I just received a post from a man in Pennsylvania who is responding to an essay on “Dehumanization of the Homeless” on the Mennonite Poverty Forum. (This post is edited some, so if you want to read the full post in its context, please go to: http://groups.google.com/group/mennonite-poverty-forum/browse_thread/thread/b4a61d17a32cbe4a)
How would you respond to this? What does this say about Mennonites in general?
Here in my area the Mennonites control my county in all legal aspects and purposely made an ordinance so the poor can no longer eat out of garbage bins at the backs of stores so the food that is edible but past date is left to rot while people go hungry.
Mennonites will never join or become part of your group At least the Mennonites from Lancaster County, PA They are part OF the problem you speak of and work their best to extract every ounce of flesh from the homeless and those who have next to nothing I know I have eaten with the homeless as I am near homeless myself due to physical illness and have seen the inhumanity and how the mennonites and amish treat those in need.
The only people in my area that do a THING for the homeless are the Catholics and that is mostly lip service and a free bowl of cereal but at least that is something!
In my area there is a saying: If you need a helping hand DONT ask an Amish person or a Mennonite and I know I have lost most of my worldly possessions due to Mennonites who raised me and stole my money after I let them have power of attorney over my money.
(sorry for the generalization as Im sure there are good Mennonites some where but NO where in Lancaster County as they are suspicious, haughty and own most of the businesses here while exploiting non-mennonites in the worst fashion) If there was anything to helping others dont you think you would have a more active group here?
Im sure there are decent folks who are mennonites but NOT in my area, and if you asked nearly ANY non-mennonite on the street in my area about mennonites you would find the exact same sentiment I have expressed only in more vulger terms
Why bother with the charades? Simply for your unwarranted tax exempt status?
You Do absolutely NOTHING for those, in this country, who are less fortunate around you and only look on them as objects to abuse We have homeless people beaten and taken advantage of nearly every week here and it is too often done by young Mennonite ‘toughs’ from outside the city environs who come in on weekends and drink till they are drunk i the city bars then go out and look for helpless people to abuse.
In fact, most city people who are of color or nationality other than white germanic descent here are AFRAID to wander outside the city much at night due to Mennonite ‘toughs’ who inhabit the small towns outside the city and prey on anyone from outside their own clique The only areas safe are the ‘amish tourist strips’ which dominate this county and are owned and operated by amish and mennonites to extract oney from tourists who come to see the ‘amish’ people but see only a weird facade of tourist traps
Im white and even I avoid Mennonites due to their violent and self-serving tendencys since I know if I get into an altercation their inherited money will protect them from any violent actions they would pursue What good is your facade of a group you are trying to form anyway?
Instead of posting here get out and help people and show the world there are GOOD kind decent mennonites and not just those mennonites who want to abuse others who are less fortunate than they are .