Just to piggy back on my earlier post about Mitt Romney’s epic fail of speaking at this week’s NAACP National Convention. I wanted to hit on something Chris pointed out on this morning’s show. That would be, the fact that Mitt Romney never mentioned anything about the Voting Rights Act while speaking to the nation’s oldest civil rights organization. As I pointed out earlier, Romney’s weak (and very lazy) attempt to appeal to the African-American vote shows that Romney truly doesn’t have the interest of the black electorate at heart.

Here’s a good discussion on the black vote being taken for-granted:

So here’s the question: is the Voting Rights Act even necessary in our new post-racial age? Of course I have my own opinions on the subject that is the removal of the Voting Rights Act and states having to adhere to federal rules. But, I’m really interested in hearing your thoughts on the subject. I mean, if the rights of voters are not as sacrosanct as once believed and constitutionally supported, then as conspicuous as that may be, why then is there even a need for voting right protections? Seriously, I would greatly appreciate it if you took the time to answer that question.

But before I go, do me a favor and watch the following video from Chris Hayes’ show before attempting to answer the question posited above. Also, before answering the question here’s something to consider: according to the result of a Harvard study that shows how Texas’ changes affect voters presented this week, former President George W. Bush himself would be ineligible to vote in his home state of Texas (read it here). Now I’m not sure if many of us would agree that George would be a great future president. However, I do think we can all agree that he isn’t a minority, and that he is a Republican. Not exactly the target of disenfranchisement; but hey, so too is a retired World war II veterans in Florida who happens to be white, as well.

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In my opinion, this signals that the Obama campaign is winning the messaging war, at least in the battleground states. No word on just how team Romney plans to counter the latest Obama campaign onslaught. However, the latest Obama attack ad, in my opinion, serves as the equivalent of a WWE pro-wrestling finishing move; or a Mortal Kombat flawless victory.

Check it out and tell me what you think:

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Yes, the long pause and awkward grin was epic; and I’m pretty sure the thought of doing a jig at that very moment crossed his mind. Surely such a move would have been greatly appreciated and applauded by the hankerchief-head-wearing Negroes he had bused in after picking them out at the Rent-A-Negro Store. You know, the ones who aren’t into getting “free stuff,” who obviously have no intentions of voting for “the other guy,” because, they would rather pick cotton for free for Bain Capital in China. Yeah, those black people; the ones who love what they see when they look into Mitt Romney’s heart. Yep, the not-so-secret black folk openly willing to vote for Mitt, unlike his down-low black supporters somebody has obviously lied to him about. C’mon, y’know he made that up, right?

Hi, my name is. What? My name is. Who? My name is... Mitt Shady.

I just wanted to clear that up, just in case you may think all black people look alike, like Mitt Romney obviously does. Which is really funny when you think about it; because, there is no way black folks should vote for a guy who not only doesn’t know where and what bank his money sits; but also a guy who can’t remember lies about where and when he ran Bain Capital when we’re trying to find employment, in this terrible economy. Sorry pal, but I’m not buying your, “I’m the savior of black people,” sales pitch. And I don’t know what black leaders you’ve been talking to — my guess is that you’re confusing Jesse Lee Peterson for Jesse Jackson, because we all look alike — but if you think your speech was a winner, you won’t be back next year — it’s not like Mitt wants our vote.

This from Mother Jones:

Leonard Alkins, the former head of the Boston NAACP, has few fond memories of Romney’s tenure. ”There was no relationship between the NAACP in Boston and Gov. Mitt Romney and his administration,” Alkins says. “The only time that the NAACP had any interaction with the administration and the governor was to protest when he eliminated the affirmative action office.”

In one of his early acts as governor, Romneydumped the state’s office of affirmative actionand replaced it with the office of diversity and equal opportunity. In doing so, he invalidated a half-dozen executive orders establishing affirmative action policies for women, minorities, veterans, and people with disabilities; diversity training programs; and equal-opportunity standards for state contractors. Romney’s executive orderreplaced all of this with what was essentially a broad—and, Alkins says, “toothless”—commitment to “diversity.”

