Want to hear one of my first memories of wealthy Republican relatives of mine? (Warning: Sad story)

[NNN0LHI]

Now I am just going by memory here from when I was about 5 or 6 years old.

My parents and these relatives of ours were sitting around the kitchen table like they always did back then. These relatives and my parents were really close. They were over at our house a lot.

They had a beautiful little daughter about my age. Maybe a year younger than me. Well these relatives were explaining that their daughter had been diagnosed with what they used to call "mental retardation", back during the early 1960's when this conversation occurred.

These parents were devastated when the doctor told them she would be like this her entire life.

Now you may want to stop reading here because what I am about to tell you is not pleasant at all.

These relatives of mine told my parents that they had decided that they were going to fly to NY City and leave this little girl in the street and then fly back home without her. I will never forget the look of terror on my parents face when they were told about my relatives plan. My parents were devastated by what they were just told. They couldn't believe what they were hearing. They were speechless.

I was actually too young then to fully grasp what they were talking about at the time but my parents related this story to me again later in life and explained how they later talked these relatives out of carrying through with their plan. They basically threatened them. Told them they were going to go to the police if they did what they said they were going to do.

Just a little insight into the mind of these wealthy Republican relatives of mine.

Wish I had never heard this story.

Don

[uponit7771]

1. People who were born around money live in different worlds

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. Wow, my dear NNOLHI...

Good for your parents. They absolutely did the right thing.

I wonder about that family. I wonder if they were so shell-shocked by the doctor's diagnosis that they weren't thinking clearly. Perhaps their scheme was their way of crying for help to your parents.

What happened to the little girl? Did you see her grow up? I hope her life was better than it would appear from your story.

[Initech]

3. Holy crap!!!!! How can people be so fucking heartless???

[theaocp]

5. Entitlement is an ugly thing.

They obviously felt entitled to a typical child. Reality's a bitch. I hope they don't have any pets. You might find them on top of the car.

[greytdemocrat]

18. I know!!

And stupid too!!

[woofless]

4. I guess I don't understand how wealth has anything to do with their behaviour.

Sure, they were assholes, but did they become assholes after they became wealthy? Would they have come to another conclusion if they were less wealthy? I doubt it.

As and aside, this is not a defense of wealth. I am a disabled person whose sole income is Social Security.

Woof

[NNN0LHI]

16. My point was that she wasn't going to be a financial burden on them in any way whatsoever

I spent the night at their house once when I was little and they called me into their bedroom, which I thought was kind of creepy even as a little kid.

They wanted to show me something.

They had a headboard on their bed that was also a bookcase. On top of that bookcase were stacks of hundred dollar bills all the way across the top of that bookcase stacked right next to each other. The stacks were all about 10 inches tall. That is what they wanted to show me when I was a little kid.

Not sure why they wanted to show me that to this day. Maybe they just wanted to see the expression on my face? It kind of reminded me at the time of when one kid shows off a new toy to one of his friends.

I can remember that I wasn't that impressed.

Don

[EFerrari]

17. Yikes! That IS creepy. n/t

[liberalhistorian]

6. I don't think wealth has anything at all to do with it.

I've known wealthy parents who would do anything at all for their children no matter what disease or issue or problem they had, and who vigorously defended them. And I've known middle-class and poor parents who could be as heartless as these parents. And vice versa, of course. Just because someone isn't rich doesn't mean they're always saintly and will always do the right thing, and just because someone IS rich doesn't mean they're always heartless and will always think only of themselves.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

7. Watch the opening of the first Batman movie again

The rich family dump their deformed kid in a freezing river and he later becomes the Penguin.

They considered him to be an interruption to their cocktail party lifestyle and an embarrassment since that type comes off as if they are genetically superior to the riff raff.

They're convinced that they are the result of "good breeding" as if money is in their genes.

[southernyankeebelle]

8. I am assuming you are an adult now. What happened to the child? Did they put the child

in a home? Just wondering. Money makes people do crazy things.

