Which is it?

[_beastie]

I guess their version of charity is to be generous with other peoples money. If you want to help the poor, help the poor. You don't need a special tax law passed to give more of your money away to the poor. You could give it away right now if that were what you wanted.

Yeah, cuz that worked so well in the past. As long as there were poorhouses, orphanages, and streets to beg on, who needs government intervention?

[_beastie]

I'll get into that if you can explain to me how importing more poverty and unskilled labor into a country that can't provide jobs for it's own people is good for the American worker.

I suspect you just don't want to answer the question, because you don't have a substantial answer. We somehow went from how you justify your assertion that the poor in Apalachia take responsibilty for their own lives but African-Americans do not into immigration....

Not really. My Dad first started voting in the 70s and conincidenally left Presbyterianism for Mormonism after leaving home for the first time. Nearly everyone in WV is white so I doubt that entered into my grandfathers mind much either. Coal and labor unions was what it was about. Now the labor unions have destroyed industry in WV and not many people live there anymore.

Now I've shared and I've got a question for the liberals. Were you liberal when you were Mormon or did this come at the same time as you left the Church?

I was liberal before joining the church at 19. I became apolitical after joining the church until I left 15 years later. At the time I just thought I had more important things to deal with in my life, but it was likely also partly a passive-aggressive reaction to feeling pressured to vote republican as a Mormon.

I would not be surprised that exmormons experience a change of heart in regards to political issues after leaving the church, just like they often change their minds about other issues. They're free to make up their own minds, rather than feeling pressured to "follow the prophet".

[_beastie]

Just some stats that may be relevant to ajax's claim that the poor in West Va take more responsibility for their lives than African-Americans:

Mississippi is the state with the highest percentage of African Americans at 37.3%. West Virginia has a relatively low percentage of 3.58%.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U. ... population

They are both relatively poor states. West Va is 47 in per capita income while Miss. is 50.

http://bber.unm.edu/econ/us-pci.htm

The latest stats I was able to find for welfare recipients is 2003. Miss. has 1.547 individuals per 100 on welfare. West Va has 2.283 per 100.

http://www.statemaster.com/graph/eco_we ... recipients

I remain very curious as to ajax's justification for asserting that the poor in his state take more responsibility for their lives than African Americans.