Romney didn’t inform civil rights groups about his plans before scrapping the affirmative action office, and the reaction from activists was harsh. The Massachusetts Black Caucus accused Romney of attempting to “virtually dismantle affirmative action in Massachusetts state government.”

Romney eventually appointed a diversity commission to examine his new policy. But, according to Alkins, the NAACP was excluded from the commission—until other commissioners spoke up. “He excluded the NAACP from serving on that special commission until we protested,” Alkins recalls.

Romney appointed Alkins to the commission, but the process didn’t go well. Instead of approving Romney’s policy, the commission worked to strengthen the policies he invalidated. Word leaked to the governor, Alkins says, and the co-chair of the commission, Ruth Bramson, who was also Romney’s chief human resources officer, refused to call any more meetings, thwarting the commission from voting on and issuing final recommendations. Bramson, who is now CEO of the Girl Scouts in eastern Massachusetts, refused to comment, saying she has to stay out of politics. The Romney campaign did not respond to a request for comment. But a Romney spokesman told the Bay State Guardian at the time that Bramson felt the committee’s work was done and no further meetings were necessary.

So, do you think Romney really has the interest of black folk at heart? In his speech this week he spoke of his father marching with civil rights activists in the 1960s. But clearly from a policy position, it’s obvious that he doesn’t give a damn about the well being of black folks or anyone outside of his income bracket. If he did, why then would he propose tax cuts for the rich while raising taxes on the middle class and working poor? But hey, let him tell it, he’s the best thing for black folks since Moses and Joseph Smith delivered us from slavery, Jim Crow, and George W. Bush.

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First, there was last week when he suggested that some people who support Obama would rather not own their own keep and instead would rather be his “slave,” and now he is comparing Social Security to slavery.

This, ladies and gentlemen, is why I think of Mr. West as a slave-catcher. In a world where he cannot rightfully locate and identify the actual slaves (the imprisoned and those buried under unrealistic student loan debt are the first and most obvious in my opinion), he must grab at ill-thought and apparently unexamined ideas and create them as slavery. Once he has swayed enough people with the age-old “say some shit and if ONE person repeats or believes it, then it is true” approach, he can set about his mission of “freeing” those “slaves” in a quest to make their overall situations better.

Now I never claimed to be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I am damned sure that slavery has NOTHING to do with receiving benefits that are usually quite necessary.

Now how does this make him a slave catcher? Well, on the surface and with the use of a little slick language, he has reversed the definition of it, almost to make it seem as if being a slave is a positive for the person being held down and a negative for the one bankrolling the operation. But no, slaves are not employees or dependent beneficiaries, they’re captive and uncompensated participants and would usually exit the system if given a chance to understand why they should want to. So now, with the roles properly reversed, he can take non-slaves and in turn CREATE NEW ONES, which by comparative definition makes him a slave catcher, taking those who have something – albeit it usually very little – and leaving them with nothing other than their apparently wasted efforts.

No, Allen West, Social Security is not a form of slavery. Nor is being among the working poor, elderly or otherwise underprivileged. True slavery comes in the form of having an even worse station in life than that, and to blame those people in an attempts to bring them closer to the actual definition of the word does not make you a “Harriet Tubman” as you champion yourself with your tastelessly applied metaphor, it simply makes you the 2012 version of these guys.

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Morgan Freeman is one of my favorite actors. Not exactly a renowned rabble rouser as far as the industry goes, trust me, he’s the epitome of what many of us consider to be a :safe negro. And how safe is he exactly? Well, let’s just say that more white folks would vote for him in 2012 than they would Barack Obama Ironically, in his latest movie The Magic of Belle Isle, Freeman plays a struggling writer who fight the demons of alcoholism. In a recent interview with NPR’s Michele Martin on Tell Me More, Freeman made an interesting comment when asked about the historical impact of the election of America’s black president. Freeman, an Obama supporter said the following:

“First thing that always pops into my head regarding our president is that all of the people who are setting up this barrier for him … they just conveniently forget that Barack had a mama, and she was white — very white American, Kansas, middle of America,” Freeman said. “There was no argument about who he is or what he is. America’s first black president hasn’t arisen yet. He’s not America’s first black president — he’s America’s first mixed-race president.”

