Today's Reality

Today’s’ Reality

Coming to terms with today’s reality is hard to swallow for many. Our collective past actions have resulted in the loss of jobs, increased unemployment, an increased crime rate, financial woes of local communities. Some may ask, “What are we to do? And can we get out of this cycle of despair and hopelessness?”

It is not about condemning our past but it is about learning from our past. For many years we in this country have pushed jobs out of our communities and for that matter out of our country. From building washing machines to the auto industry and many industries in the middle, we have eliminated so many jobs. The jobs are still being dome, but just elsewhere. There has been a constant battle between labor and management, and now we are seeing the long-term pain for these actions. It seems we continue to see those who protest companies that come into communities that bring jobs, instead of being grateful that jobs are being offered, we fall into the old attitude, the job needs to be union and no one will work for less than twenty-five dollars an hour! Unions have their place, but when the cost of doing business has caused so much pain and jobs have left our country, maybe we need to re-think our ideas and ways.

I witness so many people that do not work, some because they cannot find a job, while others have given up and others are just do not want to work. Except for the latter, I ask; what is the long-term affect of this behavior (not working) doing to our culture. Many children watch everyday as their mothers and fathers do not leave to go to work, but continue to receive benefits. (a check) Actions speak louder than words, if our young citizens see that their parents do not have to work and still get rewarded, then this is a behavioral culture that will transcend the next generation.

Our communities, state and country are at a major crossroad; unemployment is at all time highs. We are bleeding financially and there is no party to include the republicans that are being financially neither conservative nor responsible. We continue to hear the same rhetoric time and time again. Solutions will be painful at best, but we need to begin to solve our own problems and we must stop relying on other countries to bail us out. (At the federal level we are borrowing trillions from others countries-similar to the check of those not working)

As a common man I have several solutions that could be considered to for our country and communities to begin the process of recovery. This recovery would enable us to succeed. First, we need congress to stop playing around and understand that real people are suffering throughout this land, if a senator or congressman wants to continue to partisan games, they should immediately resign. All members in congress should take a 10% pay cut, this would be a symbolic gesture to hard working Americans that are suffering, as it stands now every year congress votes to give themselves a raise! It would show Americans that congress was serious. Congress needs to begin to act responsible and stop saying no! Second, again on the federal level, we must begin pulling all of our troops out of Iraq, NOW! The 9-11 commission and many others have clearly stated throughout the years that Iraq and the people of Iraq had nothing to do with the horrible events of September 11, 2001. We continue to spend billions in Iraq that could be used to balance the budget in this country or those monies could be used to fund programs for infrastructure, jobs, educational opportunities and even health care. The federal government should also re-evaluate all the monies that we provide other countries for the name of Democracy, most countries that we provide assistance to, are not democratic. Why do we borrow money from other countries to go to war? And not take care of our own?

At the state and local level, several things should be mandated; if a person qualifies and receives a unemployment benefit or a benefit as the lay people call welfare, then that individual should be randomly tested for the use of illegal drugs. Provided that these individuals are not utilizing drugs, they should be required to do community service as well as look for employment. Having these adults leave the house everyday sets an example for the next generation, the child sees that that there is responsibility and reward for working. Several reactions will occur, many things in the community could get accomplished, we could instill pride back into our communities, the next generation can see that people can do good, hope is a choice and working for a paycheck is not an option.

We have so many opportunities in this country but we have squandered many of them. We have totally lost what we are about in this country. We have politicians that send our military to war, borrow money from foreign governments, complain about immigration, and do little to nothing to rectify the current situation. As a common man I continue to loose faith in what some call democratic values, what I see is big business (companies that continue to pursue the military industrial complex), foreign interests (Dubai) and PACs continuing to buy government. We may have already lost this country, I hope not, but I feel as many in America we have lost our way. We continue not to voice our opinions, we continue not to get involved, and we continue to sit ideally by as those who lead us pad their personal financial accounts. I not stating that we need to be born-again fundamentalist, but far from that because we have killed and caused suffering enough in the name of religion. But I am clearly stating is that we need to have those elected to power be responsible and to do the “right” thing. And those of us who vote need to hold our elected officials accountable. And most importantly is for the common American to get involved! The problem is that many of us have fell into the despair mode, we struggle each day to make it while those in power continue to reap the fruits of our labor and sell us out.