When Liberalism Meets Reality
After Hurricane Katrina, a number of compassionate liberals opened their wallets and their homes to evacuees from New Orleans. Many soon came to regret those decisions. One particular couple comes to mind, a lesbian trucker and her stay-at-home partner in Minnesota, who hosted a single mother and her children from New Orleans. That led to all sorts of problems for them, and came to a head when they found out the single mother had shared their address with her ex-boyfriend who was in prison back in Louisiana. In the end, one of the lesbians said,
We've busted our asses. I won't help anyone for the rest of my life. I won't put my family through it.
That story came to mind after we read the extraordinary X thread below, about a young man and his wife who tried to help a vagrant they saw on the street. Following that thread, we'll close with a brief trading note.
"I'm Not Sure I Made An Ounce Of Difference"
so we just got out of an ultrasound appointment, about to stop and get some groceries. we see a man with a sign who looks super cold, but were on the wrong side of the street. decide to drive over to him after we shop.
— Aaron (@AaronEstel) January 23, 2024
so as I'm trying to get these gloves on him he asks if I'd get him some cigarettes. hasn't had one in two days
— Aaron (@AaronEstel) January 23, 2024
I don't really want to say yes, but I realize the gloves are too small as well, so okay, I'll run to the gas station and get him some bigger gloves and a pack of cigs
she points out he's in a hospital gown, and the coat he has over it won't zip up. dangerous in 30 degree weather and freezing rain.
— Aaron (@AaronEstel) January 23, 2024
she asks if I'm from around here and if I know where the shelter is. I tell her to tell willow, and she just says to follow her.
as we pull up to the shelter he's asking for another one.
— Aaron (@AaronEstel) January 23, 2024
I say we're here, let's get you checked in.
he says they won't let him In till 7:30 (it's 4:30 right now)
we are annoyed he's just now telling us this, and Glenda goes and talks to them and they confirm
okay... that doesn't really seem right, but the shelter probably knows better than we do, and the hospital is just down the street.
— Aaron (@AaronEstel) January 23, 2024
he china in that he's not allowed at that hospital and needs to go to the one in Mishawaka (30 minute drive)
sigh... okay, we'll take him
he tells us he's "bipolar schizophrenic" and doesn't have his meds, and keeps mentioning seeing crimes happen around us (that aren't real, for the record)
— Aaron (@AaronEstel) January 23, 2024
he forgets where we are going multiple times on the drive
so we find out he's been given a "full psych eval" and they sent him that morning to the century center (convention center downtown south bend) to stay warm till the shelter opened. they ask very annoyed why he didn't stay there? he says he doesn't know, he's confused
— Aaron (@AaronEstel) January 23, 2024
so we find out he's been given a "full psych eval" and they sent him that morning to the century center (convention center downtown south bend) to stay warm till the shelter opened. they ask very annoyed why he didn't stay there? he says he doesn't know, he's confused
— Aaron (@AaronEstel) January 23, 2024
eventually a social worker comes out. says there is nothing wrong with him, that all he had to do was stay in the convention center and then go two blocks down to the homeless shelter.
— Aaron (@AaronEstel) January 23, 2024
first of all, I point out that it's way more than two blocks
his clothes are absolutely rank. he's clearly soiled himself in them. and In the hospital clothes he's wearing.
— Aaron (@AaronEstel) January 23, 2024
the *best* she can do for us is a new change of paper gown and hospital briefs. won't be admitting him. we should take him back to the century center
so we took him to the bathroom and offered to help him change. he said he could do it.
— Aaron (@AaronEstel) January 23, 2024
so Glenda and I talked more while he got dressed. about how she wouldn't sleep tonight thinking about all the people she saw pointing at him but not helping.
Glenda gives willow a hug and whispers a deeply heartfelt "thank you" in her ear. then she asks willow for permission to give me a hug.
— Aaron (@AaronEstel) January 23, 2024
as we drive away we kick ourselves for not getting her contact info in case anything goes wrong.
we grab a sandwich on the way to Mom's
we get there at 7. and the doors are locked. they are closed!
— Aaron (@AaronEstel) January 23, 2024
he's not in the lobby of either attached hotel. he's not at the burger king
we drive in a search pattern, and see lots of people making their way down the roads to the shelter (roads, because sidewalks aren't plowed)
so, I'm pretty disgusted with every institution we interacted with here
— Aaron (@AaronEstel) January 23, 2024
who sends someone home from the hospital with just wet soiled clothes?
who turns a man in a wheelchair away from the only homeless shelter in town in the cold?
alright y'all, I'm muting this thread.
— Aaron (@AaronEstel) January 23, 2024
many kind words and those were appreciated, many cruel takes, and those were less so, but it's escaping confinement and I have work to do
Fortunately, neither Aaron nor his wife were harmed by this vagrant, and hopefully he has learned something about the limits of compassion in dealing with difficult people. Let's wrap this up on a more positive note, with a brief trading update.
Looking For Another Winner
Yesterday, we exited our first earnings trade of the week, for a 119% gain, a bearish bet on Logitech (LOGI 0.00%↑). We have a bullish trade teed up for today, one we think might be good for another triple-digit gain. If you'd like a heads up when we place it, be sure to subscribe to our trading Substack/occasional email list below.
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