At first I wanted to give him credit for his statement. I figured he was taken out of context; but when I actually listened to the interview, it was quite clear that he meant what he said the way he intended and is being interpreted. And how so? Because in the very same interview he jokingly mentioned that he mentioned to Bill Clinton that he was America’s first black president.

Freeman also mentioned in the interview that he once had a drinking problem. Well, my guess is that he still has that problem because he’s obviously hitting the bottle. But I respect Freeman; like I said, Freeman is one of my favorite actors of all time. And of course there’s a certain God-like quality to him which reminds us of the inerrancy of the Bible. But with all that aside, I’m just going to go on record and say that Freeman’s position is one that gives rise to a certain mindset that exists in America today. It’s the mindset shared by many who take no pride in validating the symbolism that is an Obama presidency. Which is quite peculiar considering Obama being the first president to have his citizenship questioned and debated publicly in a court of law as it has.

The question I have for Freeman and others who think like him, however: Since Barack Obama is half white and not the first black president, is America only racist by half? Surely we all know the answer to that question given the flawed media-driven post-racial narrative. But as much as I love Freeman, I’m going to give him a pass by saying: Barack Obama is black; and you’re not really God, Morgan; oh yeah, and sit’cho ass down. Like one of my friends on Twitter said: clearly, Morgan Freeman has officially entered his cranky crazy old black man stage of his life.

I’m sorry, but Obama’s mother being white means nothing; it gets no “blacker” than a sperm deposit directly from Kenya that didn’t have to travel here via the Middle Passage. Come to think of it, that’s probably why they hate him more; his daddy was one of the ones who got away; but that’s just me.

CLICK TO LISTEN HERE

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Think I’m crazy, then take a look at Willard’s advisers. Nearly 70% of his advisers are the ones Bush followed to send this country into a depression. And make no mistake about it….this is not a recession….this thing that we’re living through now….is a full fledged depression…and Willard and his new found army of right wing conservatives wants to keep us there.

Why? Because he and his friends make money when we can’t. Willard is about the power. He already has the money. He has this driving, controlling need to run things. He wants to be king of the world, which is what the President of the US is, in fact. It is world domination Mormon style as preached by his church. And he wants to preach the prosperity gospels to his friends at our expense. The best way to do that is to bring back the policies of the Bush administration, complete with deeper tax cuts and more war thrown in for good measure.

Romney is using Glenn Hubbard as one of his economic advisers Hubbard is senior member of the team who gave us the Bush tax cuts at the same time Bush sent troops into two illegal wars searching for invisible weapons of mass destruction. This little move, by itself was crazy. But tax cuts in war time was suicidal, and we are paying for that right now.

Another Hubbard move that Romney wants to bring back is deregulation of the financial industry. Deregulation of the banks nearly destroyed the world in 2008. The rumblings are still reverberating around the globe. Merrill Lynch and Lehmann Brothers imploded, remember. Romney wants to trash the new regulations created by Obama to stabilize the financial industry.

Other Romney/Bush advisers are Dick Cheney trained NeoCons such as John Bolton, who thinks we should bomb Iran to help Israel shape the Middle East in its own image. Romney is not even in office yet and just like Sarah Palin, he is making a trek to Israel this month in an effort to boost his foreign policy cred. This is a tremendous slap in the face of the Black man in the White House. It is totally disrespectful of any sitting President.

U.S. President George W. Bush and Republican gubernatorial candidate for Massachusetts Mitt Romney pass one another on stage during a fund raising event for Romney in Boston October 4, 2002.

