A Humble Commentary
by Thornton Crowe
What has happened to our society? Even here in Salisbury, why have people become so jaded, rude and condescending? What happened to being giving, loving and cordial to your neighbors and fellow citizens? What happened to the days when a community helped one another out?
Last week with the family whose home burned down on Rockawalkin to the girl whose parents were looking for donations after she lost her fight with cancer, some people have made comments under the veil of anonymity about how those people should have saved their money, stop panhandling and the like. These comments don’t affect the person they’re aimed at but what does that say about the people saying them? Do they not have any compassion for their fellow man?
Before you think I’m going on some moralistic crusade, let me relay this to you a bit about our history here on the Shore.
Back in the Great Depression, the Eastern Shore did not suffer as much as other communities and cities. Do you know why? Because the communities like Salisbury banded together and helped take care of each other while the rest of the country faltered. As morbid as it is, during the Great Depression, many Midwestern families (in the Dust Bowl) had conversations as to which parent would commit suicide so the remaining spouse and children could eat. Some men traveled to California, leaving their families on foreclosing properties, to find work. Tearing at the foundations of the family unit in order to preserve some semblance security in a time racked with difficulties few knew how to assimilate.
Not on the Eastern Shore. The Salisbury population had food to eat, clothes to wear and ways to support their families because of the cohesive nature of its citizenry. Communities here were helpful to one another and families so interwoven, provided the fabric of society.
There was a time in Salisbury (and other communities like Cambridge and Easton) when neighbors did look out for one another; cried tears over loss, mourned deaths and rejoiced in life together. Yet, it never occurred to them to ask tick for tack. They did it because they cared about the community on a whole. They weren’t clique-driven with divisions between haves and have nots. Paying for funerals wasn’t a problem because the undertaker was a friend to everyone in town so he knew they’d pay him. There was a sense of trust, allegiance and pride in one’s hometown. They were all citizens of a same area just trying to muck through and weather the storm. Due to our unique makeup of agriculture and chickens, this area was saved from many of the perils others suffered in one of the country’s darkest hours.
Not saying that Salisbury was Nirvana. There was surely enough salacious gossip to curl anyone’s eyelashes, but all in all, the community acted like a community. They might not have loved all their neighbors but, in challenging times, they pulled together, dismissed their differences and hung in there together.
Due to the ‘I’m on board, pull up the ladder’ mentality seen throughout our community and blog whenever donation posts are created, one has to wonder, given that same scenario, would the altruism of days past be the case now? Are we, as a community, really living up to the best part of ourselves?
I’ll leave it up to you to weigh in. How say you?
13 comments:
It is just the opposite now as most of the country has been recovering from the housing bubble/market correction, recession or whatever the term was. Salisbury did not have the ability to weather the storm and now most likely will never get back to what it once was. People don't know lots of their neighbors and in many cases don't want to. I at one time knew every family that lived on my road (not in city - we don't say blocks) for miles in both directions. No so much today as some are now rentals that turn over every 6 mos. to a year.
Salisbury's surrounding region was agricultural, so that was helpful in people getting by, but like you say, it was mostly about helping one another.
We now live in a very self-absorbed society as a result of people slowly abandoning morality and just doing what felt good and suited them. We have whole generations of people 'raised' by single mothers who may have tried to do a good job, but just couldn't. Kids MUST have a father there to help them, especially the boys.
And, as 9:33 mentioned, Salisbury/Fruitland/Delmar/Princess Anne, etc is so saturated with rentals that much of the population is transient. That doesn't lend itself to community values. That happened in large part because of the colleges-- they spent most of their capital funds on buildings they could use to make money, not house students. They chose to drop the burden of housing the students on the local economy. That's why rents have gone through the roof, and why so many estate properties become rentals. Demand.
One more factor-- Maryland's leadership choosing to 'welcome' illegal immigrants with open arms has decimated the affordable housing in the region. Virtually all of it has become ghettos of latinos, Indians and various muslim ethnicities. Most of the black people have been displaced.
