Friday, November 7, 2008

Dear Mr. President/President Elect/congress

Do ya'll really get what it is like to live as the "average American"? Your definition of middle class is far above what my family recieves. Yet, my husband and I and our 3 children try to eek out an existence in a economy that is reeling. You all say we are not in a recession. That does not compute. When a parent has to choose between feeding their child, buying groceries or paying a bill, that my friend is a recession. I am a stay at home mom, yes, by choice. However, that choice is made because to put my child in day care would cost most of what I would make. You say you know what it is like to live on little. Somehow, I do NOT believe that. I do not believe you have ever skipped meals so your children would have food in their mouths. I do not believe you ever had to let your child go without birthday presents or Christmas presents. Yet thousands in this country to. My kids, thankfully get to eat every day. Yet there are some children in THIS nation that go to bed hungry. There are children in THIS nation that have no shelter, no bed, no warm coat. Why? We are supposedly the greatest nation on earth. Where is the proof? I have a medically needy child. I have insurance but it does not pay enough to help with my child's needs. We stopped therapy because insurance would only pay a small amount. Countless families with children who have greater needs than my own, go without. In a nation, where we delcare we are free, families are entrapped by debt beyond their control. I am not talking consumer debt. I am talking medical debt and the sheer effort to keep their family, clothed, fed, and sheltered. While congress and high government officials get raises we get nothing. Why can't people who are making 6 and 7 figure salaries take a pay cut instead of laying off the people on the bottom of the ladder. It does not make sense that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. What is our national tragedy? That people in our nation have to scrape just fo feed their families while they are "just above the limit for assistance". Maybe one day, all children can be equally fed, equally clothed and get equal medical care. But then again, maybe not because only the rich deserve cars with the highest rated safety standards. Only the rich deserve the best insurance and medical care. Only the rich deserve the best education, while the rest of us are not worthy. Sad isn't it. But then again, do you really care, after all you will not go to bed hungry or cold tonight.

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