It's about time for some of the controversy I'm known for. I've spent a lot of time trying not to offend anyone, and things got boring! It's not my intention to offend, let's be clear, but it's the nature of the beast when you discuss politics. That is exactly what I'm about to do, so if you don't want to hear it, skip this one!
I've been paying attention to the protesting in Wisconsin lately. This Governor who is trying to be a conservative hero by stripping the collective bargaining rights from unions, which doesn't do anything for the budget although he is trying to pass it off as it does), is broadcasting a message that a lot of us have known and understood for awhile. The Republican agenda is not for middle or lower class folks. It's not even that they aren't all that concerned with helping these groups, or even protecting their actual human rights, they don't even seem to even LIKE the people who make up these groups. So, why do folks in these groups follow these leaders and subscribe to the idea that they are out for their best interests? Does everyone really believe they are suddenly going to strike it filthy rich, and therefore we should be catering to the wealthy and continually help them to become more rich on the backs of those beneath them on the pay scale? Allow me to illustrate the charge that the Republican agenda does not care about the common folk they swindle into supporting them...
The people elected this Governor Scott Walker, and as soon as they realized he was taking rights that were important to them away, they started protesting. They made the voice of the people heard. It was loud and clear. Did he listen to his constituents and alter his agenda to reflect the will of the people? Absolutely not. They even conceded financially, and were just fighting to keep their right to collectively bargain. He's passing it off as necessary to get rid of that for the budget. He doesn't really ever explain it clearly, he just said it's necessary for flexibility. He is pushing forward, with total disregard for the folks he is to be serving.
My next example is the cuts in funding in the proposed budget. Cutting funding for Planned Parenthood is a direct slap in the face to many lower class women who have no other health care. They get care there, education, medication. (It is not just abortion they provide). Education is a huge part of planned parenthood, so now they want to get rid of large provider of education on how NOT to have an unwanted pregnancy, and at the same time abortion rights are always being attacked by the right. (This isn't an argument of whether abortion is right or wrong. It's pointing out how, when you put it all together, it sure seems like they are creating some pretty hefty problems for the middle and lower class folks.) So, now people aren't getting as much education, or access to pregnancy prevention methods, and they want to make them have the babies that result. A lot of the women who would be seeking an abortion cannot take care of their babies. (Adoption would be a great choice, but, in reality, it's not something a lot of these women would get involved with). So now less pregnancies have been prevented, they want all those babies to be born, and here is the real kick in the head, they want to cut funding for nutrition and care for underweight babies. A lot of underweight babies are born to low income mothers, and knowing the risks for underweight babies, the demographic that a large number of women seeking abortions fall into are most at risk for underweight babies. So, don't tell people how to prevent babies, then force them to have them, then don't help those babies thrive. Don't help those women find ways to take care of their children. (Oh, and a side note, don't forget that funding for programs to help lower income families heat their homes is also being cut. So now we can have lots of sick, hungry, cold babies. Who out there is thinking "Awesome! Exactly what our founding fathers had in mind!" Insanity, I tell you.)
Oh, let's not forget trying to take away the approaching new health care options. Lower and lower middle class families are most at risk for not having access to health care coverage or the care itself (due to costs). *Don't forget, these families are going to get larger and now have babies without health care, food.... due to outlawing early abortions if they right has their way. Good health should not be a privilege, it should be the right of every human being. Especially in a wealthy country like ours. No one should go without the medical care they need.
It's not the redistribution of wealth on a communist or socialist level by increasing the taxes on the very wealthy. We are not evening the playing field here. We are not trying to bring the ultra rich down to a middle or lower class. It's ridiculous to even suggest that is what is going on. We are trying to take care of our own, maintain a robust middle class, and that keeps our country strong. Being a nation of ultra rich and ultra poor is never a success story when you look back over history. So, why is it that the middle class and lower class folks are so quick to agree to less options for themselves. How have they been bamboozled into protecting the rich? We've tried that for many years, it doesn't work!
So I guess my point is, wake up! Your abusive boyfriend is bad! He's hurting you. He may say "Oh, we are so about taking our country back, and creating jobs together!", but as soon as you let him in your house he's taking away your chances at good health, the right to discuss and negotiate for better working conditions, your right to choose what you can handle mentally and physically and what happens to your own body, help to feed your children (should you ever fall on hard times), and he just stands around posing, trying to look good for everyone around him and never really accomplishing anything or actually taking care of you (in reference to the votes to repeal things that they clearly knew they could never get enough to actually follow through. It was all for political theater). Just like a good friend would say to their friend who's boyfriend keeps kicking her when she's down, "He's no good! This relationship is unhealthy. He is controlling and wants to keep you weak."
So what else needs to happen? Do they really have to come out in plain English and tell people that they talk all folksy, pretend to like the same things middle America likes, pretend that our country is going to Hell in a hand basket thanks to the "left" trying to help keep middle America alive is all just an act to get you to say "Hey, he's just like me?!" Should they record these messages where they admit these things, while they are at one of their vacation homes or sailing on their yacht, just like you do? Oh wait, you don't have vacation homes or yachts? Pay no attention to the yacht behind the curtain, I mean man, behind the man. All you need to see is the guy pretending to be just like you. He cares so much about you, and wants to save this country for you. Keep that in mind when you're sick & can't see a doctor, cold & have no heat, have a pregnant daughter because she was afraid to ask you for help and didn't have a planned parenthood to provide her with contraception, and now you all have to eat cat food and make soup out of ketchup packets because they messed around with political posturing so much they forgot to create jobs and now you have none. On that kind of diet, you better believe that grandbaby on the way will be underweight. But, at least no one will call you a socialist.
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