Those are the same black people who reliably vote for the aforementioned "leaders".
You might note that a theme emerges in the points I just made.. this all involves the fruits of liberal policies.
You'd better think long and hard about this next election.
I say this blog has done as much as anyone to make the lower eastern citizens not live up to the best part of themselves. If comments by the readers are to be believed, they are only happy when vilifying. Sadly there are usually many more comments degrading our folks and our area.
Mostly Joe has good intentions and ideas but he cannot write them without sounding as if he is ranting. The trashier the people comment, the more likely one is to see it on SBYNews.
If one did not know Joe, they assume he hates all cops, all firemen, school personnel, etc. IMO Joe has the tendency to write as if he has a grudge to settle with eastern shore folks. The people commenting write in the same manner.
Good example is all those articles and comments against WBOC yesterday. Did it really make anyone feel better to repeat the same trash over and over. Do the readers really care or do they have a grudge, or a hatred, or think it necessary to point how they NEVER watch 16. The comments are a form of "bullying" IMO. Life is too short to try and control things outside myself. I know doing my jobs (family, volunteering and helping others) to the best of my ability makes my life happier, and hopefully others also.
I read SBYNews for local "stuff" but too often find ita downer with so much trashing.
10:36, Thank you for your comment. Here's what I find just as interesting about you.
You see, it would be easier IF you had contacted me directly. Instead, you chose to do exactly what you complain commenters do here as well as me.
Perhaps you don't recall ALL of the times WBOC and the DT's published defaming and absolutely wrong information about me?
It goes both ways and I'll not allow you to criticize me while you conveniently protect the rest of the media.
To clarify, I do not hate or dislike Firefighters or Police. All mentioned are aware that they are going to be called out when either something goes wrong and or we have an opinion. An example would be the fact that I do not agree so many pieces of equipment should go to a fire. Another would be equipment going to every vehicle accident. ANYONE with half a brain knows they only do so to rack up miles and use on these vehicles to garnish a new one that much quicker.
As for Police, parking in handicap spots and or not evacuating students from a bomb threat, (in my opinion) is foolish and it has been proven, most agree.
Because we have grown into the largest news source on the shore, we are the only ones willing to call these people out.
People have the right to their opinions, just as I have given YOU today. You simply want all feel good opinions, robots or puppets. The rest of us, well, we're leaders, not followers.
We see our world through the media whether it be movies TV or music these people have created this societal breakdown. All of these industries are owned by Jewish owned companies that being said they "Jewish people" do not act like this nor tolerate this behavior in their closed community so why do they choose to do this to the country that has welcomed them and freed them from the holocaust?
Jim, you make some very valid points as well as 9:33AM. The cohesion of this community has been splintered and run a rye largely due to the increasing number of rentals by absentee landlords whom are not taking responsibility in choosing their tenants with more discrimination and thought as to the neighbors that must integrate with them. The singular family unit is replacing community spirit and involvement.
I guess one could say the entire country is suffering from this malaise and its a sad thing to witness.
As for the commentary that runs, many comments are biting and taunt because, in general, almost no one feels their voice is heard and the country's direction is way off base. As Jim said, the liberal mentality so adored by those whom are most hurt from it seems to have placated while robbing them of their own rights to live in communities with some semblance of harmony and peace.
R. Colinson, I am sorry to hear about your experience here. While it is very understandable, please know that sometimes, it is important to shake honey pots up in order to get the bears to change course. WBOC has been largely ignoring most of Delmarva for a couple of decades, opting to concentrate on Dover (North) to concentrate its efforts. They seldom lead with Salisbury or Accomac news, always opting for the Delaware and beach locales. As heralding themselves as Delmarva's News LEADER, their role is supposed to serve all communities and it fails to do so. They need to get more aligned with their base and stop trying to be some first tier news organization.
