I don’t want to despair. I don’t want to have to be aware that in 1997, working in the group home, I made 7.50 an hour, minimum wage. I could not have survived if that was my only source of funding, and I only had myself to provide for. What’s the minimum wage today? Is it commensurate with the price of food, or rent, or fuel, or medical care? It wasn’t then, so I don’t think it is now, either. This so-called by the people who are in power ‘Christian nation’ is about as unChristian as it is possible to be. Anyway, here’s a good article about Bill Maher commenting on things we all should care about:
Bill Maher on the Disappearing Middle Class
Somewhere (in the comments?) I read someone’s thought that if you can’t feed two children on your income, you should not have had two children. Back when the Taliban was destroying statues and wreaking havoc on their own people, as well as everyone else, I was in a Yahoo group where a proud member postulated that ‘people in those countries should stop having children so that he could buy cheap fuel for his SUV without having to feel guilty’. Because, yes, it is all about us here in America. It is all about those of us who have what we need, and could not muster an iota of empathy, sympathy, or good-will, or charity for those not as fortunate. Wait. what was it that that Christ fellow, who started all of this Christian stuff, said? Wasn’t it something like this:
Matthew 25:34-36 Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.”
Yeah, like that’s going to happen in today’s United States of America. Just a teensy bit fed up today, readers. Just a teensy bit.
strangely peculiar 
If someone’s working full-time and their income is not enough to feed them and their two kids, then they need to be paid more, because they’re being grossly underpaid. If they can’t get full-time work, then the government needs to give them a helping hand to make sure the kids don’t miss out on essentials. That’s what governments are for. Do I want my tax dollars used this way? Hell yes, because I’ve been there myself! Rant over.
There are too many people in our government who think just the opposite: If you’re poor, sick, or needy, it’s because you are not a worthy human being, and we do not want to spend any resources left after all the tax breaks for the gazillionaires on you. In other words, live free or die. That’s the New Hampshire state motto. I used to live in New Hampshire, and believe me, they mean this.. Live free of any kind of help from us, or die. We certainly do not give a damn. It probably never really was the America I was raised to believe it was, but now it’s not even in the same galaxy. I am truly ashamed of my country and the self-righteous bigots who are gaining more and more influence. Oh, the stupidity.
“The True Measure of Any Society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members” – Ghandi
I’ve seen this quote attributed to others, as well, but the message holds true. USA FAIL