Stone Soup by Jan Eliot for February 12, 2010

Our veterans fought and died for our freedom to work and invest in our future, not shovel it down a rat hole in a corrupt third world country. If Holly gives her baby sitting money to a third world country, usually a corrupt dictatorship, it actually helps to keep them in power. If her Gram really wants to help, then she should become active in trying to bring democracy to these poor people, even if it means joining a revolutionary movement. Now that’s doing something! Do I sound hard? You betcha! I’ve been to those countries….I’ve seen it.

The principal is as simple as a single seed planted in Springtime . Sometimes it’s just impossible, getting a view of a forest , with all those trees in the way .

Educating the poor and oppressed is one way to bring about revolution.

I’ll be glad when they get back to regular schedule cartoon from this infomerical ad they’ve been running all week.

If I was grandma, I would encourage Holly to choose her own way to contribute to her own cause, so it would have meaning to her.

At this point in time when Holly’s grandma talks all I am hearing is “Blah blah blah, blaaah bla blab.”

Gran is not donating money, she is giving her time. Holly could donate time in her own town but since she wants some spending money too, Gran is trying to give her ideas.

this is a great story line.

“Jan Eliot’s funny and irreverent Stone Soup…” Not so much…

Well done Gram! You’re educating Holly and improving her view of the world.

It’s good that America has always helped out other countries but it’s time to start helping her own unemployed and homeless whose ranks increase daily. I wouldn’t think much of a parent who fed someone else’s kids but left their own to go hungry.

Somebody let me know when the Gran who went half way around the world to be with her toy boy is done being all holier than thou, please.

kreole: in order to have a successful democracy, you first need to have an educated base of voters. So Holly would be doing exactly the right thing.

Nice try though.

Kreole stated: “If her Gram really wants to help, then she should become active in trying to bring democracy to these poor people.”

Actually, the more educated people are, the more likely that they’ll have a democracy. Knowledge is power, power given to the people.

As for the question of helping folks here or in other countries, why does it have to be one or the other? We can and should help both.

kreole: http://9gag.com/photo/17831_full.jpg :P

To keep control of a people, all government has to do is “dumb down” education > will eventually lead to a dictatorship.

Well, apparently Kreole could use some third-world schooling: “Our veterans fought and died ” if they’re VETERANS they didn’t die–the veterans [from the Latin for “old timers” (vetus, veteris => veteranus)] are the ones who come back from battle and screw up politics with their (sometimes true, sometimes not) claims of heroism and sacrifice. It was the veterans of the Roman army who killed the Republic, and its finances, by installing emperors who would pay them off. But then, you don’t learn History in American schools. (Or from watching FOX News–or the History Channel!)

Holly’s world revolves around herself, as many young folks do. Gram is teaching life lessons to her in this series. Supporting Habitat is not supporting dictators. It supports people. As said before, education defeats the dictator. Go Go Gram and Holly, listen carefully.

Isn’t the president of Thailand a caucasian??????

From Yesterday: pinkdryad said, about 23 hours ago

ok, mamataney, being “unschooled” is absolutely nothing like being homeschooled! i was homeschooled and have a better education than most in the public school system. don’t talk about something if you have no idea what you’re discussing.

— Actually dimwit, we ARE homeschoolers, and we ARE taking the approach of unschooling. YES, unschooling IS a form of homeschooling. Apparently, one thing you didn’t learn is any manners or respect.

I am impressed with the dialogue this has inspired. We have an opinion and it brings awareness to how mixed up some priorities are. My Canadian government is matching donations going to Haiti. That is good. Our own health care is crumbling around us but we can send 65 million to someone else’s health care? It is an emergeny, I get that, but if we keep giving away we will end up needing assistance ourselves! Just my redneck opinion of course.

I agree, pearlandpeach, whether you agree with what they’re saying/doing or not, this is a great story line (say I from my seat in the corner watching the jabs fly ;-)). Just look at the debate it has sparked.

I think Holly’s question about wouldn’t they be mad at her is hilarious!

I agree that this is a very good story arc. Holly’s question about them being mad at us is hysterical!

@YUKONERIC Thailand has a King, a Prime Minister, and a variety of other government officials. The have no president.

This is retarded. It’s great and all to give to a cause, but it’s completely meaningless unless it’s your own choice. All Evie is teaching Holly right now is to avoid taking initiative and looking for work, because someone’s hand is going to try and claw their way into your wallet anyway, so why bother?

Not that I’m down on charities. They do great work, and I admire the people who willingly give their time and money to the cause they support. I am, however, tired of the droning, cult-like peer pressure of people who are already giving, as though they can’t take any pride in what they’re doing unless they badger other people into doing it too.

This started off well, turned iffy on the second strip, and is just completely loathsome now.

@mamataney, I have a vague general idea of what homeschooling is - your kid doesn’t go to a public or private school with other kids, but stays home, and you educate them however you please, as long as they pass certain exams at the end: for example, one exam at the end of each year, and/or one exam at the end of the schooling I guess the details would vary depending where you lived.

But if unschooling is a particular kind of homeschooling, what does unschooling do?

Debra Emmett, read the link I posted earlier in this thread! Please!

Roadbuster: Holly isn’t an adult, she’s a kid. Kids need to be encouraged to do the right thing now and then.

Despite what some people like to think, they’re not naturally innocent and loving to the whole world on their own. It needs to be taught.