Bolton is already on record as having told the Israelis that America plans to use Syria, Iran and North Korea for target practice during the next administration-A Romney Administration. Romney says Bolton brings “clarity” to his team. Romney also employs the guys who convinced Dubya that bombing Iraq was a good idea and not a mistake.

As a woman, the scariest Bush holdover employed by Mitt Romney is Robert Bork, the failed Supreme Court nominee. He was rejected for a justice seat by the Senate back in 1987, because he is batshit crazy. Bork criticized the Civil Rights Act of 1964, calling it an “abomination.” He said that a ruling giving married couples the right to use contraception was “utterly specious.”

Bork says the First Amendment should be shrunken until it is small enough to be “drowned in the bathtub.” He also believes that government can and should criminalize sex, especially same sex copulations.

As if he can’t get any uglier, Bork says the Constitution does not protect women from gender discrimination, meaning bare foot and pregnant and under a man popping out his spawn is our only option for existence in this world.

If Romney should by some chance make it to the White House, then you can bet that Robert Bork will be nominated, once again to the Supreme Court. Consider this; 4 justices are over the age of 70 now and another is a cancer survivor, meaning the next President could possibly appoint 4 new justices.

It is not enough to look at the candidate. You must look at who he surrounds himself with. Romney wants power at any cost. He’s proven that by running for president these past 12 years over and over again.

The fact that he may be a moderate conservative masquerading as a right wing nutcase is beside the point. We can’t take the chance of putting him in touch with the power, because what comes with him, should he be successful is Mormon world domination doctrine, NeoCon American Exceptionalism and policies that have already done much to destroy the Middle Class of America.

Vote Responsibly in the coming November elections. This election is more important than 2008.

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The last thing I wanted to talk about today was the ongoing debate over last weeks Supreme Court ruling on Obamacare. I’ve written about it enough here and here; but, then Mitch McConnell spoke on Fox News Sunday yesterday. Speaking to host Chris Wallace, when asked about the “repeal and replace” meme circulating in GOP circles, McConnell said (and I’m paraphrasing here) that the GOP is not interested in providing insurance coverage to the 30 million uninsured that Obama’s plan would cover. He also added that the American health care system was the finest in the world; but don’t tell that to the 50 million currently uninsured citizens across the country.

For me, coming from McConnell this isn’t a shocker. Heck, if you have ever listened to him speak, you get the impression that he chews tobacco, drinks moonshine, and beats slaves all at the same time; no seriously, I think he keeps a few left-over slaves in a shed out back. After all, he is one of the good ole boys from Kentucky. According to statehealthfacts.org, in 2010 Kentucky had a total of 655,100 non-elderly residents uninsured, with 24 percent of them living between 139 and 250 percent above the federal poverty line. McConnell has an estimated net worth of $17 million dollars.

Mitt Romney speaks to campaign adviser, Eric Fuhrstom

Now this falls right in line with Mitt Romney’s position of Obamacare resulting in a “massive tax.” An assertion that fuels the repeal and replace meme given that the new law imposes a new tax on everyone as Republicans would have us believe. Of course that false logic has already been debunked. However, to properly define Mitt’s position, top campaign adviser Eric Fehrnstrom said, “The governor disagreed with the ruling of the Court,” and added, “he agreed with the dissent, which was written by Justice Scalia, which very clearly stated that the mandate was not a tax.” Okay, are you with me so far? Yes, Romney said it was a tax, everyone on the right says it’s a tax, but Romney’s top adviser says Mitt disagrees with himself and believes that the individual mandate is not a tax. Okay, are you confused just yet? Yes, I figured you would be. Well, watch the video below to figure it out if you can; pay attention closely, because this is getting confusing.

