This movie shows the spirit of real Americans.

SmileyFace, I hear you and know exactly where you are coming from. You are right ... we've got a problem in the states when our goodwill towards American citizens (and even those who are not) is taken advantage of. And quite frankly, I'm sick of paying for them too. I know more people who are paid to stay home and be "poor", than to ever be a hard working man or woman, breaking a sweat every day, just trying to put food on the table. So true, so true. The laws of welfare and food stamps in the US were NOT created so people could take advantage of our "goodwill". But it's done every day, and is sickening. I live not too far from New Orleans (for example), and believe me, more able bodied men and woman and their kids learn how to abuse the system by claiming poverty and deliberately KEEPING themselves "poor", just so they can get welfare, food stamps, and paid utilities. Yet, there are help wanted signs everywhere and more than enough jobs to be had.

I watched this Oprah show a few days ago (a rerun), where she said that after Katrina, it blew the lid off of our "dirty little secret". I had to laugh. Thats never been a secret around here, welfare abuse and fraud that is. Many victims of that storm truly need the our nations help. The disabled and the elderly most especially. But we are soooo sick and tired of carrying this dead weight in our system, as you pointed out. We HATE it. I promise you, many of the same people (not all of course) wanting government compensation from Katrina, have been living off the government ALREADY for a long time. Hurricane Katrina was just the excuse some were needing to get more free money, more free housing, and more free food. That’s the brutal truth. Here we are three years later, and our small town newspaper just reported a little tiny story of a family who wants help, because they were victims of Katrina. The little story that ran said they need clothes, food, and a place to stay. They didn’t ask for work or transportation to get to school or work, noooooo. One family member was less than a year old. While I believe in the right to life, I find it deplorable, careless, irresponsible, selfish, and down right trashy that the “adults” in this predicament continued to grow their “needy” family in this FEMA trailer after three years. The infant, one of three small children, WILL be suffering the most because of the freeloading adults who are NOT going to support themselves or their growing family. They are NOT going to do it. The bible was right …. suffer the little children indeed.

And considering how far behind the city has continued to lag behind compared to all of Mississippi in rebuilding, the crime and corruption that continues, AND the crime some evacuees brought with them to cities such as Houston who were just wanting to help? Damn dude, If America didn't know what welfare abuse and fraud was before, they sure as hell know now.


Nowadays, many of America's poor (but by no means ALL) are in the poverty zone on paper because they choose to be. It's not because the jobs don't exist, or the paid training and free education that's out there either. It's because if they actually went to work, they would have to report this on their welfare review, which means their welfare will be cut, or eliminated completely. People who are used to living on the system are NOT going to put in a hard days work, when my taxes are paying them to stay at home. Such freeloaders teach their children to do the same, and live in welfare for generation after generation. I assure you, many of New Orleans inner city poverty has nothing to do with not being able to work. America has too many elderly and disabled unable to meet their bills as it is, thanks to the amount of freeloaders happy to live off the government, our taxes, MY money. Freeloaders can whine "poor" all day long, they get NO PITY from me. It's America's REAL poor who need the most help of all, and SHOULD be getting it. The "Lacey tribe" is a good example of the family's out there who need our help the most. The Lacey's are suffering, but they ARE trying. And that's a helluvalot more than I can say for the freeloaders I have to pass by on my way to work every day; sitting on their stoops and hanging out on street corners all day, waiting on the mailman and playing cards, all day, every day. One of my brothers was a postman for the area, and believe me, that’s all most of the people in the projects would do. NOTHING. He said one of the saddest things to see was how happy the little kids were to get on the bus to go to school, but how miserable their faces were the moment they left the bus, and stepped back into their neighborhood. Kids deserve better, and the adults around have every opportunity in the world to do better for them. They don’t even try, but at least “The Lacey’s’ did.

BUT !!! I take issue with one thing in your post …. I've had personal experience with a mom like Francis, and lemme tell ya, my "Frances" mom never learned how to have a heart. NEVER. Poverty, abuse and anger was all over her home growing up, and the same was inflicted on us as kids. We didn't have a lot of money, but we weren't nearly as poor as the Lacey's either. I'm glad Frances finally started to use her heart instead of taking her rage out on her kids, because my mother never did. You make an excellent point that things were so very tough those decades ago, and families had no help from the government or were too prideful to accept it. But I don't care how much frustration and anguish this mother was going through, she inflicted her own pain and anger out on her kids. WRONG WRONG WRONG. In the end, she finally learned how to use her heart towards her children for the better, and THAT was the happy ending I was hoping for. I never got mine!

Thanks for letting me vent, excellent point in your intro-thread :).

the Germans have also gotten through some heavy *beep* last century

I wish they taught shopping in school; lets wear make up so the boys will like us

I disagree. The woman was a crybaby loser who took her frustrations out on her kids. No, she didn't take welfare which was admirable (actually it should just be the norm) but that doesn't make her a saint. She was a lousy mother and pretty stupid at times. She did not have the moral strength to be a positive, life-affirming example to her children. She made them feel like a burden and made sure everyone was miserable all of the time.

I saw it when I was younger and now im watching it again with an adult mentality.... If that's the spirit of an American then I'm glad I'm not an American, nothing is wrong with taking a helping hand from people.... C'mon, if I was struggling, I would gladly accept the clothing and windows .... then I could invest more money into the house...
people complain about the lazy people on welfare, but what about accepting things from your friends and neighbours...