Just got back from the grocery store. On the way in I was met by a Shriner solicting for their cause, I went past. As I went through the store getting the things we needed, I thought about it and got angry. I don’t have money to give to their charity and I feel badly about it. I’m living pretty much on the charity of others myself. I bought my stuff and was leaving. The Shriners hit on me again on the way out. I said, “Look, I haven’t worked since March. Don’t make me feel bad because I have nothing to give.” He smiled smarmily and said, “I’m sorry.”
I lost it. I yelled, “Don’t smile at me. GO TO HELL.” and I left. Maybe I’ll take an extra lithium tonight. God, forgive me, I’m an ogre.
Yah, I’m pretty sure you’re going to hell for this…
Well, probably not.
Take it easy, when you start yelling at old folks you know it’s time for a break.
he said “Sorry” and you yelled more??
nope, not with you on this.
Maybe not an ogre, but someone with some repressed anger that you let out on someone who didn’t deserve it. I’ve been where you are, I know what it’s like, but taking it out on someone else is not called for. If you see that particular Shriner again you can tell him you are sorry, you were having a bad day. Then in the future, when yoo do have money, make a donation, however small it may be, to one of the Shriner’s children’s hospitals.
If you explode when someone smiles and says sorry, then you really need to take measure of your anger. If you saw the same guy again would you appologise to him?
Beware, hlanelee! If you here the sounds of a group of mini-scooters cruisin’ down your street, get outta sight!
I have this picture of these little cars with fez festooned old men bumping on through the fire and brimstone.
If it makes you feel any better, the Shriners have been a very naughty organization. An investigation in Florida revealed that the Shriners were giving just ONE PERCENT of their donations to the hospitals that are the putative reason for the collections. The other 99 percent were going fro things like low-cost loans to themselves and the purchase of tiny motorcars and such.
They are not a very good charity, but they probably have a bunch of honest folk who BELIEVE they are doing good collecting for them.
Evil: Cite?
Yes, I think I’d like to see a cite on that claim, as well.
According to Charity Navigator.org the Shriners spend over 92% of the funds they take in on their “program expenses,” which are expenses directly related to the charity’s mission. Administration expenses are just under 6%.
I think Evil Captor needs to check his sources.
Hey Paul In Saudi, do you wish to comment on this?
I bet hlanelee is also a calm and rational driver.
I try the whole “I’m poor myself” routine with panhandlers. Interestly, they usally offer me an extra sandwich they were saving for tonight or helpful hints about where to get a free cup of coffee.
I can’t hardly believe you did that hlanelee. If you don’t see him again at the store, do the decent thing and send an apology note to the local Shriner’s Temple. Don’t sign it if you’re too ashamed, but send it anyway.
You could have given him a dime, quarter, or even a few pennies. It’s not the amount, but the fact you gave that would have seen you leave the store with a different attitude.
Evil I want a cite on that also. The Shriner’s fund their children’s hospitals and NEVER turn away any child. Their burn units for children are the best. They were even willing to fly my little grandson for chemo treatments if we needed that kind of help. It turns out that we didn’t, but I’ll never forget that they were there if we needed them.
I’ll also ask for a cite. What Evil Captor describes is contrary to the principles of Freemasonry, at least as I, a non-Mason, understand them.
- Rick
Why would you write that you’re an asshole? An old man, and you yell at him? Go fuck yourself.
A cite from an anti-Freemasonry site:
This investigation by the Sentinel seems to be reported only on sites opposed to or extremely doubtful of, freemasonry and the Shriners in particular. Unless independent confirmation of such an investigation crops up – Evil Captor’s claim seems highly questionable.
Happy to oblige. This information came up when the Orlando Sentinel did a series of reports in the 1980s on Shriner funding. Most of the hits you’ll get when you type in “Shriner” and “Orlando” on Googol are anti-Mason sites who have a partisan agenda, but some of them cite more objective sources. Here’s a cite on an Ann Lander column about the scandal:
http://www.freemasonrywatch.org/dear_annlanders.html
Here’s another article citing an AP article on the Shriners:
http://www.freemasonrywatch.org/guidelines.html
The Shriners did a pretty good job of hushing up the media on this one. Consider: most of you clearly believe I was pulling this out of my ass. You had never heard of it. The Shriners have PULL.
Nobody has argued that the hospitals don’t do good work. They do great work. But the Shriners misled people about what the money they were donating were actually going to. Sad.
The Shriners may be doing that now, or APPEARING to do that now, but it’s not the way they’ve always done things. In the mid-80s, two-thirds (roughly) of the money the Shriners collected from their charities went to things other than the hospitals. Only TWO percent of the money collected from the Shrine circuses – widely advertised as benefitting Shrine hospitals – actually went to the hospitals.
Sorry to burst your bubble like that.