Are you EFFING kidding me?

I am in awe: talking with a beautiful friend tonight...So many people spend their time in anger and hatred...with pompous and righteous thoughts about their superiority...while children and families suffer daily...live in fear for their children's future...STOP the entitlement, STOP believing that the poor and middle class are to blame, RECOGNIZE the complexity of life...have compassion.

Today, I feel hopeless and angry. I feel the need to scramble quickly and try to solve a problem that I have no solution for. It is the immense division that our American society is undergoing. Here is what I have heard in the last two days from hard working, tax paying American citizens (Yup Americans...you know any person in this world who has made a commitment to this country, regardless of country of origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender):

STORY 1: I am a teacher. My husband's job is not stable. He has been told he could lose his job. I have two children. After school care has gotten so expensive, that my oldest child will have to become a latchkey child. It isn't fair that I cannot give my child the right to have an adult watch him, keeping him safe simply because the cost is too great. I have to chose between paying for basic human needs or keeping my child safe.
STORY 2: I have three children. My husband's job is threatened. If he loses his job, I will not be able to sustain the salary needed to keep our family going. There have been two major medical situations in our lives. During my college years, I had brain surgery and was not able to complete my education. I do not have the degree to bring in the income my family needs to survive. My third child had a major medical scare while in utero. Even though we carry insurance, we were still left with a $10,000 bill to cover. I can't sleep at night because I don't know how we are going to make our bills.
STORY 3: I have worked for my company for over 20 years. They just let me go because they are concerned about their bottom line, not the people who have been with them. It is cheaper for them to hire a younger person than to keep me on. I am looking for a job now, in my 50's.


We have the same story. My husband works two jobs (and contracts on other positions). I have a Masters Degree in the wrong field (social work) and cannot afford childcare for my children even if I were to work a FT social work position. My entire salary would go towards childcare, there would be nothing left over for groceries, gas, school, clothes for my children.

The stories I have been hearing are so heartbreaking, frustrating. It's astounding...and we all seem to share lines in this never ending story...it is as if one person can end their story and another can begin the next chapter...


Here is what we all want:


1. A good and safe life for our children.
2. The right to an education that will keep our children fed, safe, healthy, strong, happy.
3. The means to buy healthy, sustainable food for our families and selves. Food that does not harm our children and earth. Food that keeps our children free from medical conditions like obesity and diabetes.
4. Warm clothing and shoes for our children.

Is that too much? Are we at fault for wanting these basics for our children? Is it your perspective that if we can't afford it we have no rights to it? That the reason we cannot afford reasonable human rights (because they have become commodities) is because we are lazy, don't work hard enough, can't pull ourselves up from our bootstraps? That because we care for others rights, as well as ours, that we have no intelligence? Those of us who chose to go into helping professions are all fools, who only want more for ourselves?  That those of us who gave up our chance at high paying salaries to help children learn, to help those struggling with addiction or mental health lives reasonable lives, to help those with genetic anomalies live positive lives..that we are overly greedy, lazy, union loving a holes that went into our fields because we couldn't hack it in the real world?

Funny, because when you need us because it is your son or daughter in need...you are happy to give us all our cute little $10 Starbucks card as a thank you, take what you can to keep your child healthy and happy, then when we are done, tell us how we suck. I have heard, "well, you, you are the exception to the rule...most people are horrid at their jobs...but you...you are one of the few committed people..." ARE YOU SERIOUS? THERE ARE ONLY A FEW OF US COMMITTED TO YOUR CHILDREN? COMMITTED TO YOUR CRACK ADDICT DAUGHTER? COMMITTED TO YOUR BI POLAR CHILD? COMMITTED TO YOUR CHILD WITH MS? ONLY A FEW OF US?

I have heard all the over simplifications. I have heard people speaking out of fear and anger. I have heard the arguments and propaganda to keep those in power powerful. I DO NOT BELIEVE ANY OF IT.

Those of us who are having trouble feeding our families, paying gas, giving our children a good and reasonable education, borrowing money from our parents to help our children...we are not freeloading, lazy ass holes, people. WE ARE TAX PAYING, GOOD AMERICANS who simply want a decent life for our families and all families. We want a home in a safe neighborhood for all people...we want a salary that will allow all people to pay childcare, and feed and clothe our children...we want a good school and the opportunity for extra curricular - mind expanding activities for our children (music, athletics, language)...we want to not have to beg our older, fixed income parents for money.

Who gets the big money in our country? Plastic surgeons, Pharmaceutical sales, corporate lawyers, politicians? What do they do that they deserve that kind of pay? What? They give rich people big boobs, they sell drugs that have not even passed FDA standards, they keep companies like Montsano able to screw the average farmer, they lie about what they are going to do and then do the exact opposite because those in power bully them (and those are the good ones)? THOSE PEOPLE ARE OUR UPSTANDING CITIZENS?

Well, hot damn, I get it now...sorry for wasting your time with all my crazy, lazy, stupid, bleeding heart liberal words...well...until next time that is...