Standing With Hand Out, or Giving A Handout?

​Dear Mongoose
As the year comes to an end I just want to say that I love living in Edmonson County and enjoy reading your responses. I don't really have a question but I want to encourage your fans to pay attention to our local businesses that are contributing back to our local community--and the ones that are NOT. Look at our school programs, our volunteer organizations, our charities, and benefits, and pay attention to who sponsors them. We have a ton of great businesses that continually invest their own money back into Edmonson County schools and programs. We also have businesses that have been here for years that never support anything except their own pockets. I'm not calling anyone out, I'm just urging people to pay attention. We need to support those that support others, and stay away from the ones that don't. Have you ever noticed this?

​Dear Community Reinvestment Act-ers,
I once had someone in sales tell me, “if a customer is happy, he/she might tell 3-4 people; if a customer is unhappy, they’ll tell everyone they know and even some they don’t”. I see where you are coming from and personally I haven’t given the subject much thought as it pertains to my personal business done in county. I think the reason relates to my opening comment. 

Unfortunately most, myself included, don’t recognize the good because we’ve come to expect it and “good” is only “mediocre” now. 

That being said I’m with you.  We live in a world where there are a lot of hands out and in turn hand outs (read closely). There are two groups, we’ll  say one group, the hands out group is over here on the left, and expect the other group, this group here on the right, to provide them with whatever they deem is needed. Now don’t confuse me, I’m not saying the charities, schools, etc.. are on the left side with arms out and palms up, just bear with me... So in the beginning the left side says, “hey, you have plenty,I need some, can I have some?”, the right side says, “you know I do have plenty,  I’d be glad to help you”. Hey, the left side gets what they need and the right side feels good because they were able to help someone, a win-win.  

Fast forward, the left side that once only asked for help when they needed it now expects the other side to give them not only needs but wants and has gone from asking to demanding. Meanwhile the right side lost the feel good received by helping and became indignant after seeing their once gifts now hand outs squandered.  

Back home now, the schools, charities, sick individuals and so forth DO NOT equate to the group on the left in my example nor do the hander-outers equal the right group. 

However, our view, the great citizens of this county, has been conditioned in such a way that we either 1) expect those on the right hand side to give, 2) are reluctant to give because the other side feels entitled, and to answer your question (10 pages later) C) all sides don’t see  the good guys giving and reward them or see the ones that don’t because we’ve been conditioned to expect it.  

Bottom line, you can blame most of society’s ills on the tenants of socialism, the antithesis of freedom, morals, risk/reward —the list goes on and on.