Standing on my soapbox - Common Sense 3

Common Sense – If it’s hot and you touch it you will get burned and it will hurt. If it’s sharp and you touch it you will get cut and it will hurt. If it’s doesn’t belong to you don’t take it, it is not yours. If you break the Law you may get caught and will have to pay the price. If it says ‘Read before Using’ do so. If you are taking a stroll in a bad area in the dark you’re probably going to get hurt. If you keep putting yourself in a bad situation and wonder why bad things happen to you, you are NOT using commons sense. If you read the label of a blow dryer and it says ‘Do NOT use while showering or in the tub” and you do it anyway – You’re an idiot, there is no help for you and you don’t have a lick of common sense to begin with.

In listening and reading the various arguments prior to this year’s elections I noticed huge differences of opinion that were causing big rifts within our Country. We all seem to have one common goal but various ways of getting to that goal. Using the names Democrat or Republican has been done with sneers or snide remarks as though there is something wrong with each ‘side’. I have no idea what the ‘left’ the ‘right’ ‘liberal’ or ‘conservative’ means, I just do common sense.

Prior to this year’s election I went to a ‘town hall’ meeting in my area where our local Congress man came to talk to us and answer any questions we may have. I listened. Oh I had a question or two but have since forgotten what the actual words were. It had to do with the Federal Government becoming involved in child welfare. I admit, I was a bit nervous speaking to someone in ‘power’.

What he said most impressed me. A question was asked regarding Lobbyists and how our President declared before getting elected the first time that he was going to prohibit such things. The answer went as such; Big business is much the same as you, each one of you has an opportunity to ask for us to support you in whatever it is that you wish. More than anything the Government is fair, if we allow one we must allow all, if we prohibit one we must prohibit all. It is up to you as citizen’s to make your voices be heard.

With that being said – If you have complaints with what is going on, let your Congressman know. Each State has a list of names with ways of accessing your elected officials whether it be by phone or email it can be done. How do I know this? I visited my State Capital and spoke with a good many of these officials. I went in to each office and either left my message or spoke directly with them. I also sat and listened in a Committee meeting, the State DHS officials were being called to the table on their issues.

They do realize they are working for you, at times when it doesn’t go in your favor it may not seem like it, but they are. If something has passed and you do not like it, voice your opinion and ask that it be repealed. Do it with good cause, write a dignified letter addressing each issue and why you wish for it to be repealed. The same goes for something that you wish to be passed. Speak with them; ask them what it is that you need to do to get something passed. They are there to help you.

Bottom line - If you want something done - do it! Don't just whine and complain, visit your Congressmen and Representatives help make the changes you want see made. This is how laws get passed, someone takes the initiative.

The main argument that I am hearing is Welfare, plain and simple, welfare. Republicans see Welfare as a hand out. Democrats see welfare as an obligation to the people. I see welfare as a hindrance (I will explain later).

The chief complaint I hear from the Democrats is the wealthy need to share the wealth. The Republicans chief complaint is taxes – “If you raise my taxes how can I afford to pay more?”

We all want prices low but more pay. Let’s do this logically. If I pay you more I have to raise the prices of items I am selling, therefore that will negate any of the pay I have just given you. On the other side of the coin – If you raise my taxes how can I pay you more?

If I am the head of a large Company and my salaried employees are giving me well over the 45 hours I require per week then they deserve to get bonuses, big ones. They have probably furthered their education (at their own cost) and are giving more than just their time. If I have those who work for me and complain that their feet hurt and they need a break every 2 hours, I’m not going to be so giving, since they are not.

Walmart is coming under fire this season, it happens to be the biggest employer in the Country at this time. The wages that are being paid are complained about. The complaint is that folks who are employed by Walmart aren’t making enough to survive on so they have to get food stamps as well as Medicaid. Why is Walmart the one being blamed when the issues happened long before Walmart came along?

Many years ago I worked at another chain store right out of high school, I was hired as part time (20 hours per week), I was also told at that time this chain was no longer hiring ‘full-time’ employees. When I asked why, I was told it had to do with insurance. They could no longer afford to hire full time employees and pay all the added benefits that came along with them. So I did what any red blooded young American would do, I got more jobs. In fact I had 3 jobs at one time, all part time. Yes I worked a lot of hours, but I had things I needed to pay for, car payments, car insurance and gas. Back then minimum wage was under $3 per hour and gas was $1.20 per gallon, my insurance was $65 per month under my parent’s policy. My car payment was $67.00 per month! You do the math, at less than $3 per hour for 80 hours per month before taxes that isn’t much. I had to do something, welfare was not an option.

We are always going to have ‘ditch diggers’ in this Country, those who can’t or don’t want to further their education. We will always have those in the Middle Class who are not quite able to attain the level of security they wish for. We will always have the rich – some who were brought there by family and others who worked very hard to attain that level and yet those who got there by dumb luck.

What we do have in this Country is the Freedom to attain whatever level you can, whether it be by luck, family or hard work. We are also able to further our education to any level we wish, it may come at a high cost, but it is available. Our Constitution and Bill of Rights gives us this.

Welfare was not meant to be a way of life, yet for some families it has become just that. We have 3 generations of families being raised on welfare. Where is the justice in that? Who picks up that tab? The American people do. I’m not saying that it shouldn’t be there; just some serious welfare reform needs to happen. When you have generation after generation being raised on welfare, it becomes forgotten just ‘how’ to support themselves, let alone their families.

We need to instill some pride back into America, pride at a job well done, pride at getting a paycheck for the work we do. Pride in general.

We also need to instill loyalty in our Companies. We need to make the Company that we work for understand that we will be behind them; this in turn will bring their loyalty to us. Respect goes both ways. If you are on your social network ‘bashing’ your Company, why should you get a pay raise? You can bet they aren’t in the board room bashing you; they are trying to figure out ways to lower costs so you can get raises - everyone wins. Give them a hand! Do what you can to help your Company. Your good works will not go unnoticed, this is a given.

The laws are being changed slowly, yet there are complaints aplenty. Drug screening for those who are recipients of Welfare and Food Stamps were one of the complaints that is being addressed, yet we have laws that have passed making it legal for those to use marijuana, so does a drug card negate a drug screening? Marijuana for some is the same as alcohol for some. Some can use it and are not affected by it, others can’t.

If you're one of the ones who become 'complacent' with marijuana use, STOP USING IT! It's that simple, if it doesn't work well with you give it up.

We have become a Nation of “gimme’s” – without having learned how to ‘get’ whatever it is that we want.

People let’s use some Common Sense here – If you want something, WORK to get it, don’t expect a handout. If the jobs are not in your area – MOVE to where they are! If you can’t move your family because you have a house payment, then whoever is the bread winner will have to go to the job and send the money back home, live in a boarding house if necessary. Doing without is something we all have forgotten how to do, we've had it so easy for so long. Read the History of how this country came to be. The time has come for us to figure it out and quit whining. Do what you gotta do!

You have access to the Internet - LOOK for those booming towns (yes, they are still here) make a plan, then get going!!

If by chance you have gotten a ‘hand up’ then find a way to pay that back, even if it’s volunteering at your local soup kitchen. Yes, there are plenty of those still out there giving and giving never expecting anything in return.

*Steps down off soapbox*