Wednesday, April 16, 2008

My Bitter Clinging: It's All I Have

That's right I'm bitter and I'm clinging. I'm clinging to my Faith and my traditions because that's just about all I have left! In the Democratic Debate tonight in Philadelphia, Hillary Clinton said that she doesn't think people are clinging to their faith or their traditions when they feel that Washington isn't listening to them.

Well Hillary, YOU aren't listening to me. I've been unemployed since October, my unemployment has run out and I'm clinging to my faith and my traditions because those are the two things that can't be taken away.

Granted when your husband was in office, I did better, but not as well as I think I should have. Working for non-profit agencies that serve the most under-served populations, (homeless, drug addicted and mentally ill) it was Bill Clinton that ensured there was more money available to do the work. But the problems remained, they weren't solved.

Now under this administration, there is even less money available at a time when the need is greatest, shelters are being asked to serve more homeless on less money. The end result is warehousing people. I could be doing something about that. I could be contributing, if there was money available to hire program workers like me. Instead,I've been laid off twice in the past three years. I'm just like those other people that Barack Obama speaks of. I'm sitting at the kitchen table wondering how I'm going to pay the bills at the end of the month.

Under your proposals, I'm looking at working even more years before retirement and not being able to make enough money to really put enough money away for that time. I'll still worried about the car breaking down, I'll still worry about my future, I'll still be stuck at the bottom of the income ladder.

If you were talking to people like ME Hillary, then you would know that we are bitter, we are clinging to our faith and our traditions. But most of all, We are clinging to the HOPE that Barack Obama becomes our president so that we can get back to work and then get to work on fixing the problems here at home.


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3 comments:

Anonymous said...

It amazes me that this is still the talk of the town. It would have been better if they had talked about the causes that those nonprofits serve (or served) and why they're so important, rather than bitterness and flag pins.

I keep hoping beyond hope that we will somehow survive this election and see President Obama start turning this around.

Hang in there, and try not to cling too hard to bitterness. :)

Anonymous said...

Something that I have started to wonder about (Momo- come down off of the high horse) is how much we should depend on government to do things for us.

Like- Lynn is dying at this point, and Mike keeps going to work to raise money. Should there be a goverment program to raise funds for them, or should that be up to the community(which may or may not exist) to support those in need?
Is it up to the government to create jobs for people that will fit their needs, or should the society/community/individual be responsible for it's own monetary wealth?
Is there a place for the individual to move beyond what the government will or will not provide?
Because the government can't serve it's people anymore?
Just some thoughts...
Tree

Merrycricket said...

Tree,
Governments should take care of their own. Men and women all over this country who have worked their asses off and paid taxes deserve assistance when times get tough. Lynn and her husband are dealing with circumstances beyond their control. Many people are. Government has a responsibility to mitigate these circumstances.

Government has a responsibility to listen to it's citizens. The majority of Americans have spoken, things are hard, families and individuals are struggling and Washington has turned a deaf ear to it all.

Yes we do have a responsibility to do everything we can with in our power to manage our own lives, be responsible contributing citizens. But we also have a responsibility to care for each other as well. I want my tax dollars to do good in the world, not fund a war I had no say in while others go without.