Comments for jamesggilmore.com http://jamesggilmore.com James G. Gilmore's blog. Mon, 02 Jan 2012 15:48:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Comment on An Open Letter to Target, Best Buy, Macy’s, Kohl’s, and the Gap by Guest http://jamesggilmore.com/2011/11/25/an-open-letter-to-target-best-buy-macys-kohls-and-the-gap/comment-page-1/#comment-13548 Guest Mon, 02 Jan 2012 15:48:00 +0000 http://jamesggilmore.com/?p=298#comment-13548 I am baffled that, out of the hundreds (or thousands!) of terrible things that giant corporations do, you chose this issue on which to take a stand and write a letter. Rather ridiculous and trite in the grand scheme of things. And based on the dozens of people I know who currently work in retail or used to work in retail, I don't think most employees care about the issue. First, stores start with volunteers who want to work Black Friday. Often there aren't enough volunteers, so some employees are assigned to work. For most, it's really not a tragedy. First, most people still get to enjoy a family meal that you write about. Do that many family meals really go until 11pm or midnight? No. Most Thanksgiving events are mid-day, and even the evening dinners are over much earlier than a worker would have to go to work. Second, lots of people wouldn't be all that sad about missing a Thanksgiving meal. Many families aren't the Leave-It-To-Beaver variety that you seem to think exists. I haven't flown home for Thanksgiving with family in over 15 years, because it just isn't worth the trip to eat a meal together on a silly holiday. Lots of other people feel similarly about Thanksgiving and wouldn't think twice about having to work late that night. It's nice that you care about social justice issues, but maybe put your self-righteous anger behind issues that matter more. I am baffled that, out of the hundreds (or thousands!) of terrible things that giant corporations do, you chose this issue on which to take a stand and write a letter. Rather ridiculous and trite in the grand scheme of things. And based on the dozens of people I know who currently work in retail or used to work in retail, I don’t think most employees care about the issue. First, stores start with volunteers who want to work Black Friday. Often there aren’t enough volunteers, so some employees are assigned to work. For most, it’s really not a tragedy. First, most people still get to enjoy a family meal that you write about. Do that many family meals really go until 11pm or midnight? No. Most Thanksgiving events are mid-day, and even the evening dinners are over much earlier than a worker would have to go to work. Second, lots of people wouldn’t be all that sad about missing a Thanksgiving meal. Many families aren’t the Leave-It-To-Beaver variety that you seem to think exists. I haven’t flown home for Thanksgiving with family in over 15 years, because it just isn’t worth the trip to eat a meal together on a silly holiday. Lots of other people feel similarly about Thanksgiving and wouldn’t think twice about having to work late that night.

It’s nice that you care about social justice issues, but maybe put your self-righteous anger behind issues that matter more.

]]> Comment on An Open Letter to Target, Best Buy, Macy’s, Kohl’s, and the Gap by Yno http://jamesggilmore.com/2011/11/25/an-open-letter-to-target-best-buy-macys-kohls-and-the-gap/comment-page-1/#comment-13516 Yno Mon, 19 Dec 2011 07:57:00 +0000 http://jamesggilmore.com/?p=298#comment-13516 what about walmart which opened on thanksgiving at 10pm or earlier , where as Best Buy opened at at midnight at-least it was not on thanks giving. what about walmart which opened on thanksgiving at 10pm or earlier , where as Best Buy opened at at midnight at-least it was not on thanks giving.

]]> Comment on God’s Economics, Part I: Meet the Landlord by God’s Economics, Part III: It’s All Temporary « jamesggilmore.com http://jamesggilmore.com/2011/08/31/gods-economics-part-i-meet-the-landlord/comment-page-1/#comment-12890 God’s Economics, Part III: It’s All Temporary « jamesggilmore.com Wed, 14 Sep 2011 14:51:24 +0000 http://jamesggilmore.com/?p=278#comment-12890 [...] Principle #1: All wealth belongs to God. Principle #2: God is generous, not stingy. [...] [...] Principle #1: All wealth belongs to God. Principle #2: God is generous, not stingy. [...]

