I felt it was only fair to say that after my thread

[cboy4]

yesterday criticizing insensitive comments about how people in California deserve to have their homes destroyed by the wildfires because:

(a) They're rich, so who cares.
(b) They should know better than to live in fire areas, so it serves them right.
(c) They're a bunch of freepers in red portions of Orange County, San Diego, etc., so good...blah, blah, blah:

An overwhelming number of DUers who responded to my thread and many of the other threads and posts reiterating the same point I was making, were very supportive and compassionate.

So thank you. I know a majority of DUers have good hearts, but sometimes, it feels good to be reminded in the wake of cruel comments. :)

So just a couple more pics to emphasize not all of the victims are wealthy. Notice a modest home and apt. complex:


And some of the people who don't deserve any of this...regardless of their socioeconomic status:

--------------------------------------------------------------->You're doing a heckuva job Brownie, uh Arnold. :eyes:

[Name removed]

1. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Hekate]

2. Good pics. There's also a mobile home community evacuated from Soledad tonight

So many folks are in great danger of losing everything they own, as well as their lives.

You know the old joke about why ducks have flat feet? So they can stamp our forest fires. And why do elephants have such big feet? From stamping out flaming ducks.

Regrettably, I feel like some of us on DU have been trying to stamp out flaming jerks for the past 24 hours. I'm off to bed now.

Take care, cboy.

Hekate

[cboy4]

3. Thanks Hekate. I know what you mean. Funny

analogy about stamping out flaming jerks.

Sleep well. ;)

[Cobalt-60]

4. It is kind of obvious, however, that structures in these wildfire areas

should be built of fireproof materials!

[cboy4]

5. Wanna see something interesting Cobalt?

At least two homes that I could find with fire resistant tile roofs went up in flames!

CRAZY!

I'd been hearing about the reports of these types of homes catching fire, despite the tile precautions.

[Cobalt-60]

37. Well all measures aren't always effective

But building of unprotected wood with asphalt shingles does appear to be asking for it.
That said, I meant constructed completely of non flammable material.
It wouldn't ignite the roof even if it got through the tile because the roof structure (steel seems ideal) wouldn't burn either.
Although non flammable material around the burnable stuff is infinitely better than nothing.

[JNelson6563]

6. My heart breaks for California!

I truly hate these fires! It doesn't matter to me what tax bracket the victims are in, these fires are horrible disasters to live through.

:cry:

Julie

[Freedomofspeech]

7. It's hard to believe people have no sympathy for this...

situation and are so callous. Who are they? CLOSET REPUBLICANS?

[NoPasaran]

30. Not closet republicans

Just fucking jerks.

[Swamp Rat]

8. k&r

[H2O Man]

9. Parts of the areas

that are being threatened/destroyed include where my wife used to live, and where my brother and his family used to live. They were not rich when they lived there, and they aren't rich now.

However, there are rich people who live in those areas, and I am equally concerned with their safety and well-being as I am for other families and individuals.

And, like most people, I have great respect for the firemen.

[BoneDaddy]

11. Succinct and to the point

That is what makes progressives great. Not the hate fest I see by others.

[BoneDaddy]

10. Well said

It is amazing the irrational loathing by so called progressives on this board.

Funny how so easy we can see the "evil" in someone else's tribe yet we can remain so ignorant of it when it is in our own group.

As long as people think that way then nothing will change. We have just become the freepers we despise.

[WritingIsMyReligion]

12. I don't deny that there are some pigheaded people on DU.

I can understand why people might be reluctant to support anything they associate with wealth, simply because of how the media presents wealth (stupid useless celebrities) and of what some people with money have done to this country nationally, all the fatcat tax breaks, etc. That doesn't particularly excuse wishing them all to (literally) go die in a fire, but I didn't try to excuse those DUers, just to understand.

I've also seen people commenting on how SoCal MUST have known this is coming and even one guy talking about the ecology of it all, how SoCal HAS to burn unless we want the whole area to go up in an even larger firestorm or something like that, that the point of these forests is to burn, and burn they will, whether or not humans try to stop it. I hope these people--who don't hate those in SoCal and are just pointing out the realities of the situation--are not conflated in with those who are more irrational about the whole thing. There's a difference between hating because people there are rich and deserve to burn and talking about how the whole area is, ecologically, something of a firetrap. The latter is the honest but awful truth.

I hope DUers in SoCal are doing all right, as best they can. Keep up the discussions, guys, and maybe when this is a little more past tense we can talk about why SoCal is burning and what, if anything, can be done.

[BoneDaddy]

14. In the sad minds of some

anyone with wealth got it from someone else, they never worked hard for it, they don't deserve it, they should give it everyone who doesn't have it. Sad thinking

[kineneb]

28. if we live west of the Rockies, fire is part of the environment

the west is all about fire/drought/exciting geology, just as east of the Rockies are tornadoes/hurricanes/floods/snow...

it isn't about the assets/lack thereof of those who have their dwelling burned... the ashes fall on the rich and poor alike, and homeless is still homeless, whether one is human or other fauna (let us not forget all the animals out there being burned to a crisp)

so will the whiners about SoCal kindly shut up...
all of the west is fire prone.
period.
we are not going to leave because This Is Our Home!

now I am going to get a hankie...:cry:

[LWolf]

13. I'm seeing both extremes, even in this thread.

Meanwhile, I am very worried about the friends and family still in socal, even though I'm no longer living there. After 3.5 decades in socal, I've seen what wildfires do.