My nephew use to date this young girl. They both were around 19 yrs old. Her family was filthy rich kind of people. We were invited to their home for a BBQ. OMG what a beautiful home. Kinda reminded me of the tv show Dallas at the time. My living room was as big as her bedroom. But I will tell you she was the most unhappy girl I ever met. The mother and her sisters went to counselling. The father was a womanizer. I just couldn't understand why he was that way because his wife was very beautiful and didn't let herself go. I came to this country from Italy and made his money in Pizza business. Opening several stores. She always loved coming to my house with my nephew. It was like a haven for her. Peace and quiet. She said she would give it all up if she could have a family like mine. I told her she has a good family and just be good to her momma and support her. Love her father but don't get in the middle of that situation. It is their parents issue and they have to solve it.

About 2 yrs later she asked my son if he wanted to go to Italy with her and visit her grandmother (dad's mother). He went. He said the home was beautiful. However, she had bought the grandmother a bag of M&M with peanuts for her. The grandmother swears my nephew stold them. Of course he didn't he knew they were for her. He said he couldn't wait to get back home and he would never ever go again. He had a terrible time and realized this family was crazy. He finally broke it off with the girl.

Just because your rich I found out doesn't necessarily mean you have manners. I have seen poor people with more manners than some rich people. Sounds like your relatives are really low, low lifes.

[NNN0LHI]

12. Don't want to go into a lot of details on a public forum but my cousin ended up doing OK

About as good as could be expected.

With a lot of government assistance that her parents wouldn't want anyone who was actually needy ever getting. The parents were very racist.

Don

[grasswire]

9. I have supported a handicapped family member since her father stopped.

When she turned 18, he stopped providing support for her. That was almost two decades ago. (He inherited a small fortune, so it's not like he couldn't provide for her -- he provides exceptionally well for the sons of his third wife who are not his biological children.)

She has lived with me since then. When she was a child, some family members suggested that she be made a ward of the state so she wouldn't be a burden to anyone. Yep, Republicans.

I guess some people just have a cold view of the meaning of the word "family".

[mrmpa]

10. I had a client in a group home...........

for MR individuals. Her parents had her live at home until she was 18. They then through their wealth (donations) got her moved into this group home (she bypassed men & women who had been on the housing list for years).Everything now paid by state.

She came from a home of 7 siblings. Her father was a very wealthy physician. Mom volunteered with different non-profits and sat on some boards. The siblings were lawyers and doctors.

I'm an Irish Catholic, so was this family. They tried to take on the persona of the Kennedy clan (without the politics). I really disliked the mother. I thought she was from trash, and tried to mask it with her new found wealth.

[1monster]

13. I don't know the circumstances in this particular case, but I'll not condemn a family for

placing an adult child who has developmental disorders in a group home. Unless you have lived with a child who has such problems, you can have no idea of how debilitating, depressing, disheartening, etc. it can be. If one remains supportive and involved in that adult child's life, placing him/her in a group home can be a positive experience for the whole family, especially the handicapped adult child.

I only wish that option had been open for us... But there are mountains to climb in order to get an assignment to a group home and we hit so many road blocks along the way...

While a child with developmental disorders can bring lots of love and joy, they also bring a very hard road to travel.

[mrmpa]

14. I empathize with you...........

Last edited Mon Jun 18, 2012, 04:07 PM - Edit history (1)

This young woman was pretty high functioning (graduated from a Catholic High School & had a full time job). Her parents were not very supporting .

My view on the situation, was that if they didn't want her at home, she could have been moved to an apartment (which her parents could afford), continued her employment and been followed by her caseworker while in this living arrangement.

[1monster]

15. So did the young man in my case. He had a diploma; he had a full time job.

But he could never live on his own, even with a case worker. Never. Even an assisted living facility would not have worked.

Every case is different.

[EFerrari]

11. Rich Republican relatives must be the same all over.

One of mine continued to back the right wing death squad party in El Salvador with his money and his influence right through a heart attack -- which you'd think would set you back a little and get you thinking about mortality.

Another one hired me as a translator. This person upped the hourly fees charged to the feds by nearly 50% and then tried to pay me minimum wage to do the work (and to type the bills, lol).

Republicans are as predictable as rain falling down.

[jwirr]

19. It is not just the money either. Many back then were ashamed of their disabled children. Be proud

of your parents. They did the right thing.