]]> Comment on A Disturbing GOP Debate Moment by Margot http://jamesggilmore.com/2011/09/08/a-disturbing-gop-debate-moment/comment-page-1/#comment-12879 Margot Sun, 11 Sep 2011 04:58:00 +0000 http://jamesggilmore.com/?p=286#comment-12879 You might be giving humanity too much credit - lots of the people you hope wouldn't applaud would mindlessly enter mob mentality and right-wing-fear-land and applaud for whatever Perry (or another right winger) said. I agree that no death should be cheered or applauded. I was horrified when so many Americans, including many of my friends, cheered Osama's death, let alone cheering the consequences of the death penalty. However, I do disagree, to some extent, with your focus on the connection between the death penalty and race. There is some connection, without a doubt. But the main connection is class, and America likes to live in oblivion of class issues. The second factor is the nature of the crime, which is a complicated mix of sexism, racism, classism and all sorts of issues in society. For example, you're just not gonna get the death penalty for killing a prostitute, because we don't care a whole lot about prostitutes and women who "deserve it" (unless maybe if you killed a dozen of them or got a media storm around your crimes). Yes, more ethnic minorities are on death row than white folks. That's because more of them commit murders. (Or maybe white people and Asian people commit just as many but are better at getting away with them. I don't know, but I doubt it.) My understanding is that the ethic disparity on death row reflects the ethnic disparity of who is committing murders (for the most part). Again, race certainly is a factor, but it's not the factor that us lefty folks are used to relying on when we argue against the death penalty. You might be giving humanity too much credit – lots of the people you hope wouldn’t applaud would mindlessly enter mob mentality and right-wing-fear-land and applaud for whatever Perry (or another right winger) said.

I agree that no death should be cheered or applauded. I was horrified when so many Americans, including many of my friends, cheered Osama’s death, let alone cheering the consequences of the death penalty. However, I do disagree, to some extent, with your focus on the connection between the death penalty and race. There is some connection, without a doubt. But the main connection is class, and America likes to live in oblivion of class issues. The second factor is the nature of the crime, which is a complicated mix of sexism, racism, classism and all sorts of issues in society. For example, you’re just not gonna get the death penalty for killing a prostitute, because we don’t care a whole lot about prostitutes and women who “deserve it” (unless maybe if you killed a dozen of them or got a media storm around your crimes). Yes, more ethnic minorities are on death row than white folks. That’s because more of them commit murders. (Or maybe white people and Asian people commit just as many but are better at getting away with them. I don’t know, but I doubt it.) My understanding is that the ethic disparity on death row reflects the ethnic disparity of who is committing murders (for the most part). Again, race certainly is a factor, but it’s not the factor that us lefty folks are used to relying on when we argue against the death penalty.

