Scully:
Thank you for your kind words, undeserved as they may be. However I don't need an apology from Neal. A forced or coerced apology is meaningless and actually in this case irrelevant. Did I not read that Yizuman has never been a Witness? Yet he comes on a board focussed on former JW's to plead his case and both overtly and more surreptiously request help.
I am not going to detail my personal background since it simply is that, my past, but suffice it to say I well know the streets and not from the comfort of a shelter (for that is where most 12/13 year boys were attacked at night). I also well know the personalities that make up those on the streets.
Not all people appearing to be needy were, not all those who sought help really wanted it, and not all those claiming to want to rise above their current circumstances were willing to actually work to do so. Some are content to live on the charity of others (pariahs of society).
I have never known a truly needy person to resent due and proper examination into their plight before offering aid beyond the quarters dropped into the worn coffee cup or hat held out on the street of course. Anyone, including underage strippers and teen prostitutes who really wanted out understood when sincere good people wanted to reach out and help but first made efforts to ensure the money would be put to the use stated.
In a metropolitan area such as where I currently live, it is often the course of the seasoned city dweller to buy the homeless a coffee or sandwich rahter than simply giving the money to be used for items other than essentials.
I give to the United Way to assist in caring for those that can't or don't want to help themselves. Any other giving that I do is only to those that are actually doing something to rise above it and not just spending time on bulletin boards/discussion board totally irrelevant to their own experience soliciting help and/or sympathy.
I am a firm believer that any person who actually wants to work can do so. I was without money on a couple of different occasions in my life. I mean nothing. I knocked on doors and offered manual labor, cleaning the eavestroughs, raking leaves, shovelling snow, gathering up old skids selling it as kindling, whatever it took to make enough money to feed myself that night and then do it again the next day.
It took effort, sweat and work. I am now despite a lot of obstacles in a very successful management position and still operating a mildly successful home based business.
Bottom line, I know the scams and some thrive on the sympathy of others and then get extremely sensitive when someone challenges them threatening that line of sympathy. Scams aren't always material, some scams are solely emoional from emotional vampires. Something we have seen at xjw boards on more than one occasion.
I view caution as a good thing. Why you are afraid of it, just raises more questions. I am NOT telling others not to help you but simply that your reaction to a simple investigation (like making sure you are actually in a shelter) has given me sufficient cause to doubt your sincerity and therefore your reaction has put a stop to any charitable feelings or assistance I am willing to give to you.
Your attacks of my (ahem) lonely existance ring hollow. Also since you have never been a JW, you snide remarks about hanging onto JW paths also ring hollow.
I hope you find the help you need, but I don't think an online discussion board is where you will find it.
Uzzah
I am done trying to steady this particular ark