10:51AM, while your comment is insightful, I believe you have a bit of a mix up. In the generation of student unrest of the late Sixties, many of those same radicals are now the elders of the news media world. Hence, their old radical roots are demonstrative throughout the media because now, they are the decision makers and mentors of the generations that followed.
There few Cronkites in newsrooms now and more Maury Povichs. They look for salacious and provocative spins on news items rather than just reporting them. Talking head commentaries have replaced news reporting with everyone weighing in with their own take rather than fulfilling what news reporting used to provide to the public.
Note: Cronkite was one of the most trusted figures in our history. He only showed his personal emotions twice. When Kennedy was assassinated and then when he question why Vietnam was continuing. Being an elder who earned his right to air an opine, he only did this twice. TWICE.
NO religion = no values , no ethics , no law = Salisbury , and America period.
A lot of White people in that soup line I thought they were privileged ?
Years ago people were not looking for a hand out. Many were too proud to even take them. The government has changed the way people think. They want people to rely on them. It seem like now every time something happens people open up a gofundme account and expect others to help them. Some will help and some people just can not help. They are dealing with their own financial problems and no one seems to want to help them. Sometimes it's the same people begging and pleading for money over and over again. At some point they need to realize it is the things they are doing in life that puts them where they are. I see it all the time. One week they are at a bar with friends or going out to dinner or even getting a tattoo or wasting money in other ways. The next week they are crying the blues because they don't have money for heat and their kids are going to be cold. Accountability and responsibility have been thrown out of the window. Someone bails them out one time and they will expect someone to do it the next time and will not plan and save for the "what if" in life.
Years ago most people were also members of churches. They recognized the problem within their congregation and would help them. Our communities today are not like they were years ago. Your family usually lived close by if not in the same house or at least on the same property. Grandparents could watch their grandkids if something came up. Today the grandparents are still working. Everything has changed and mostly not for the better!
11:29AM, your comment is exactly the race divisiveness that's so ever-present in our culture and has damaged as well as eradicated freedom as preserved in the country's governing document. My suggestion to you is do your homework before you post these glib, unnecessary quips. If you know about the Great Depression, then you should know the economic disaster affected many people - all demographics - race, creed and color. It was not just about poor, even rich people lost everything due to the Stock Market Crash of '29. It is amazing that one can take a picture from the Great Depression era and twist it into some racial commentary rather than reading the article and understanding the contents within.
11:51AM, you are exactly correct, the government has bred a co-dependency on its services in order to make the people overly indulgent and entitled - and worst of all, managed. It's rather unfortunate because the people whom voted for this type of milieu do not realize with every entitlement, every apparent freebie, they are paying a grave price. They are giving away their freedom -- the very premise this country was founded upon in the first place.
The reason Washington and company decided to pen the Constitution as they did, was to avoid what they saw happening in other countries. The document didn't just spring up from sitting around the campfire drinking beer, cooking things up. They were well-educated men in history of other countries and saw where various forms of government were inefficient or adjunct failures or deprived the civil liberties and rights that were inalienable rights - like the freedom to worship (or not) as a person wished without interference from governmental forces.
Washington did not want a president at all because he feared that future generations would try to change a president into a ruler - a practice the US was trying to evade due to its citizen stifling adversity that comes with most monarchies and ruling classes.
Unfortunately, we did not follow their great wisdom and legacy; therefore, we have what they feared.
I think people have become jaded about helping out other people because they see so many scams going on. It has become almost impossible to figure out who is in real need and who is just trying to pick up a freebie from a gullible and giving public. You even have to wonder about the motives of real charities. Just look at some of the reports on United Way and Wounded Warrior. Makes you wonder if the money you are giving is going to be used for its stated purpose.
Personally, I am tired of the constant plea for handouts. Every where you turn, comes a plea for money.
There is no shame anymore.
Used to be that family and friends rallied around you to help. Not this constant deluge of public cries for donations.
There is a clear difference between fund raising and begging. No one fund raises anymore, they all expect money for nothing. Easy and lazy.
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