Thread: "Underpriviliged" American Families

Originally Posted by Martha

My husband and I are poor according to our very modest income; but we have everything we need and then some. We own our vehicles and our home and have one credit card.
It irks me that our locals are pushing to adopt families for the holidays. I can see donations for children, so they have something to open at xmas but a whole family?? Give us a freaking break. Another thing that bothers me is this whole thing about food. If somebody is hungry we provide kitches where they can get a meal. But the idea that every poor person has to be provided with a turkey or ham disturbs me. I'm a vegetarian that shuns meat because of the cruelty; give these people some rice and beans. If they a really hungry they'll appreciate it. If not, screw em.

Martha...you embody what I SO respect. Personal responsibility. Even though you and your husband have a modest income, you make sure that you have everything you need, and you don't go asking others to take pity on you and provide it for you.

There are genuine circumstances whereby one should reach out and give charitably. But I just cannot wrap my mind around the fact that I'm supposed to feel guilty for these so-called "priviliges" that I have that so many others don't.

Originally Posted by USA_born

Americangirl. You need to reread the post by usanevada. And if you still don't understand it, you should have someone explain it to you.
The loss of American jobs and a decent way to earn a living for the average American citizen is one of the big reasons we're concerned about this whole thing. Its a matter of survival and American families are losing out to the illegals.

USA_born....you need to re-read my posts. I'm making a point about a term being touted on the radio. And that term is "underpriviliged". My rant here is about how that term offends me. I'm speaking about how I feel that it's wrong to insinuate that all the Americans who are doing okay are somehow gifted with more priviliges.

Please folks. I'm not trying to downplay the seriousness of how illegals have hurt American workers. But that has nothing to do with being priviliged or underpriviliged.

I don't think most of you got my point.

Here in Pennsylvania, they have what is called the "OCCUPATIONAL PRIVILEGE TAX."

It's for the "privilege" of working (and supporting your family instead of going on welfare!!!!!!!!)

So, I guess "privilege" means a roof over your head and food to eat???

Pinestrawguys wrote

I'm sorry americangirl, but unless you've walked a mile in their shoes, you have no grounds to pass judgment.

I grew up in the construction trades, which in the 60's and 70's was an honorable profession that allowed a middle-class standard of living. I've watched it turn into a job that can't support a family because of all the illegal aliens doing the work for less and less.

That's my story as well, 100%!. Now that the housing market crunch has put a crunch on my family's income, it has caused me to rethink just how bad off some people have it. Not all people are capable to sustain themselves and many kids have parents like this. Judge and ye shall be judged. Pinestraw calls this one right.

Underprivledged is a PC term for poor or needy

It means the same thing

There are many ways to look at it

Is it the illegal latina with 6 anchors all drawing welfare

Or Joe 6 pack that lost his middle class American job to
illegals for half the pay and now can only find work
at a 7/11 because he can't find any other job , or he doesn't speak
spanish

Here in Vegas , most jobs now require you to speak spanish

I assume its going on all over the country

Originally Posted by Rockfish

Pinestrawguys wrote

I'm sorry americangirl, but unless you've walked a mile in their shoes, you have no grounds to pass judgment.

[quote:3q5p1zb5]I grew up in the construction trades, which in the 60's and 70's was an honorable profession that allowed a middle-class standard of living. I've watched it turn into a job that can't support a family because of all the illegal aliens doing the work for less and less.

That's my story as well, 100%!. Now that the housing market crunch has put a crunch on my family's income, it has caused me to rethink just how bad some people have it. Judge and ye shall be judged. Pinestraw calls this one right.[/quote:3q5p1zb5]

I've seen it happen in the grocery business , On a huge scale

What use to be really good middle class jobs are gone , Now the pay is cut in half and illegals are taking all the jobs

And yes , the law says they must have docs to work, the stores file the I9s but many many many of them are fake ,
Nobody checks and its illegal for the companies to question the docs

I was in management and had hiring powers and I can tell you
I've seen hundreds of fake docs

Originally Posted by CitizenJustice

Here in Pennsylvania, they have what is called the "OCCUPATIONAL PRIVILEGE TAX."

It's for the "privilege" of working (and supporting your family instead of going on welfare!!!!!!!!)

So, I guess "privilege" means a roof over your head and food to eat???

FINALLY! Somebody gets my point!

The definition of Underprivileged:


Lacking opportunities or advantages enjoyed by other members of one's community; deprived







I'm sorry, AmericanGirl but like some others here, I must respectfully disagree with your assessment.

There are many who have wasted opportunity or made a complete mess out of their lives, on their own accord, who now find themselves in bad circumstances.

Unfortunately, there are too many more who simply never had opportunity to begin with, or found it impossible to achieve their potential for any number of reasons. Strangely enough....it does happen.

Then, there are others who, like my own family, were quite successful, and quite capable of more than providing for our four children, thank you, but due to unexpected illness have now found ourselves falling into the classification of.....undoubtedly.......needy. Poor. Underprivileged. Or whatever.

Evenso, despite our circumstances, we are not "on the dole" and scrape by on my pittance of a salary in property management each month while we fight ONLY to receive the Veterans benefits my husband earned during 20 years in the Army, as well as his SS benefits which he also earned.....both of which he has been repeatedly denied thanks to an IA using his stolen personal information making it appear as though my husband is employed.

We still take care of our own children, ask for nothing from anyone, and our kids will have Christmas because we've managed to shop for things here and there all year long. Our children will be fortunate.....some families cannot even afford to do that much.



And NO. I won't give one red cent. Not one dime. Nothing. I never asked anybody to give me anything. I believe people should take responsibility for themselves. There are obvious exceptions to this, but they are rare exceptions.

Despite whatever personal feelings one may have about the parents, do we really need to be so resentful of providing children with some sort of Christmas?

Then, there are others who, like my own family, were quite successful, and quite capable of more than providing for our four children, thank you, but due to unexpected illness have now found ourselves falling into the classification of.....undoubtedly.......needy. Poor. Underprivileged. Or whatever.

That's different, and not what I'm talking about.

I'm talking about the insinuation that people who are making it on their own have somehow gotten there because they have more priviliges than others.

I resent anybody deflating my hard work and sacrifice by insinuating that I somehow am the benefactor of more priviliges in life than those who didn't work hard or make sacrifices (or make good choices).

For people who are genuinely victims of bad circumstances, illegal aliens, medical issues, etc...THAT IS NOT WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT HERE.

So please stop trying to put me in my place.

I am not talking about giving to those people, welfare, or any such thing.

I was simply disagreeing with the blanket statement -

If you live in the U.S. (now I'm speaking only of people who are living in the U.S. LEGALLY), then you have every opportunity you could possibly have. And if you're poor, then you're not "needy" you're just plain stupid.

Many are poor who are neither lazy nor stupid nor did they fail to take advantage of oppotunities.

Things happen. We have had to back up and punt - and yes, we were able to do it - but I know many who couldn't because of their life circumstances.


Right now a lot of people's lives have been impacted because of illegal immigration. It may be loss of job, it may be just less wages, it may be the loss of a family member or harm done to a family member.

It may be your neighborhood has been overrun by illegals and your home, your biggest investment is now worth less than when you bought it - or less than you owe.

It may be outsourcing took your job, or HB workers took your job. With us, it was Japanese steel killed a steel plant and destroyed the economy for that area for years.


While it is not the majority, thank goodness, things happen in life over which you have no control and while you are willing to dig yourself out of the hole, you may be truly poor and needy until you do. It doesn't make you stupid.