me-downs. And my dad, he did a lot of shopping at the Salvation Army, and his comment was — and quite frankly it’s true — once you’re out of the store and you walk down the street, nobody knows where you bought your clothes.”
Yeah. That's it. This whole proposal is based on spite. I never had new clothes, so why should they get any?Why should they get the chance to feel like they fit in with the other kids? Why should they be spared the pitying glances of their peers?
I also never had new clothes growing up, and I can tell you it's not a good feeling. I still remember when an older kid from our church said to me "hey, you're wearing my shirt!" He wasn't trying to be mean, I don't think, but it stung. It doesn't feel good to think that other kids' parents love them enough to buy them new clothes, while yours dress you in others' castoffs. Sure, it's easy to look back now and realize that they were being fiscally responsible by not buying new clothes, and that probably no one but me cared either way whether my clothes were new, but it still felt kinda crappy. And I had parents. For a kid who already feels stigmatized by being a foster child, this seems like kicking them when they're down.
You managed to get the president to waste a little of his valuable time proving what had already been proven.
Wed Apr 27, 9:14 am ET
White House releases Obama birth certificate
Great job! Now you've seen it, so all the months of shouting and sign-waving and frivolous lawsuits were all worth it.
So now I guess we can get down to serious business without the silly distractions. Ha! of course we can't. Now we have to demand our right to see the president's college transcripts!
What the heck is wrong with asking the President of the United States to disclose what his college thesis was, what some of the um, uh, Harvard Law Review papers were that he wrote? I don't care about his grades. --Sarah Palin
Oh, my God! You'd think now that the whole birther bullshit has finally been laid to rest, that. . . oh, really? They're still not satisfied? This is me feigning shock!
BORN IN THE USA?
White House releases Obama 'birth certificate'
Cites Kapiolani as location, father's race as 'African'
Yep, "birth certificate" is in quotes. I don't know why they went with the single quotes, but whatever.
The White House today released a copy of President Obama's "Certificate of Live Birth," a document that for the first time claims Kapiolani Maternity & Gynecological Hospital as the president's birth place. . .
If the document proves valid, it could answer the questions raised by those who have alleged he was not actually born in Hawaii. But it also could prove his ineligibility because of its references to his father. Some of the cases challenging Obama have explained that he was a dual citizen through his father at his birth, and they contend the framers of the Constitution excluded dual citizens from qualifying as natural born citizens.
Of course it still isn't good enough! You could show them video of Obama's mother giving birth to him on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and it wouldn't change anything.
Does this come as a surprise to you, Mr. president? No matter what documentation you show them, you're not going to get any less black.
These people can't stand the fact that you are the President and just can't bring themse3lves to admit that you are legitimate. There's no point in trying to reason with them.
"The news media and the political establishment were quick to rush to
judgment regarding Obama's eligibility in 2008, without any basis. It
would be a big mistake for everyone to jump to a conclusion now based on
the release of this document, which raises as many questions as it
answers," Farah added.
See? It "raises as many questions as it answers?" That's so fucking insane. You can't combat thatt kind of crazy with facts and evidence and logic. These are the kind of people who think that the moon landing was fake and professional wrestling is real. Don't try to humor them, don't try to placate them, just ignore them. They won't go away, but at least we don't have to legitimize their insanity.