]]> Comment on A Disturbing GOP Debate Moment by Concerned Citizen for Justice http://jamesggilmore.com/2011/09/08/a-disturbing-gop-debate-moment/comment-page-1/#comment-12876 Concerned Citizen for Justice Fri, 09 Sep 2011 17:45:00 +0000 http://jamesggilmore.com/?p=286#comment-12876 Does anyone remember that Simi Vallley was the location of the Rodney King trial and verdict that exonoreated 4 police officers of the vicious and excessive beating of Rodney King then their lies to cover it up but for a video tape that showed the world scope of police brutality ?Even with a tape explicitly documenting the wanton criminal felonious assault by several police officers of an unarmed black man by 4 LAPD officers while 18 other officers from the LA sherriffs department, the Calififornia Highway Patrol and other LAPD officers watching idly and silently....then not fullfilling their duties as officers of the law....not a vicious gang of thugs in uniforms.... to report what was a crime. It was no fluke or accident that the jury in Simi Valley 19 years ago found those officers not guilty. That jury was drawn from the voters of Ventura count, California... a place which the US Justice Department and subsequently a US Federal Court found guiltu of systematically rigging the election procedures and voter regisration to exclude Hispanic nand Blacks. All elections in Ventura County must now be supervised by federal election monitors...similar to Alabama and Mississipi in the 1960s ( but no longer deemed neccesary in the South currently) and 3rd world corrupt, tyranical countries America always invieghs about for human rights violations.On the the matter of human rights violations.... the US Justice Department found that the Ventura County Sherriffs Depart- ment ( with the knowlege of the Ventura County District Attorney and Prosectors office ) used illegal restraint chairs that had been implicatred in deaths essentrially as torture devices on prisoners... most of whom were not in need of being restrained for dangerous behavior but were use3d gratuitously for retribution on prisoners.... particularly minority group disproportionally chosen foer this punishment by a device which is outlawed by the Geneva Convention and even was prohibeted at Gitmo and Abu Ghraib. If citizens are concerned by the blood lust response of what was predsominately an audience from Ventura County.... they should should be concerned that the children and grandchildren routinely express their explicit consent and approval of means which violate the 8th amnebdment to the US Constitution regarding cruel and unusual punishment. In fact the criminal justice system in Ventura County....knowing they will not be held accountable by the cititenry routinely engages in t5hese act incuding the shooting and killing of of unarmed citizens. To hold responsible for the ongoing violations of due process by the Ventura county criminal justicice system.... the public and citizens from outside of Ventura ....now aware of the blood lust bias of the Ventura county residents... need to appeal to the US Justice Department to go beyond a piecemeal case by case review to encourage the US Justice Department, Civil Rights Division...Office of special investigations office to institute a comprhensive investigation of " Pattern and Practice " violaions through abuse of police and prosecutorial authority by abuses " under of law" of the entire system so a court appoointed monitor can be installed by federal authority what has been an ongoing violation of federal law. County who were shocked by the audiece response Does anyone remember that Simi Vallley was the location of the
Rodney King trial and verdict that exonoreated 4 police
officers of the vicious and excessive beating of Rodney King then their lies to cover it up but for a video tape that showed
the world scope of police brutality ?Even with a tape explicitly
documenting the wanton criminal felonious assault by
several police officers of an unarmed black man by 4 LAPD
officers while 18 other officers from the LA sherriffs department, the Calififornia Highway Patrol and other
LAPD officers watching idly and silently….then not fullfilling
their duties as officers of the law….not a vicious gang of thugs in uniforms…. to report what was a crime.
It was no fluke or accident that the jury in Simi Valley
19 years ago found those officers not guilty. That jury
was drawn from the voters of Ventura count, California…
a place which the US Justice Department and subsequently
a US Federal Court found guiltu of systematically rigging
the election procedures and voter regisration to exclude Hispanic nand Blacks. All elections in
Ventura County must now be supervised by federal election monitors…similar to Alabama and Mississipi in the 1960s
( but no longer deemed neccesary in the South currently)
and 3rd world corrupt, tyranical countries America always invieghs about for human rights violations.On the
the matter of human rights violations…. the US Justice
Department found that the Ventura County Sherriffs Depart-
ment ( with the knowlege of the Ventura County District
Attorney and Prosectors office ) used illegal restraint chairs
that had been implicatred in deaths essentrially as torture
devices on prisoners… most of whom were not in need of being restrained for dangerous behavior but were use3d gratuitously for retribution on prisoners…. particularly minority group disproportionally chosen foer this punishment by a device which is outlawed by the Geneva Convention and even was prohibeted at Gitmo and Abu Ghraib. If citizens are concerned by the blood lust response
of what was predsominately an audience from Ventura
County…. they should should be concerned that the children and grandchildren routinely express their
explicit consent and approval of means which violate
the 8th amnebdment to the US Constitution regarding
cruel and unusual punishment. In fact the criminal
justice system in Ventura County….knowing they will not
be held accountable by the cititenry routinely engages
in t5hese act incuding the shooting and killing of of
unarmed citizens.
To hold responsible for the ongoing violations of due
process by the Ventura county criminal justicice system…. the public and citizens from outside of Ventura ….now aware
of the blood lust bias of the Ventura county residents…
need to appeal to the US Justice Department to go beyond
a piecemeal case by case review to encourage
the US Justice Department, Civil Rights Division…Office
of special investigations office to institute a comprhensive
investigation of ” Pattern and Practice ” violaions through
abuse of police and prosecutorial authority by abuses ” under of law” of the entire system so a court appoointed monitor can be installed by federal authority what
has been an ongoing violation of federal law.

