Imagine this. J driving his cab minding his own buisness when he overhears this conversation: (is it possible to eavesdrop and mind your own buisness simutaneously??? Whatever... continuing on...) "Yeah, buddy, I know that I still owe you five bucks I just need a bit more to get me by, listen, no I don't have any money, but I just picked up a food hamper from the food bank, there's like $80.00 worth of food in here.. seriously man, there's lots here.....(pause here supposedly for the other person to agree) O.k, I'll be right there, thanks man." Peculiar, I know. Knowing his customer base and being the observant type of person he is - in a minding your own buisness sort of way, J says to said customer "Am I hearing things or did you just trade your food hamper for Crack Cocaine" To which the passenger replied, "yes, what's it to ya'". J, a man never to be reckoned with on a good day, as I said, Mr. "defender of the right, good and just" pondered momentarily over the good people who donated food to the food bank assumably imagining hungry, struggling individuals grateful for the support they were recieving. The thought of this guy ripping off all of the good folks and using their generosity to support his habbit angered Jamie. He imediately stopped the car and told his passenger to get out. His passenger argued briefly, but his protestations were drowned out as J drove off with his "hamper" and returned it to the nearest supermarket "donation to the food bank bin". Oh, yeah and he left the guy with one closing comment... "what do you mean I can't kick you out of my cab and take your hamper?? Why don't you call the cops???"
No, I would never do this. Maybe because I'm too chicken, maybe because I consider the possibility that the person who is selling the drugs could use the food, maybe because I don't stand up for my principles like he does, but that is what I respect about J, right or wrong (mostly right I think :-) he stands up for what he believes in and does just that little bit every day in every way (however unusual or unorthodox) to make the world a better place. I think the veggie tales sang it best -- StandUp, for what you believe in, believe in, believe in God -- he will see you through! Anyhow, it's something to think about for today anyway -- Cheers! P.S. --- DOn't Do DRUgs :-)
8 comments:
OH WHAT A GREAT STORY THAT IS I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT. I MYSELF AM IN REVOVERY AND I HAVE A FEW GUYS LIVING WITH MY THAT HAVEN'T SOBERED UP AND THAT IS EXACTLY THE SORT OF THING I DO TO THEM EVERY CHANCE I GET.
IT DOES MAKE YOU MAD TOO DOESN'T IT? BEING TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF.
Ok right or wrong he did what he did , but then once out of the cab the crack head did what he had to do...any murders or robberies in your town last night done by a strung out crack head in need of a rock?
There is always more than black and white and the world is full of shades of gray.
Peace
TWM
So, J's response to this was interesting and I thought I would share it.. I'm getting a real kick out of this discussion -- J said "so, should we just put a crack dispenser on every corner then?" We would like the "crack-head"'s response to be "oh crap, I can't believe I almost did that" His response may have been, like the walking man said "murder or robbery" Nevertheless, at what point to we have to take responsibility for other people's actions or reactions and not act based on our convictions. hmmmmm interesting.....
I live in Detroit and there is a crack dispenser just about on every corner, their called dealers. I think we have to look first statistically why people turn to drugs, when there is employment the use of all street drugs go es down but when there is no employment it goes up.
Here we are running close to 15% unemployment so people turn to drugs and alcohol and will do whatever is necessary to procure those things.
Whether it's stick a gun in someones face or strip bricks from empty to houses to stealing the sewer grates to sell for scrap iron to the latest rage climbing poles to cut off phone lines for three or four hundred pounds of copper. Or demeaning things like selling your body for three or four dollars to other crack heads who come to smoke the stuff.
It is not enough to take action but you must consider what the ripple effect of that action is going to be. The 80.00$ worth of food was given to the junkie, once something is given it is theirs to do with as they will. I agree that selling it for a few rocks of dope is not the best use for it but that was the decision of the owner of the food to make. The next day he goes back to the food bank says he was mugged for his food and they will give him more, so what is the purpose of being the decider of which direction a persons immediate life will take?
I am a great believer in "it is hard enough living my own life, it would be ten times harder to live yours for you"
Do I believe that J did wrong? Nope, did he do right? Nope. He did as his mind and heart dictated at the moment and returned the food in the end to a place that would give it to someone else, but the question always comes down too and I mean always comes down to is that the action that God wanted at that moment? Or was it the act of a self righteous cab driver? Only J can answer that question.
Bonnie thank you for your kind words on my writing, glad that you were entertained by it. Please feel free to come back and make whatever comment you feel.
Peace
TWM
I can imagine crack dispensers being placed around cities, just like those 25 cent machines are placed near the animals in the zoo.
wow - interesting stuff
great fodder for a scruples game.
personally, i have wondered aloud about what legalizing illicit drugs would do in our society. i think the fact that drugs are illegal creates an entire sub-economy, sub-culture, sub-everything.
I think the principle that Jaime's action are based on are valid (and it has little to do with the fact that we are talking about drugs). Something was given for free to the individual under the premise that the person was hungry and needed food. For the individual to break that trust by selling what was gained for free is dishonest - anyway you slice it. Maybe it's not stealing in strictest sense of the word but who wants to get technical in a situation like this.
I think that TWM makes an interesting point about how our actions have a ripple effect. It's true and if we never wanted to make any ripples we would never do anything. who lives like that?
LIFE IS MISERY THEN WE GET TO BE COLD CUTS AND GOO.
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