Our country has done a lot for many. It made it profitable for American companies to produce products overseas and sell them back to Americans. It made it cost effective to ignore safety and loss of life and property by making fines/penalties for oil spills, pipe breaks, mine explosions, and loss of life in many industries inconsequential compared to profits. It allowed bankers to ruin our economy with risky investments and made it possible for companies to invest on futures in which those same companies had the ability to effect those futures. It determined that a business could be too big to fail or prosecute. It determined that a company was a person with the right to influence elections but not be arrested when found to have violated laws and regs. It made it so politicians can choose their voters instead of voters choosing their politicians. It made it easy of companies to drop pensioners and retirees from their financial responsibilities and still give the executives bonuses. When it does fine a company for doing something wrong, it has provided tax relief to compensate for those losses caused by penalties. It has made it acceptable and profitable to hire Americans to work for wages that are far from livable.^It also gave food stamps, unemployment benefits, housing, and healthcare to people effected by all of the aforementioned gifts, and apparently, according to conservatives, it’s these last items that have hurt our nation most.^I was listening to the radio over the last few weeks and noticed that there are NO song that actually celebrate greed, intolerance, or hate. No hymns that call on us to turn aside from those who are in need. No lyrics that tell us that people WANT to be poor, uneducated, and disenfranchised. But there are a lot of people who seem to think that the majority of Americans are lazy, even though employment offices are full and college grads are desperate to find work.Volunteer at a homeless shelter people. Help out at a soup kitchen. Go with a church group when they do neighborhood outreach. Help out at a senior center, or volunteer at a daycare or even as a school bus monitor.There are stories out there you are either not hearing, or choosing to ignore. If it is the former, then you have a chance to learn. If it is the latter, then you may be part of the problem.Respectfully,C.
Our country has done a lot for many. It made it profitable for American companies to produce products overseas and sell them back to Americans. It made it cost effective to ignore safety and loss of life and property by making fines/penalties for oil spills, pipe breaks, mine explosions, and loss of life in many industries inconsequential compared to profits. It allowed bankers to ruin our economy with risky investments and made it possible for companies to invest on futures in which those same companies had the ability to effect those futures. It determined that a business could be too big to fail or prosecute. It determined that a company was a person with the right to influence elections but not be arrested when found to have violated laws and regs. It made it so politicians can choose their voters instead of voters choosing their politicians. It made it easy of companies to drop pensioners and retirees from their financial responsibilities and still give the executives bonuses. When it does fine a company for doing something wrong, it has provided tax relief to compensate for those losses caused by penalties. It has made it acceptable and profitable to hire Americans to work for wages that are far from livable.^It also gave food stamps, unemployment benefits, housing, and healthcare to people effected by all of the aforementioned gifts, and apparently, according to conservatives, it’s these last items that have hurt our nation most.^I was listening to the radio over the last few weeks and noticed that there are NO song that actually celebrate greed, intolerance, or hate. No hymns that call on us to turn aside from those who are in need. No lyrics that tell us that people WANT to be poor, uneducated, and disenfranchised. But there are a lot of people who seem to think that the majority of Americans are lazy, even though employment offices are full and college grads are desperate to find work.Volunteer at a homeless shelter people. Help out at a soup kitchen. Go with a church group when they do neighborhood outreach. Help out at a senior center, or volunteer at a daycare or even as a school bus monitor.There are stories out there you are either not hearing, or choosing to ignore. If it is the former, then you have a chance to learn. If it is the latter, then you may be part of the problem.Respectfully,C.