The WALL
Throughout 2018 I have observed comments from both those I know and those I don’t regarding politics. As the year went on, the comments became more and more venomous; as if people were becoming even more angry than before. I tried my best to put myself in their shoes; to envision what they were seeing to cause them to feel the way that they do. Likewise, I tried to examine very closely why “I” feel the way that I do.
I am a Build the Wall girl. I would like our borders secure and our policies steadfast. I am not against people from other countries coming here to visit or to live. I would just like them to do it through the legal process.
First, my assumption is that we have a legal process. My fear is that the process we had is broken and that disintegration has resulted in what we have today.
Second, having watched the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center reduced to rubble and tombs for over 3500 Americans, I am skeptical that everyone entering this country is doing so because they seek “freedom”. I now believe that some seek revenge for whatever it is that they feel we have done wrong to them.
Third, I know so little about our own government and representatives that for all I know, we may have wronged these people to the point where they are justified in their actions.
Forth, we have what I believe is a systemic problem here in the United States where Corporate American earnings have taken priority over American lives.
Now, I’m just one person. One very inexperienced middle-class person who is terribly unfamiliar with the ways of the world. So, for me to even wrap my head around this, I must scale it back to my own personal experience to try to make sense of it.
If as one person, I take whatever money I have and spend it on the people down the street or give whatever donations I have to solicitors on television leaving me with less than I need to take care of my own bills – people would think I am crazy. Worse, if I then asked for assistance from the government to make up this deficit, I would quickly be told, “Well, you have more than enough to live on…but you made bad decisions with your resources and we are unable to help you.”
Now…let’s look at this in a larger lens: If we have a deficit in our budget (and we have had for quite some time) where is the money going to come from to sustain even more people? The wealthy are being taxed LESS. We all know that. The middle class is being stretched more and more every day making it increasingly more difficult to survive, never mind thrive. There are people here that need help that are not receiving it at all. And then there are the retirees who in numbers exceed generations behind them.
For most of my adult life, I have heard that Social Security will be out of funds … and then what? I paid into my social security account. I was forced to pay in so that there would be something there for me in my retirement…or if I became disabled. I paid for 45 years! To hear that there may not be any money (when I know good and well that I and everyone I know were mandated to contribute to this fund) is mind boggling. But, to hear this while being hammered by the feed from social media and the news that we are not doing enough for migrants headed for this country in droves doesn’t sit well. AND HERE’S WHY:
I believe in humanitarianism. I believe that people have the right to live freely and safely. I believe everyone should be able to provide for themselves and their families; have a roof over their head, clothes to wear, food to eat. I believe we should treat people as we would want to be treated. AHHHH…. that’s it! As WE WOULD WANT TO BE TREATED. I just want to know: When was it that I became last on the list?
Must I become a refugee to my own country to suddenly matter?
I’m a taxpayer, but hardly a huge wage earner so my voice is not that loud. I live in a country where money talks and BS walks…so I spend most of my time walking. But I see people just like me in Flint Michigan with no water FOR YEARS! I see their own elected officials giving less than a casual shit whether the problem is corrected or not. I then see Puerto Rico being decimated by a storm leaving it all but in operable. People here begin protesting insisting that our government step in and help. We donate to tsunami victims; send our military to act as police for war torn countries and areas of genocide. We sell arms to countries who are allies today thinking nothing of tomorrow’s relationship with them. It is obvious that we care less about the people in this country than we do the people wanting in. But…by letting more people in doesn’t the problem get bigger? Don’t we need to fix our own broken system within before we extend our hand to help others?
Companies need my opinion to gauge how well they are doing. I have taken more surveys than I can count and have little evidence that they translate to improvement. Politicians need my vote – until they are elected. In fact, politicians make a point of going where the people are (sometimes even door-to-door) before elections to try to make a difference in the mind of the voters; to convince you of their worthiness of your vote. Ever see a politician come to you AFTER an election?
I would just like to know that I matter as much to our country as those who do not live in it! So, yes, it’s all about me. I feel like I am living one giant case of dispirit treatment and have no one to tell.
Building the wall lets me know that for once, I, Ms. Middle-class America…matter. Will it keep everyone that is not supposed to be in this country out? Probably not. I don’t believe that any more than I believe collecting all the guns will translate to no one getting shot; or saying no to drugs will result in America not having a drug problem. Those are other blogs for other days….and those days are coming. But I want to know that each one of us AMERICANs matter. Don’t you?
My wish for 2019 is more discussion, less name-calling. All comments are welcome….manners are mandatory
The Roaring Ellie
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