County who were shocked by the audiece response

]]> Comment on God’s Economics, Part II: A Generous God by Onyourmarx http://jamesggilmore.com/2011/09/07/god%e2%80%99s-economics-part-ii-a-generous-god/comment-page-1/#comment-12867 Onyourmarx Thu, 08 Sep 2011 04:39:00 +0000 http://jamesggilmore.com/?p=282#comment-12867 Now I appreciate the attempt to appeal to theology to direct economic and political ideas, however there are several major flaws in your argumentation. The first is not distinguishing between the kingdom of God and the kingdom's of this world. It's true that there is no scarcity in the kingdom of God, but until the parousia we do indeed live in a world full of scarcity. We are, for all intensive purposes, living in Babylon not Israel. We do have to deal with the fact that there's limited amount of resources in the world. Acceptance of this does not mean that there is a de facto acceptance of the poor being less worthy to receive goods. Secondly, despite agreeing with you how the generosity of God should bleed through into our own lives, it seems that you assume the means by which this is accomplished. The most wasteful and inefficient means of distributing goods (our government) should be the de facto means of doing so. Before many of our current social programs, foreigners would often remark in disbelief about the magnificent and generous ways the churches in America took care of the poor. This not only allows for more efficient use of resources, but also enables the transfer of the good which the poor truly need the most to overcome poverty--hope. The big government entitlement mentality spurns hope. Its no longer receiving the grace of those who give, but an anonymous check which they are entitled to. As anyone who has done serious inner city missions (as I have) knows, there's a fairly large segment of people who spend their time just looking to get "free" money from the government. I have never seen or heard of a single impoverished person ever thanking someone of means for paying their way. The wealthy are only thought of as villains because they have wealth and they don't. As I'm writing this, my projected annual household income is around 23,000 for both me and my wife, so I'm not even close to being part of the "entitled rich." Lastly, as a nation we most certainly are broke. To put things in perspective that makes sense to us, America is like a household that makes $58k a year, spends $75k a year with 328,000 in credit card debt. The "outrageous cuts" proposed were to reduce the spending from 75k to 72k. Our current path is unsustainable. The question of reducing the entitlements is not a question of "if" but of "when" and the latter determines how drastic the cuts will be. I am sure you'll respond to this by saying that the rich just have to give more. Even if we took the money from all the rich, we would still be running a deficit, but then leave the country w/o any capital to create new jobs. This would then increase unemployment all the more and needing even more money poured into the social programs. In conclusion to this really long response, our mirroring of God's generosity needs to be done in such a way that gives strong thought to the means and manner in how to do it, rather than following the empty rhetoric of politicians who pretend to care for the poor, considering using the gov. as a filter has proven to be the least efficient and least effective way to truly uplift the condition of the poor. Thank you for your time. In Christ, Aaron. Now I appreciate the attempt to appeal to theology to direct economic and political ideas, however there are several major flaws in your argumentation.

The first is not distinguishing between the kingdom of God and the kingdom’s of this world. It’s true that there is no scarcity in the kingdom of God, but until the parousia we do indeed live in a world full of scarcity. We are, for all intensive purposes, living in Babylon not Israel. We do have to deal with the fact that there’s limited amount of resources in the world. Acceptance of this does not mean that there is a de facto acceptance of the poor being less worthy to receive goods.

Secondly, despite agreeing with you how the generosity of God should bleed through into our own lives, it seems that you assume the means by which this is accomplished. The most wasteful and inefficient means of distributing goods (our government) should be the de facto means of doing so. Before many of our current social programs, foreigners would often remark in disbelief about the magnificent and generous ways the churches in America took care of the poor. This not only allows for more efficient use of resources, but also enables the transfer of the good which the poor truly need the most to overcome poverty–hope.

The big government entitlement mentality spurns hope. Its no longer receiving the grace of those who give, but an anonymous check which they are entitled to. As anyone who has done serious inner city missions (as I have) knows, there’s a fairly large segment of people who spend their time just looking to get “free” money from the government. I have never seen or heard of a single impoverished person ever thanking someone of means for paying their way. The wealthy are only thought of as villains because they have wealth and they don’t. As I’m writing this, my projected annual household income is around 23,000 for both me and my wife, so I’m not even close to being part of the “entitled rich.”

