Re: Spam Cop

From: Melinda Robinson <melinda_at_dragonspiritcomputing.com>
Date: Thu 27 Mar 2003 11:27:53 -0600

John Gaskill said:

> So do fraud perpetrators, scam artists and the like
> Are you saying they should be allowed to ply their trades
> without restrictions or people having the ability to defend
> themselves?

Perhaps I simply don't see spam as much of an issue since I get so very
little of it myself. Pardon my ignorance.

> >I'm not saying all spammers fall into such a category; obviously, they
> >don't. But I support the right of my fellow human beings to do
> whatever it
> >takes to feed their families and keep a roof over their heads.
>
> If that is what you truly believe, I hope someone breaks
> into your house and steals all of your property so that
> they can feed their family.
> Then you might reconsider the broadness of your statement.

I've no need to reconsider. I've lived through more than I could ever tell
you in one e-mail, so I know from experience that people have to do
something, anything to feed their children.

I was laid off from my job as a web developer for Lockheed Martin
Aeronautics in early February of 2001, right when the tech sector starting
falling apart. (The woman at the unemployment office told me she wished me
luck, because she already had over 10,000 local, out of work IT
professionals in her database.) My husband, who had months before been cut
from his MIS position of PC/network tech, couldn't find another job, not
even fast food. The economy was so bad, there were no clients to be had if
you were a small, struggling company in that huge metropolitan area filled
with "big guys."

My family and I became homeless in January of 2002, after not being able to
find jobs for a year and having been turned away or put on years-long
waiting lists from all social service agencies because of the thousands of
unemployed lined up before us. Even church charities had their kitties run
dry within a few days into each month.

We spent 6 months trying desperately to dig out and eventually, with the
help of $200 in child support and a $500 loan from my husband's father,
moved to the Gulf Coast of Texas to start over. My husband found work, I
re-started our business. We spent two months in a hotel before we had
enough cash amassed to put down a deposit and first month's rent on a crappy
2-bedroom (and we have three kids). But let me assure you, it's much better
than the streets.

I live in a poverty-stricken area where the pay for jobs is so low most
people are aghast when they find out, and clients are unwilling to pay for
anything because they don't understand the value or are trying to get every
scream they possibly can out of the last penny. (A local ad exec I know was
speaking to a client about how much it would cost to do his new logo and the
man said, "I thought you were going to do it for free. I'm not about to pay
for something like that." Common attitude here.)

We have no property to steal except this old computer and an old, used TV
and we have a very hard time feeding out own family. But we have hope, we
have dreams, and we have skills, talent and resiliency. We have been here
for 8 months now and are working toward building our life the way we want
it... and we WILL succeed!

When you have been homeless for 6 months and without a way to feed your
kids, knowing they're going to sleep hungry at night and worrying what will
happen to them, tell me if YOU reconsider.

Take care,
Melinda
Dragon Spirit Computing -- http://www.DragonSpiritComputing.com/
*** Web Development, Graphic Design, Marketing and More ***
"Harness the power of the Internet and take your business
to a higher level of success.. all for less than you'd expect!!"

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever."
        -- Mahatma Gandhi





Received on Thu Mar 27 2003 - 11:27:53 CST