Poor People and the Economically Disadvantaged

Income challenged. Low income. Economically disadvantaged. Underprivileged. When writing a grant or in a formal meeting with other professionals I use some of these terms. In conversation, I usually use the term “poor" people, although the word "poor" does seem to be out of favor. I like the term “poor people”, or "the poor." "Poor" is a good honest word. It is simply descriptive; it is not derogatory. We know what it means. Why use two bigger words when one simple small word says what you want to say?

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Low-income Housing and Affordable Housing

I am a housing counselor and for about the last 15 years I have served as the Director of Housing Services for the Woodbine Community Organization, a HUD approved non-profit housing counseling agency. Our organization belongs to a loosely associated organization called the Affordable Housing Forum. This organization includes developers, representatives of government agencies, realtors, mortgage companies, banks, non-profit organizations, and advocacy organizations. Anyone interested in the field of affordable housing is welcome to join. The organization serves a valuable purpose in educating those in the affordable housing field about new developments, in providing networking opportunities and in providing a forum to address the issues that surrounding our field.

For many years, the organization was know as the Low-income Housing Forum and then a few years ago, it was felt that there was a stigma associated with “Low-income housing” and the name was changed to “Affordable Housing”. I didn’t feel strongly about the issue, so did not take a position on the name change, but thought Low-income Housing Forum was a perfectly good name. Maybe there was some logic to changing the name, however. A lot of the public think “public housing” or “projects” when they hear the words “low-income housing” and our organization deals with concerns that range from homelessness to the issues associated with the barriers and policies that needlessly increase the cost of the development of almost all housing.

Just wait. I predict that in a few more years there will be a stigma associated with the term “affordable housing” and we will change the name to “Modest-income Housing Forum” or “Housing Challenges Forum” or some other name which does not yet have a stigma.

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Retarded People and the Mentally Challenged

When I was growing up, it was not uncommon to hear people refer to the “mentally challenged” as “slow.” Another term that was sometimes used was “backward.” Both terms seem like a polite way of referring to someone with a mental deficiency. Some older people would say someone was “touched”, whatever that means. I don’t know why it became unacceptable to use those term.

For many years those with a mental deficiency were referred to as “retarded” then that term fell out of favor. “Retarded” simply means delayed; I don’t know why that term became offensive. Sometime the mentally challenged are referred to as “developmentally delayed” but I think that term is normally used for children, who could possibly catch up. Another term that is sometimes used is “mentally disabled”, but I am not sure if that is an OK term to use. I assume the current politically correct term is “mentally challenged” unless it changed and no one told me. I know some people use the term “special” or simply “disabled” or “challenged” but those terms don’t differentiate between a metal condition and a physical condition so they don’t tell you very much.

While I find a lot of political correctness downright silly, I usually comply with the prevailing terminology, but I wait until it is the prevailing term and am never in the forefront of the change in a terminology. I would rather people listen to what I have to say rather than be distracted by my use of an out-dated term. I think the reason the terminology has to change so often, is that as soon as people realize the new term means the same thing as the old term a stigma becomes associated with the new term and it has to be changed again.

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Colored People and People of Color

If people of color, find the term “colored people” offensive then I won’t use it. I don’t want to intentionally offend anyone. That is just the kind of sensitive nice guy I am. However, could someone explain to me why the term “colored people” is considered impolite if not downright racist, while the term “people of color” is considered dignified and respectful?

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Gay 4 Obama

Another funny video.

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Carbon Output Must Near Zero To Avert Danger, New Studies Say

By Juliet Eilperin, Washington Post Staff Writer, Monday, March 10, 2008; A01

The task of cutting greenhouse gas emissions enough to avert a dangerous rise in global temperatures may be far more difficult than previous research suggested, say scientists who have just published studies indicating that it would require the world to cease carbon emissions altogether within a matter of decades. (link)

Comment: Hey, I have an idea! Let’s turn the lights off for one hour to show we really care about this.

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Turn Out the Lignts,

Another Meaningless Empty Symbolic Gesture.

SYDNEY (AFP) - Twenty-six major cities around the world are expected to turn off the lights on major landmarks, plunging millions of people into darkness to raise awareness about global warming, organisers said. Cities officially involved in 'Earth Hour' include Aalborg, Aarhus, Adelaide, Atlanta, Bangkok, Brisbane, Canberra, Chicago, Christchurch, Copenhagen, Darwin, Dublin, Hobart, Manila, Melbourne, Montreal, Odense, Ottawa, Perth, Phoenix, San Francisco, Suva, Sydney, Tel Aviv, Toronto and Vancouver. (link)

Comment: Liberals love the meaningless empty symbolic gesture. Turn off your lights and show how much you “care.” Show your solidarity with others who “care.” This feel-good measure can make you feel like you are “doing something." The only possible reason for something like this is to raise awareness. Mr Friends, awareness has been raised! It is time to get behind policy changes that will actually do something. Showing how environmentally pious you are is useless. I will be keeping the lights on.

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Hillary Wasn't Lying!

Bosnia gunfire footage discovered...

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Dear Abby,

Dear Abby,

I am a 60-year-old woman who is married to a man who acts like he hates me. In public, he pretends he loves me and talks about how wonderful I am. But in private, he shakes his finger in my face and calls me the "B" word. He constantly tells me how ugly I am without make-up. I've tried everything, I even went on a diet and lost 20 pounds.

He quit his job a few years ago after having an affair with a woman in his office. He hasn't even looked for another job. We haven't slept together since I confronted him about the affair. He denied it, of course, but everybody knew it. It was humiliating.

While we both want to sell this house, we argue constantly about when to put it on the market. The house we want will be available in a few months. My husband wants to put our house on the market now. I think we should wait a while. He has already started collecting boxes and packing up his stuff. Do you think he is planning to leave me?

Signed, Worried in NY

Dear Worried in NY: I doubt it. He wants to move back into the White House as much as you do.

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HILLARY IN TUZLA!

Coming Soon to a theater near you!

A Tale of Unbelievable Heroism!

"There was a saying around the White House: if a place is too small, too poor, or too dangerous, the President couldn't go; send the First Lady."

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Paul Aldrich Sings "Hillary"

Let it be/Hillary
From YouTube. This is funny!

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Truth Challenged Hillary Earns Four well-deserved Pinnocios

"I remember landing under sniper fire. There was supposed to be some kind of a greeting ceremony at the airport, but instead we just ran with our heads down to get into the vehicles to get to our base."--Hillary Clinton, speech at George Washington University, March 17, 2008.

This Hillary Clinton account of her trip to Bosnia in 1996 is pure fiction. Video footage of the welcoming ceremony is available. The comic entertainer Sinbad was on the same trip and does not recall sniper fire, nor do the others who were there. Her current account of the trip was not reported that way at the time.

According to the Washington Post “Fact Checker” Michael Dobbs (link):
"Clinton's tale of landing at Tuzla airport 'under sniper fire' and then running for cover is simply not credible. Photographs and video of the arrival ceremony, combined with contemporaneous news reports, tell a very different story. "

For this “whopper” Hillary earned “Four Pinocchios.” Why do the Clintons have such a hard time telling the truth? Why would you lie, when the truth can so easily be discovered? Can she just not help herself?

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