mary, when I hear people who are so complacent they claim to NOT vote is their "right/civic duty," I feel it will take that kind of shock to wake them up and get them motivated. Of course, I don't want them to enjoy such a tragedy as losing a child to war, BUT it will happen and in large part because of the apathy of people who don't vote and participate thorugh making their vooices heard in other ways. Seventy percent are being railroaded by thirty. It's going to take something of great magnitude to change that around.

I agree with you, to a point, about people in the saftey net behaving, BUT that safety net has to be liveable, with much more in the way of positive education and motivation. When someone tries to live off of $2-300 per month and has no hope of a job without losing all benefits of the net for minimum wage, some of them will turn to illegal means.

One of the things Michael Moore asks in his documentary Bowling for Columbine is why are we, as a society, so angry at poor people. Other countries are much kinder in their attitudes about those living in poverty. We need more emptahy and compassion, as well as better programs for the safety net to really be such and offer a shred of hope. In this macho pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps country, we hold those in poverty in great disdain, looking upon them with great contempt and demanding exemplary behaviour from them that we do not demand of any others.

kat