Lastly, as a nation we most certainly are broke. To put things in perspective that makes sense to us, America is like a household that makes $58k a year, spends $75k a year with 328,000 in credit card debt. The “outrageous cuts” proposed were to reduce the spending from 75k to 72k. Our current path is unsustainable. The question of reducing the entitlements is not a question of “if” but of “when” and the latter determines how drastic the cuts will be. I am sure you’ll respond to this by saying that the rich just have to give more. Even if we took the money from all the rich, we would still be running a deficit, but then leave the country w/o any capital to create new jobs. This would then increase unemployment all the more and needing even more money poured into the social programs.

In conclusion to this really long response, our mirroring of God’s generosity needs to be done in such a way that gives strong thought to the means and manner in how to do it, rather than following the empty rhetoric of politicians who pretend to care for the poor, considering using the gov. as a filter has proven to be the least efficient and least effective way to truly uplift the condition of the poor. Thank you for your time. In Christ, Aaron.

]]> Comment on God’s Economics, Part II: A Generous God by Onyourmarx http://jamesggilmore.com/2011/09/07/god%e2%80%99s-economics-part-ii-a-generous-god/comment-page-1/#comment-12866 Onyourmarx Thu, 08 Sep 2011 04:39:00 +0000 http://jamesggilmore.com/?p=282#comment-12866 Now I appreciate the attempt to appeal to theology to direct economic and political ideas, however there are several major flaws in your argumentation. The first is not distinguishing between the kingdom of God and the kingdom's of this world. It's true that there is no scarcity in the kingdom of God, but until the parousia we do indeed live in a world full of scarcity. We are, for all intensive purposes, living in Babylon not Israel. We do have to deal with the fact that there's limited amount of resources in the world. Acceptance of this does not mean that there is a de facto acceptance of the poor being less worthy to receive goods. Secondly, despite agreeing with you how the generosity of God should bleed through into our own lives, it seems that you assume the means by which this is accomplished. The most wasteful and inefficient means of distributing goods (our government) should be the de facto means of doing so. Before many of our current social programs, foreigners would often remark in disbelief about the magnificent and generous ways the churches in America took care of the poor. This not only allows for more efficient use of resources, but also enables the transfer of the good which the poor truly need the most to overcome poverty--hope. The big government entitlement mentality spurns hope. Its no longer receiving the grace of those who give, but an anonymous check which they are entitled to. As anyone who has done serious inner city missions (as I have) knows, there's a fairly large segment of people who spend their time just looking to get "free" money from the government. I have never seen or heard of a single impoverished person ever thanking someone of means for paying their way. The wealthy are only thought of as villains because they have wealth and they don't. As I'm writing this, my projected annual household income is around 23,000 for both me and my wife, so I'm not even close to being part of the "entitled rich." Lastly, as a nation we most certainly are broke. To put things in perspective that makes sense to us, America is like a household that makes $58k a year, spends $75k a year with 328,000 in credit card debt. The "outrageous cuts" proposed were to reduce the spending from 75k to 72k. Our current path is unsustainable. The question of reducing the entitlements is not a question of "if" but of "when" and the latter determines how drastic the cuts will be. I am sure you'll respond to this by saying that the rich just have to give more. Even if we took the money from all the rich, we would still be running a deficit, but then leave the country w/o any capital to create new jobs. This would then increase unemployment all the more and needing even more money poured into the social programs. In conclusion to this really long response, our mirroring of God's generosity needs to be done in such a way that gives strong thought to the means and manner in how to do it, rather than following the empty rhetoric of politicians who pretend to care for the poor, considering using the gov. as a filter has proven to be the least efficient and least effective way to truly uplift the condition of the poor. Thank you for your time. In Christ, Aaron. Now I appreciate the attempt to appeal to theology to direct economic and political ideas, however there are several major flaws in your argumentation.

The first is not distinguishing between the kingdom of God and the kingdom’s of this world. It’s true that there is no scarcity in the kingdom of God, but until the parousia we do indeed live in a world full of scarcity. We are, for all intensive purposes, living in Babylon not Israel. We do have to deal with the fact that there’s limited amount of resources in the world. Acceptance of this does not mean that there is a de facto acceptance of the poor being less worthy to receive goods.

