Can a liberal please explain this to me?

Question

I work in the restaurant industry in a very liberal area in the the South. Most of my employees are very young, which would also explain why they are liberals. Sorry...cheap shot. I want to sponsor a needy family for Thanksgiving and Christmas, so I went to the employees and asked the servers if they could donate a dollar a shift over the next two months to support this cause. I also said that I would match what they raised. Most of them did not want to do this because they didn't think it was their responsibility. Who's is it? Government's? Can someone explain the mentality here? I just get irked when I see this behavior.

Thanks for the excuses of not helping others out. By the way, most of the opposition came from students that come from upper middle class families that can afford to give. They would rather spend it going out getting drunk. Thank you for proving my point.

Answer 1

Try paying them more.

Answer 2

Regardless of my political leanings (and I am a liberal democrat, in case you were wondering) I find it very unfortunate that these young employees did not want to help those in need. I don't think it's a liberal vs. conservative issue. I think the issue could be of several different origins.

1) How did you ask them for donations? Did you only give them the one option to donate a dollar per shift, or was a lump-sum donation offered as an alternative? By presenting them with two different giving options (rather than the decision between giving and not giving) you are not presenting them with the option of not giving. I know it may sound sleazy, but it's a basic sales technique. For instance, if I'm selling you a new car, I'm going to ask if you want the blue or the red Mustang, not if you want the Mustang or not.

2) A lot of their reaction may have to do with how they grew up. Maybe these kids come from backgrounds where they have never known what it's like to benefit from others' charity. Maybe they don't come from charitable families. Maybe they're just ungrateful kids. It happens.

3) On the other hand, maybe some of them are so hard up for the cash that they might not be able to spare that dollar per shift. It could happen.

4) Now don't take this the wrong way, but I was their age once, not too terribly long ago, and I think I still might be able to relate. Maybe the problem is the person asking them. How do you get along with these kids? Do they see you as an angry authority figure? Or do they see you as someone they'd feel comfortable coming to with problems of their own? There's a psychological connection here somewhere -- I'm just not sure where. Do your young employees see you as someone who is fair with them (whether you see yourself that way or not is irrelevant) or are they always complaining? A lot of this probably has to do with their perception of you.


On the whole, I'd say there is no single reason why the employees don't want to contribute. There are as many reasons (or combinations of reasons) as there are people. I don't think this can be narrowed down to just a shared mindset.

Here's an actual solution: if they don't want to sponsor a needy family for the holidays, ask them what they *would* be interested in doing to help the community. Give them ownership of the charitable action. If they feel like it's their idea, and that they had a part in making it a reality, they are more likely to want to help.

Answer 3

Well, I think it's more of an issue of your employees being young, rather than being liberals. Liberals actually want to help the needy. When you're young, and a server, you don't really make all that much money and probably want to hold on to all of it for their next tattoo, or piercing, or the dinner they planned to try to get a chance with their girlfriends. Just remind them how important it is that all people have food and also, people need food all year round, not just around the holidays!!!

Answer 4

I agree with you completely for being irked... Its hard for me to make any excuses for them because I would like to think that I would have participated. back before I had bills to pay and other obligations I would definately have said YES I'LL DO IT!!!... however I think about my present situation and my troubles deciding how to buy enough groceries to feed my husband and I for the next two weeks due to an unforseen financial issue and I realize that If we just had 15 dollars more to spend I would have been able to to make a few purchases that would have made a HUGE difference in our meal plans for the next 15 days... as it is its off brand macaroni almost all the way!!!

But I do doubt that could be the case for everyone... or maybe things ACTUALLY are that incredibly difficult for the lower portion of the middle class these days... I think that portion of the poplulation is actually hurting right now despite whay may appear to be a robust economy. I already experience a few dollars making or breaking me every other week, or so it seems.

I still don't blame you for being upset by this tho... It does seem strange.

***Wow nice little edit there!!!

So essentially you gave us a loaded question by withholding information that these kids were upper middle class and when people tried to justify these kids actions and assumed they might not have money to give you you attacked them for offering a possible reason besides the fact that these kids are just deadbeat. you asked for these explanations and you got them.

How very honorable of you to change the story in order to win your point of view!

Answer 5

They ARE very young, so I dont consider them representative of liberal mentality. After all, young people vote in lower percentages, etc. You must remember that they are thinking that while a dollar a shift doesnt seem much to some of us, if they work 4-5 shifts a week over 6-8 weeks it is 25-40 dollars. They are thinking they can use that money and they probably need it. Servers usually make very little in salary and tips arent always a sure thing.

Answer 6

They may say they are liberal but they are acting Conservative. Liberals believe in helping the people (hence all the grief we get over welfare). They probrobly can't afford to give up the money being students and not making that much. You also (most likely) didn't present it in a way that would make them want to do it either.
Coming from Upper Middle Class families they are probrobly from Republican homes and are still showing thier parents values. You tend to live what you know.

Answer 7

I am not by any means a Liberal, but I might hazard a guess. The government takes a large part of their pay check partly to take care of the poor. From their point of view they have already paid. Perhaps more than a few of them are also wondering where they will come up with the money for a Thanksgiving dinner.

Answer 8

This probably has nothing to do with political ideology. You are the boss, so they feel it's a coercive thing when you "ask" them to contribute. Why not annouce that you will match their contribution to a charity that they choose amongst themselves? They might not choose the charity that you prefer, but then-it's their money too. After all, isn't the "conservative" thing to do is let people make their own decisions and take responsibility for their actions?

Answer 9

... I don't know the situation... but most college students that work are near the poverty level themselves... just paying for college, food and living space...

it's like asking a homeless person to give a dollar to feed the kids in Africa...

if you ask them when they get out of college and have a real job and an actual cash flow, then you will have a point...

EDIT: there is another possibiltiy... they dress like a liberal... maybe even talk like a liberal... but really aren't liberal at all...

it seems that many think just because someone acts "young" they are a liberal... and they may even talk about liberal points... but they aren't really liberal unless they act like it, now are they?

and many people that come from upper class families these days are Republican... do you talk about politics with them?

WHY do people ask questions and don't give any informatioin on a subject... when they already know what they think?

Answer 10

Thanks for proving the point that rich skum Rebubs always pick on the poor working class to support their fabricated ideas that only they can afford & that they don't have any idea that a dollar a day could make the difference of wheither or not a bill gets paid.

Answer 11

You know, I really don't care who we are; everyone should have the compassion to reach out and help other people in need. That's what's a matter with this world; there is too much selfishness and our children see that. They don't stop and think "why" the family is needy; only that why aren't they working? Let them help their selves. So selfish.