Abandoned at Halftime
by Stearnso

Comment:
that watermark might get you dq'd

Arcs
by jnenvir

Comment:
Ki

It simply is
by JulietNN

Comment:
It couldnt have been all that bad, you got to hang out with me :D

_MG_2790
by mgarsteck

Comment:
Ah true, just mussels. I do enjoy those as well though...

_MG_2950
by mgarsteck

Comment:
Thanks for letting me use it. It was very awesome.

_MG_2790
by mgarsteck

Comment:
Little oysters on the rocks. I love this shot.

adams1
by mgarsteck

Comment:
That was kind of the idea to make it more abstraction. I like that you can just stare into the picture for a while and find new things to look at. Ill see if I could make it a little easier on the eyes for y'all

Poverty in America: Your Backyard
by mgarsteck

Comment:
Aid to the poor, which you talked about, I do agree. I understand how doing certain things ends up hurting the society more than helping. Before I became the site leader, we used to go and pick up trash around skid row. This is an awesome act of service (you'd understand if you saw the place) however, we were doing more harm than good. When the old leader left and I got put in charge, I decided that we werent going to do that anymore. Why? Because it enables them to keep doing what they are doing, they take no personal responsibility for their actions. "Look these guys pick up our trash, lets just keep being filthy," that is why we stopped.

So we still do the food-line and help people out and give them food. You can argue that this also enables people, but I will say that we are causing more good than harm because one part of what we do IS serve and help others. Sometimes a bag of chips and a smile does more than anything else. It is to care that helps people change their lives.

What else do we do? We have programs that get them off of drugs and off the streets. We have programs that help women get away from their pimps and we have a place that victims of domestic violence can go and get healing, physically and emotionally. Its not about giving the food or anything like. Its about providing the opportunity to get out of that cycle. Guess what, it works.

Poverty in America: Your Backyard
by mgarsteck

Comment:
We are the land of opportunity yes, which may be the reason why you think there is no poverty in America. Because everyone here has an opportunity to exceed.

However, I again will invite you to come to LA and spend time on Skid Row with me and my group. In any society, poverty exists no matter what you might think. Just because 5 cents will buy a lot in a poor African country, doesnt mean it buys you anything here.

Come and talk with these people, while its true there are a good amount of people who choose to live on the streets, there is an even greater number who are desperate to get off the streets and take every chance they get. Even if they get government assistance doesnt mean it at all helps because they are still stuck in their situation, most still cant afford to buy even the cheapest of places to rent and provide for their family.

I would hate for this to happen to anyone, but homelessness can happen to anyone, including you. And if it happens, Im sure you would be quick to change your mind.

Go to Skid Row, talk to one of the prostitutes who are forced against their will to be prostitutes. Tell me that poverty doesnt exist. Go talk to one the thousands of people that are out of their mind from being mentally ill, and tell them they have no excuse to be poor and live on the streets.

If we are the land of opportunity, then there should be no excuse. I wish to provide ways and opportunities for them to get out of the cycle that they are in. Poverty is a very very vicious cycle that once you are in, its extremely difficult to get out of.

Again, like I said before, denying poverty exists in your area is just an excuse not to help.

Poverty in America: Your Backyard
by mgarsteck

Comment:
There is no comparing of other countries when it comes to deciding if there is poverty. I guarantee if you stepped out here with me you would quickly change your mind. A homeless person starving on the streets in America is in poverty, no matter how you look at it.

In my opinion people say that other countries have it worse than our poor so that they can justify not helping those that they see everyday.

Message edited by author 2010-09-14 00:55:21.