Purple Glasses

I do not claim to be a political person because...I'm not.  I voted, yes, because it is a right that I have been given by this wonderful country.  I thank God for the men and women throughout the history of this country that have fought to give me this right.  Yet, if you voted differently than I did, I will not hold that against you.  If we were friends before your ballot was counted, we're friends now.  All of this being said, I'm so disappointed in the nation as a whole.

I have found the bashing and name calling and complaining and threats all over social media to be plain disgusting.  I remember the title "President" used to come with a lot of respect no matter what.  I think there will never be anything good to come of a nation that is so divided and it didn't matter who won, there would be bashers and name calling and complaining and threats if the vote had gone the other way.  I recently read a blog post about a purple nation.  Get it?  Red and blue, democrats and republicans come together...come on people grade school stuff...blue and red make?  PURPLE!  As long as people can't get over which side of some imaginary line they stand on, our nation will have issues.

Now dredging through all the political blah on my newsfeed on Facebook was just another day of ignoring a lot of people's rants that I've been doing for far too many months but a few that happened to catch my eye yesterday actually upset me.  I'm not often upset by people's beliefs because well, I believe everyone has the right to their own beliefs...another thing that makes this country great. However, several attacked the "people sitting on their butts collecting handouts".

Now to a certain extent I agree.  I knew women that were collecting unemployment, child support, WIC, any and every assistance the government gives and they worked at the bar for their fun money.  These women had EVERYTHING paid for so the money they made working went to their shopping sprees.  Those women piss me off because they are abusing a system that was put into place to help people that really are in need.  I have no issues however with helping people that are actually in need and have tried everything before turning to the government for help.

My sister happens to be disabled, diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and some other things that go hand in hand with that diagnosis.  At the time she was diagnosed people were on the fence as to whether or not this was a real disease and I even know some people still question whether or not it is.  Here's what I can tell you...my sister used to be a mile-a-minute, 24/7 whirlwind of energy beyond any person I ever knew.  She was working full-time, raising two kids and was in school taking 18 credits, getting straight A's.  Out of no where she didn't have the energy, she was hurting all over, she had days where her body hurt so much that clothes weren't an option.  Clothes literally felt like they were ripping her skin off.

Even after being diagnosed, she fought.  She didn't want to be labeled disabled.  She tried to continue life as normal, tried to muster the energy to do as she had always done.  She pushed herself so hard to be the person she has always been that she actually got worse and put herself into a position where she had no options.  She is now a stay-at-home mom labeled as disabled and still has days where she fights just to get out of bed...not because she's lazy, not because she doesn't want to work, not because she gave up...because she hurts that badly all the time that a good day for her, a day where she can get out of bed, is like a day you would call in sick to work and stay in bed all day whining.  Damn right, she's disabled...and she hates it.

When those out there that wish we could get rid of all the "handouts" speak...I think of my sister and a few friends I have that aren't abusing the system...people that wish like hell they could go to work every morning.  I wish there were more honest people and fewer people that abuse what was put into place to help those that actually need it.

I also think, man, I hope for all of you that want government assistance to be done away with that you never fall upon hard times or get diagnosed with a truly debilitating disease and have to rely on the system that you want torn down.  I was taught the rule of "be careful what you wish for cuz you just might get it."  If this nation stops helping those in need, I have a funny feeling you would all be bitching about that too.  For those of you working your happy job...are you thankful for that college loan our terrible government gave you?  For those of you that are retired...do you cash your social security check?  For those that were laid off...did you file for unemployment?  For all the rest...do you know for a fact nothing bad will ever happen to you where you may need a little helping hand?

I don't think any change in government will ever rid the world of deceitful, dishonest people.  Creating a government that refuses to help those in need and leaves these people to suffer is not the answer either.  I don't claim to have the answer but I do know those programs were put in place for those who truly are in need and it's just too bad that there are people out there that would cheat the system or look for some loophole.  I also think that some people really wish they could work for a living and be those "productive members of society" but their options were taken away.

I guess to sum it all up, red or blue, democrat or republican, people are people and they will disappoint us almost every day.  Stop looking at the bad people in the world, celebrate the good.  Look at the world through purple glasses!

Also, Daughter is in the next room watching Disney's Robin Hood...he robbed from the rich to give to the poor and I don't know many people that call Robin Hood a socialist.  Two cents!