This via Think Progross:

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Maybe you haven’t noticed, but it’s gotten so bad now that the Supreme Court has upheld ‘Obamacare’, that some of them are threatening to move to Canada. Can you believe that shit? OK, lemme repeat that: Republicans are so disgusted with yesterday’s decision on “socialized health care”, that they’re willing to move to another country that offers, er, um, socialized health care (?). But of course you may say that this is just the typical idiocy exhibited by those afflicted with the mental disorder that is conservatism. I say it takes a lot to make a man compromise on his ideology; and in this case, I say this is sure-fire proof that they’re just downright racist. How racist? Racist enough to leave the country because of a certain black guy — to hell with grabbing guns.

So what’s this ridiculousness about? Of course I’ve already told you; but the real irony is that they’re cloaking it with the “massive tax hike” meme. Which i absolutely false, by the way; because very few people will pay the penalty for not having coverage. But let them tell it as all the talking heads have: ‘Obamacare’ will in effect create an increase on taxes for all. Of course this is very far from the truth. And as a recent report shows, the recently upheld law by the Supreme Court, will actually be a tax cut for millions of Americans, according to Families USA. How many? Oh, about 28.6 million of them — mostly in the middle class — will once entering health care exchanges and receiving affordability credits from the government, But nooo, this is all about more liberal taxes and spending:

We found that an estimated 28.6 million Americans will be eligible for the tax credits in 2014, and that the total value of the tax credits that year will be $110.1 billion. The new tax credits will provide much-needed assistance to insured individuals and families who struggle harder each year to pay rising premiums, as well as to uninsured individuals and families who need help purchasing coverage that otherwise would be completely out of reach financially. Most of the families who will be eligible for the tax credits will be employed, many for small businesses, and will have incomes between two and four times poverty (between $44,100 and $88,200 for a family of four based on 2010 poverty guidelines).

But hey, as entertaining as it is to watch my right-wing friends freak out — one of them even told me that George W. Bush was a closet liberal for appointing Chief Justice Roberts — It’s important that we counter this silly talk with nothing but the truth. Moving forward, it is up to us lefties to continue selling the benefits of the health care law, even more than the White House has to. Because you know the old saying: when you repeat a lie enough, it magically takes on the look of truth. And of course we know that our friends, are very good at that sort of thing, right? But hey, don’t be surprised when the talk of redistribution of wealth via health care, or it being reparations for black people resurfaces in weeks to come. Like I said before: they’ll do anything to stop the black guy.

Look, I’m not suggesting that everyone opposed to the health care law is racist; however, I am in no uncertain terms saying, that to be opposed to the law makes one an idiot. And I say that because I have yet to hear one congruent argument, as to why expanding an access to a more affordable health care model is purportedly a bad idea; and, not in the best interest of consumers across the nation; consumers who will need health care services at some point in their lives. If you can convince me, I would love to hear it.

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I mean while everyone is running around afraid of the little brown Mexican al-Queda jumping fences to come into the country illegally and have more babies than white folks. Nobody realized that the Asian immigrant community has surpassed Hispanics to become the largest immigrant group in the United States. Yeah, nobody is worried about them bringing in all that MSG to get us fat so we die of heart disease, diabetes, mesothelioma, or whatever as payback for dropping bombs  on them back in the day. Nope, instead, let’s fuck with the tanned people and make them out to be the job-stealing, drug-pushing, and no-insurance-having while driving illegally people they are.

Asian Americans are the highest-income, best-educated and fastest-growing racial group in the United States. They are more satisfied than the general public with their lives, finances and the direction of the country, and they place more value than other Americans do on marriage, parenthood, hard work and career success, according to a comprehensive new nationwide survey by the Pew Research Center.

A century ago, most Asian Americans were low-skilled, low-wage laborers crowded into ethnic enclaves and targets of official discrimination. Today they are the most likely of any major racial or ethnic group in America to live in mixed neighborhoods and to marry across racial lines. When newly minted medical school graduate Priscilla Chan married Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg last month, she joined the 37% of all recent Asian-American brides who wed a non-Asian groom.¹

These milestones of economic success and social assimilation have come to a group that is still majority immigrant. Nearly three-quarters (74%) of Asian-American adults were born abroad; of these, about half say they speak English very well and half say they don’t.

