It's hard to jump on the internet now-a-days and not see headlines like this:
I can recall a time when my parents told me that I could be anything that I wanted to be and "the sky's the limit." We are instilled with this hope of a middle class future, where we can live comfortably and raise a family with all of the comforts we are entitled to here in America, the land of plenty. We know too many people who have been laid off, who are under water on their homes and are just barely squeaking by. Our local school district is on the brink of insolvency and the teachers are being asked to take pay cuts. There's a presidential election coming in less than a year and the budget can't even be balanced. Us Americans are supposed to have it together, we're supposed to be a Super-Power. What happened? Even our congress isn't proving as dependable as it has in the past, the divide is growing.
We head to the polls in limited numbers because people don't think their votes make a difference. People stay at home in their little bubbles, dealing with their own personal problems; but with the way things are nowadays, can we really blame them? Turn on the TV and all you get is bad news, sex abuse scandals, tales of people in powerful positions taking advantage of those with very little power, which CEOs are getting multimillion dollar bonuses the year after the tax payers bailed them out, and the list goes on. There's more and more about how the gap between the rich and poor is growing and how the middle class is disappearing. This is really disheartening. It's no wonder the latest polls are saying:
I can see it. It makes me sad. How do I tell my children that they can be whatever they want to be when I don't even know if a college education will be possible? The cost of higher education is just that, higher and higher every year. I remember how much it cost for me thirteen years ago and it's definitely jumped exponentially since then. What happens when all of those things our parents told us we needed in order to enjoy success in life are no longer attainable?
There are people camping in parks across the country trying to send a message. So far, they've been there for two months and all I hear and read in the news is that the police are breaking up their encampments and arresting people. So, is it working? Is it going to be heard by anyone with influence?
My only hope is you; you out there with the power of the vote. Yes, I am only one person, but I can still vote. I can still pass on information and make people aware of things that are happening. I can still encourage my friends and family to vote, to make their voice heard. I can show my kids that no matter how bad it gets, no matter what happens to the banks, the schools, or the government, I'm still here and I'm still voting. I guess it's really all I can do.
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