Secondly, despite agreeing with you how the generosity of God should bleed through into our own lives, it seems that you assume the means by which this is accomplished. The most wasteful and inefficient means of distributing goods (our government) should be the de facto means of doing so. Before many of our current social programs, foreigners would often remark in disbelief about the magnificent and generous ways the churches in America took care of the poor. This not only allows for more efficient use of resources, but also enables the transfer of the good which the poor truly need the most to overcome poverty–hope.

The big government entitlement mentality spurns hope. Its no longer receiving the grace of those who give, but an anonymous check which they are entitled to. As anyone who has done serious inner city missions (as I have) knows, there’s a fairly large segment of people who spend their time just looking to get “free” money from the government. I have never seen or heard of a single impoverished person ever thanking someone of means for paying their way. The wealthy are only thought of as villains because they have wealth and they don’t. As I’m writing this, my projected annual household income is around 23,000 for both me and my wife, so I’m not even close to being part of the “entitled rich.”

Lastly, as a nation we most certainly are broke. To put things in perspective that makes sense to us, America is like a household that makes $58k a year, spends $75k a year with 328,000 in credit card debt. The “outrageous cuts” proposed were to reduce the spending from 75k to 72k. Our current path is unsustainable. The question of reducing the entitlements is not a question of “if” but of “when” and the latter determines how drastic the cuts will be. I am sure you’ll respond to this by saying that the rich just have to give more. Even if we took the money from all the rich, we would still be running a deficit, but then leave the country w/o any capital to create new jobs. This would then increase unemployment all the more and needing even more money poured into the social programs.

In conclusion to this really long response, our mirroring of God’s generosity needs to be done in such a way that gives strong thought to the means and manner in how to do it, rather than following the empty rhetoric of politicians who pretend to care for the poor, considering using the gov. as a filter has proven to be the least efficient and least effective way to truly uplift the condition of the poor. Thank you for your time. In Christ, Aaron.

]]> Comment on God’s Economics, Part II: A Generous God by God’s Economics, Part II: A Generous God | Saint Stephen's Blog http://jamesggilmore.com/2011/09/07/god%e2%80%99s-economics-part-ii-a-generous-god/comment-page-1/#comment-12863 God’s Economics, Part II: A Generous God | Saint Stephen's Blog Wed, 07 Sep 2011 14:17:44 +0000 http://jamesggilmore.com/?p=282#comment-12863 [...] to my blog, jamesggilmore.com.) Share this:FacebookTwitterEmailLike this:LikeBe the first to like this post. This entry was [...] [...] to my blog, jamesggilmore.com.) Share this:FacebookTwitterEmailLike this:LikeBe the first to like this post. This entry was [...]

]]> Comment on God’s Economics, Part I: Meet the Landlord by God’s Economics, Part II: A Generous God « jamesggilmore.com http://jamesggilmore.com/2011/08/31/gods-economics-part-i-meet-the-landlord/comment-page-1/#comment-12862 God’s Economics, Part II: A Generous God « jamesggilmore.com Wed, 07 Sep 2011 14:15:46 +0000 http://jamesggilmore.com/?p=278#comment-12862 [...] « God’s Economics, Part I: Meet the Landlord [...] [...] « God’s Economics, Part I: Meet the Landlord [...]

]]> Comment on Dear Senator Hatch: by Karen Fitzgerald http://jamesggilmore.com/2011/07/12/dear-senator-hatch/comment-page-1/#comment-10335 Karen Fitzgerald Wed, 13 Jul 2011 00:44:38 +0000 http://jamesggilmore.com/?p=271#comment-10335 Tell Orrin Hatch to put his money where his MOUTH is!!! http://www.facebook.com/pages/I-challenge-Orrin-Hatch-R-Utah-to-live-on-minimum-wage-for-1-year/121495857940675?sk=wall Tell Orrin Hatch to put his money where his MOUTH is!!!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/I-challenge-Orrin-Hatch-R-Utah-to-live-on-minimum-wage-for-1-year/121495857940675?sk=wall

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