My heart and hopes are with California today.

[Theres-a]

15. K & R

[progpen]

16. Thank you for the pics.

They are very moving.

[Triana]

17. Thing is, even modest homes in Cali can be "million dollar homes"

that's just what real estate costs out there. So yea they may be million dollar homes but they're still very very middle class.

I can't believe some folks just don't get that somehow.

[cboy4]

24. Yea, that's the thing. With our inflated real estate prices,

a million dollar home, particularly in the San Francisco Bay Area is far from being a castle.

[Triana]

29. Hoo yea...

...my aunt has one of those "million dollar" homes (or more). It was built by her late husband years ago. It has appreciated in value and R/Est prices shot up out there over the years. It is NOT a fancy home by any means. And she is NOT rich by any means.

Many of the folks affected by these damned fires are NOT rich - even if they WERE they still don't deserve to have their lives and homes ruined by fire, floods, or whatever.

Unbelievable attitudes.

It's the direct opposite of the GOP's and bu$hit's attitude about Katrina victims (they didn't SAY this in most cases - and in a few they DID - but they really didn't NEED to, it was obvious) - that "who cares that place was just full of a bunch of poor black people anyway"

So, in the United States, if you're poor, rich, or anything other than a "middle class" person (which varies widely state-to-state), then you DESERVE to have your home destroyed by fires or hurricanes?

:wtf:

[cboy4]

31. You're absolutely right Triana. Thanks for your

excellent input. :)

[aikoaiko]

18. Good for you cboy4.

I just figured the "they deserve it" crowd are freeper trolls, DU trolls, or mental defectives.

[madinmaryland]

19. I agree. People are people. This is also NOT the time to be debating

the issues behind the causes. There will be plenty of time in the future to discuss those.

[tandot]

20. Oh boy. Already a deleted post in your thread.

Some people just can't resist the urge to piss on a thread asking for sympathy.

Thanks for the pics, cboy4. I hope they get it under control soon. :hi:

Now I have to leave my 700 square foot, 2 bedroom, 1 bath mansion to drive to work in my 1998 Luxury Toyota Corolla.

[QueenOfCalifornia]

23. I don't think

any of us here in San Diego want sympathy. We do want some sort of support and compassion as we are trapped in the middle of what seems like a nuclear holocaust -

I have friends here who are right in the path of the Harris Ranch Fire - they are far from wealthy. One of them went to the local thrift stores yesterday and bought blankets, pillows and toys and took them to Qualcomm to give out to people who have lost all they have and who are sitting on the ground with their little dog on a leash - I was there yesterday and the sights I saw would break your heart.

[tandot]

26. I've emailed our local TV station KCRA in Sacramento to see

if they can post information on any fund drives and if there are any places collecting food, water, blankets, etc.

I know the Red Cross is asking for donations:

http://www.redcross.org/news/ds/profiles/disaster_profile_CAWildfires.html

However, maybe there might be better ways of getting aid to SoCal?

The situation is horrific. :cry:

[cboy4]

34. Well sympathy, compassion, empathy....you know,

whatever works.

[cboy4]

25. Yea, the very first response triggered a flame fest

at which time I decided to try to get some sleep.

You crack me up Tandot. :hi:

[Javaman]

21. Rich or Poor, fire sucks.

everyone, yes even the rich, need our sympathies.

we are all humans, remember?

peace always.

[Quantess]

22. Thanks. Some folks just don't like Californians.

Some people have contempt for all-that-is-California.
Having lived in CA for several years, and being a west-coaster all my life, I don't get it. People in Oregon and Washington sometimes make a joke about Californians, but it's good natured.

But then I lived briefly in a big midwestern city, and, at times, I picked up on a serious contempt for California. It was a palpable mixture of envy and mistrust, and accusations of being an immoral, decadent, place. I'm fairly sure most of those people had never even been to CA.

[cboy4]

32. Yea, you'd think DUers and other Dems would like

Californians and our state better, considering without our massive number of electoral votes, there would never be a Democrat in the White House.

[Quantess]

35. We should hope.

I know that there are anti-californians out there.

[Spazito]

27. I have been both totally disgusted and completely awed by

the threads/posts on the horrendous fires in California. Disgusted by those who can't resist blaming the victims and, seemingly, gloating at their tragedy and awed by the overwhelming compassion, caring and concern posted by the majority of DUers.

The caring,compassionate DUers far outnumber the VERY small minority of assholes who have pissed on every thread, imo, and I am focused on the majority.

To you, cboy4, and all those who's homes and livelihoods are in danger, my heart goes out to you all and I can only offer a very heartfelt :hug:

[cboy4]

33. Thank you Spazito for your compassion and kind

words! :hug:

[DeepModem Mom]

36. A k&r for you, cboy!