Sometimes, I feel the need to write. Like an uncontrollable itch or urge that completely consumes me. It becomes an insatiable desire until I give in, and begin to let my thoughts pour out onto paper, or white board, or my bathroom mirror, or anywhere that temporarily serves as literary relief. Most of the time, these thoughts I have deemed worth writing are lyrics to a song. In my teenage years, maybe poetry. Other times, like now, it is a way for me to get something off my chest so I don't unleash on the next idiot who crosses my path. I am venting. Instead of pen and paper I have chosen my iPhone and this website. My blog is my microphone, and those who have decided to hear me out, are my congregation.
I am pissed off. Enraged. Annoyed. You get the picture. The problem with an opinionated blog is that I have to be semi-reasonable or people will quit reading my word vomit. With that being said, this will spark an argument or two, I am sure. Maybe I'll even get another person who is incredibly insecure to tell me to off myself; one can only hope.
Can our government really not get it together?! I am not saying I would make an even half way decent president. My current rant is regarding the government implemented system of "rewards" in our country, and I feel like I have a few friends who could fix this ridiculous lack of construction. I am primarily speaking about the "Robin Hood Theory," as I am so naming it.
You know the story of Robin Hood of Locksley. I prefer the Disney movie version, but to each his own. As you will recall, Robin Hood robbed the rich and gave to the poor. Such a lovable character. However, this is not the era of royalty and peasants. Or, is it? Is our government not pulling a "Robin Hood" on us? Are they not, sans green tights, taking from the wealthy and giving to the poor? I have a few friends who work very hard and make a lot of money. If you saw how much they pay in taxes, you would probably throw up in your mouth. It's disgusting.
I just left the grocery store. I recently moved, again, across town to an area full of diversity. It's one of those transitional areas. I moved to the hood, people, lets not sugar coat. People walk past my house with 40's and shopping carts. I can't make this stuff up. Anyway, there's actually a pretty nice grocery store about half a mile away. Due to the area, it has an array of customer types from every walk of life. I was lucky enough to be behind one today who sparked my anger filled word lashing which you are currently enduring.
Before you assume that I'm being racist, I will advise you that she was a Caucasian woman. Probably in her 50's or so, but who could tell with the decades of personal physical neglect? Though she didn't do or say anything to me personally, I watched as she filled the checkout lane with soft drinks, pizzas, ice cream, and other incredibly unhealthy junk. Not only was she the type of woman who is quickly heading for the motorized, Hover Round type shopping cart in her near future, she had a teenager with her as well. As you can imagine, the teenager was far from physically fit.
(Although she was sporting a tshirt with a logo of a well known, expensive outfitter.)
She argues with the cashier about how many soft drinks she was being charged for, and said "I don't want to pay for ones I didn't get." Then, she takes out a government issued card and pays for her groceries.
Here's my dilemma. I don't think the government should run our lives. Pizza and ice cream isn't that bad. I eat them from time to time. So, why am I so mad? Recent account #2:
My boyfriend was at the store about a week ago. The woman before him in the checkout line was considerably overweight and had nothing but complete crap in her basket. If I remember correctly, she was purchasing things with government aid that aren't even allowed to be purchased on food stamps. How that even works? No idea. The worst part was that she had a very young child with her, who would already be considered obese. I foresee health problems with this lack of personal care. Guess who will pay for their doctor visits? You will.
This is the part where you assume I have some solvent. I have some master plan to fix everything! No, I really don't. I'm just tired of misappropriated tax dollars, as most people currently are. We are under a government shutdown for the first time since 1996. Our country's monetary issues are out of control. I am, in no way, against helping those who are going through rough times. I just hate the abuse.
My best friend is a psycho therapist. Before she finished grad school, she worked at a non-profit organization who catered to mental illness within inner city children. She has horror stories about women having more children for extra government "aid." People who had no jobs, and weren't actively searching for them, with the newest cell phone and nice cars. It's just frustrating. There are less fortunate people who are trying to better their situations who deserve help and then those who just don't care about anyone else. Are we really just now starting to drug test for welfare?! That makes sense.... Our school teachers and local law enforcement, make less money than most servers and bartenders. Couldn't we shuffle some of that tax money around for things that make sense?
I currently reside in the bustling metropolis of Nashville. I know there are cities who have worse issues with this, but our homeless population is out of control.
Our city actually has an implemented program which is supposed to help. They allow homeless people to sell newspapers at road crossings, for $1 each, and they are allowed to pocket most of the proceeds. Upon moving to Nashville, I was overwhelmed and saddened. I had a shotgun seat full of unread homeless newspapers. You become quickly hardened, however, when you see about 15 of these people in any given period of driving time.
Then there are the "cardboard homeless." You know what I mean. And where the hell are they getting these permanent markers and endless sheets of cardboard?! When there are this many homeless people walking the streets downtown, crime escalates. I'm not allowed to walk to my car alone after work, per company rules, and I park about ten feet from our building. Co-workers have been robbed, with the threat of a drawn weapon, whilst trying to go home after a long shift. Societal underwear stains. That's what these people are. Get it together, people.
Is there some way to fix the problem? Can the govt. say what can and cannot be, without depriving us of freedom? Some say we aren't really a free country anyway. I know one thing that seems to be. Government hand outs. Thanks, Robin Hood.
