GreenJello: I totally agree. We were poor when I was little, and I don’t remember it ever occurring to me that I couldn’t be rich when I grew up, so long as I wanted to. You were very lucky to grow up in the family that you did. You’ve passed that fortune forward. Thanks for sharing your voice.

Welcome!

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I never would have considered myself poor or wanting, if my peers hadn’t pointed those things out to me. My family nurtured each other, my parents taught us the value of hard work and that doing well in school was All Important. We were loved and cared for, and encouraged.

All six of us kids are very successful, and our own children do not live in the (material) poverty we did growing up.

So, yes– I firmly believe that respect and love are the true “redeemers” of poverty, whether or not the money/living situation improves or not. Attitude and being a decent human being are bigger than the poverty itself.

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1. Hot-diggety!!! This is awesome! This is why I love the Internet! I wonder if you all appreciate how completely unique this period of human development is. In one fell swoop, all geographic, ethnic, religious, economic, and political barriers have been erased. Everybody can talk to everybody, and anybody can find out virtually anything! The Universal Mind is birthed!

So okay, that’s a bit hyperbolic, obviously there’s still some people (even some whole peoples) that don’t have access to the ‘Net. But it’s almost true! And the beauty part is: It hasn’t degenerated into complete anarchy and chaos! Humans Rock!

2. There is no difference between stickering for a cause and stickering for kicks. Nor is there a difference between stickering and postering, unless you’re talking about asking business and home owners if you can display your poster on their property.

It’s vandalism. Or, on another level, it’s pissing all over everything just to scream “I’m here!”

In fact, I take issue with calling it “stickering.” I realize it’s easier to type than “putting up stickers,” but giving it a cutesie name both legitimizes it and implies acceptance. And we cannot accept vandalism! That way lies madness.

It makes me furious when I see “news” programs referring to these punks and vandals as “taggers” or, worse, “graffitti artists.” And then they go on to actually show some of the asshole’s “work!” Is that supposed to help? Is that even “news?” I think not.

3. You go ‘Dad! Hero is a term that’s used way too much, so I won’t, but you’ve earned a place on my role models list for sure. What you did was very brave. You struck a blow for the side of good and we are in your debt. Then you blogged about it, making it bigger than just “one small step…” That, too, took courage!

4. Please don’t misunderstand, there is no “but” implied here, you did a brave and good thing, and I salute you. That being said:

a. You made absolutely no difference to the vandal in question. You may have impressed the neighbors, and you certainly sparked a lively and important discussion, but I don’t believe for a second that that kid is thinking about anything other than how much he hates you and how he can get back at you.

b. What were you thinking?!? Since no one else seems to have said it, I will. That was unbelievably dangerous. How far were you going to go? If he had brushed you off and walked away, were you going to do anything but call the cops? Yell at him, take his picture, report him, but never NEVER get anything like physical with him!

Scraping off stickers and removing graffitti sucks, believe me I know, but it’s a total walk in the park compared to what might have happened.

I guess what I’m saying is “Great job! Now don’t ever do that again!”

Daisy, the kids, and the world need you.