President Obama is going to ask us ALL (not just the dwindling middle-class)

[Mind_your_head]

to "get out of our 'comfort zone' ~ (extremely wealthy people, that means YOU too) and I think that's a very good thing."

It's going to take some 'finesse' to get us there willingly ~ and I believe he's up to the task.

Forced volunteerism will NOT work. Heavy penalties for not volunteering will NOT work.

People always LOVE to be 'needed' - and people do need each other.....

[Mari333]

1. please explain comfort zone...n/t

[Mind_your_head]

4. Well, by comfort zone I mean.....you see the homeless person on

the street and you're not sure whether or not to put a dollar in his cup or not? Does THAT really help him/her? Or encourage further begging, b/c it's 'effective'? ~ those thoughts wander through our judio/christian minds. You're not sure, so you 'give or not give' and then we just ignore the larger picture.

I'm probably not going to explain this entirely correctly, but we ARE responsible for each other. We have to look out for each other and it should 'be no stranger' that we should ask each other, "what can I do to help?"

Don't ASSUME what help is needed. Ask the afflicted/suffering one, "what do you need"? And then 'go from there'.

It's late. I'm off to bed.

Peace and good wishes,
M_Y_H

[Mari333]

5. well, thats lovely. and I think a lot of people do that now. hugs.

[Mind_your_head]

6. Well....not really......most people don't.

I volunteer at a homeless shelter in Aurora, IL. They are allowed to sleep at night in the house and get served breakfast in the morning and then they are kicked out until the evening hours. So what do they "do" productively in the meantime? (especially when it's cold!!!) Go to the mall? Ride the bus (it's warm!)

These are people who need to be needed - valued. I don't have the answers, but I hope that Mr. Obama and his team can figure out how to put these "people who need to be needed and are VALUABLE" with good/decent volunteers in this country.

That would be "very cool"/productive/life-giving for many ~ all of us.

[Booster]

2. I have a suggestion. If they would let volunteers write off the time

they spend volunteering, they would certainly get the retired folks to volunteer. As a retired person myself, I can donate to the place I volunteer and write that off, but my time means nothing. Want to give the middle class a tax break, there's one for ya.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

8. do what my non-profit does

We are a health non-profit, and we have a clinic. Some patients can't pay their bills, but we give them credit for their volunteer time--not necessarily with us, but with any non-profit or government agency in the area. If we can do that, why can't the government?

[Booster]

10. Wow, what a great place you work at. Now, that's some

progressive thinking.

[ColbertWatcher]

3. I thought one of the best things Clinton did was create AmeriCorps.

And I hated that the GOP defunded it.

I think restoring AmeriCorps would go a long way toward getting people out of their comfort zone.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

7. Anyone who has done body building knows

that you have to have a little pain to get to your goal.

I laugh about "forced volunteering" or "heavy penalties for not volunteering"--because I've volunteered ever since I was 16 years old, and continue to do so. It is a joy and part of one's civic duty, I think.

[Mind_your_head]

9. Your of jewish heritage, right?

This isn't anything anti-semitic, but we ~ who are not of jewish heritage ~ don't have the same 'goal'....at all!

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

13. Sorry, but my heritage is WASP

About as WASP as they come--Mayflower ancestors, enough Revolutionary ancestors to put me in the DAR 5 times running. In fact, folks who know me only through genealogy assume I'm a Republican! :)

My husband is the one who had a Jewish father, but his mom was Christian (and part Cherokee).

[kevinbgoode]

11. Will this be before or after our marriages are forcibly dissolved?

Just wondering...I mean, how much more sacrifice is required?

[live love laugh]

12. Start by donating to Franken to help Obama get one more Senate vote. nt