Reaping What We Sow?

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> From: JoeJarv@aol.com
> ``When it comes to *blame*, there's enough to go around, both *consumers*
and
> *financial institutions*,'' he said. ``There are many who are foisting
credit
> cards on those who have no business having them.'' 

me: We are not as far apart from a meeting of the minds on this issue
as you might suppose. 
> 
> The bankruptcy commission believes the **aggressive marketing of credit
cards
> has led to the explosion of bankruptcies**. 

I concur, but I also believe that an underlying factor for this
explosion of bankruptcies is the desire society has today for
material possessions and instant gratification. They want it BIGGER. 
They want it BETTER than their neighbor, sister,  brother, etc. has. 
They want it NOW!!!   We could also blame the marketing and advertising
agencies while we are at it. The media; televisions, newspapers, magazines,
etc. bombard us day after day with images of how "successful" 
Americans should look, dress, live, conduct themselves, and so forth.
Many people put themselves into debt chasing this illusive lifestyle,
only to eventually find themselves miserable under a mountain of debt.

> I also find your analogy very interesting: if a man got drunk at a a bar,
and
> commits some type of crime, of course he would be personally responsible.
But
> how would we feel about it if we found out that the bar had hired people
to
> call him repeatedly at his home to aggressively solicit his business.
They
> might even send him "pre-approved" vouchers in the mail to use for
> "reduced-rate" drinks . Perhaps they would even offer him "special" rates
for
> an "introductory period" to get him to "give them a try". While sitting
at
> the bar , he may say, "I've reached my limit...I've got to stop."  Only
to
> have the bartender insist, "I've seen lots of people who were in much
worse
> condition than you continue to drink. Go ahead, drink a little
more....I'll
> just RAISE YOUR LIMIT!" 

me: you make a good point here, but we still have free will. We can
hang up the phone when they call to solicit his business, we can throw the
mail in the trash unopened (as I do on a regular basis).  After all, credit
cards don't charge, only people do. :-)

youB4: He simply sent me to a little home-town bank, which was willing to 
work with us.

me: That sounds like us. Your hometown (for a little while longer
anyway) community bank.  Small enough to know you. Big enough
to serve you. 

Sis Donna L. Perine
fmbank@ruralnet.org