Asians recently passed Hispanics as the largest group of new immigrants to the United States. The educational credentials of these recent arrivals are striking. More than six-in-ten (61%) adults ages 25 to 64 who have come from Asia in recent years have at least a bachelor’s degree. This is double the share among recent non-Asian arrivals, and almost surely makes the recent Asian arrivals the most highly educated cohort of immigrants in U.S. history.

Recent Asian immigrants are also about three times as likely as recent immigrants from other parts of the world to receive their green cards—or permanent resident status—on the basis of employer rather than family sponsorship (though family reunification remains the most common legal gateway to the U.S. for Asian immigrants, as it is for all immigrants).

The modern immigration wave from Asia is nearly a half century old and has pushed the total population of Asian Americans—foreign born and U.S born, adults and children—to a record 18.2 million in 2011, or 5.8% of the total U.S. population, up from less than 1% in 1965.³ By comparison, non-Hispanic whites are 197.5 million and 63.3%, Hispanics 52.0 million and 16.7% and non-Hispanic blacks 38.3 million and 12.3%.

Asian Americans trace their roots to any of dozens of countries in the Far East, Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. Each country of origin subgroup has its own unique history, culture, language, religious beliefs, economic and demographic traits, social and political values, and pathways into America. (source: Pew Research)

So what is this all about? Well, we already know how that fear-mongering thing works in America. You pick a certain minority ethnic group, you bastardize them, criminalize them, and the next thing you know, you have a folks in the racial majority afraid and ready to string them up in trees like a pinata while posing for pictures on Main Street. Well, on this immigration debate, I say it’s time we shifted the paradigm just a bit. Rather than worrying about “illegals” voting as Gov. Rick Scott and pretty much all Republicans who attempt to sell the faux voter fraud meme to justify purging registered voters. Why not focus on the benefits of immigration; or more specifically, the economic benefits our society has enjoyed by the many immigrants entering the country? With the US being a nation of immigrants, surely there must be benefits to bringing people into the country other than to pick cotton for free, right? But let the noisemakers tell it, this was just a politically expedient move by Obama. Newsflash: Obama was kicking Romney’s ass when it comes to Hispanic voters as far as polls have reflected:

Even amid concerns about the pressures of new, lower-income or less-educated residents, cities with high numbers of the foreign born saw tax bases grow and per-capita income increase, the report released today by the ratings company said.

“To make a case that immigration causes governments to go broke or jurisdictions to have budget overruns is a simplistic argument,” said Horacio Aldrete-Sanchez, a senior director in state and local government ratings for S&P and an author of the report. “There are undoubtedly costs to these governments, but there is also an overall increase in economic activity and a stabilizing impact on the labor markets.”

The company looked at cities where immigrants fueled population growth from 2000 to 2010 as well as cities where rapid population growth was primarily due to domestic migration.

The analysts found that while it is difficult to isolate the impact of immigration on local governments, it has not resulted in the deterioration of city economies or financial standings. No city has had its municipal credit rating downgraded because of the burden of immigration, Aldrete-Sanchez said.

“Regardless of whether foreign immigration or domestic migration, as long as there is population growth that seems to be the one factor that drives economic activity,” Aldrete- Sanchez said.

So yeah, about the debate over Obama’s execution of prosecutorial discretion mistakenly billed as an executive order (see here). When you sonsider that most of these kids and adults have been educated here in America, wouldn’t it be a waste to kick them all out for the crime of not having legal documentation because of the actions of their parents? Rather than look at immigrants — legal and otherwise — as criminals and an economic drain on society. Why not understand what we stand to lose by nor allowing DREAMers or all undocumented immigrants an opportunity by comprehensive reform? But hey, if you don’t believe me as most of you are known to do, let me remind you that over 50% of graduates with advanced degrees particularly in STEM programs, are in fact foreign-born students. That said, surely it’s understandable how this benefits us from an economic perspective.

Here’s what I’m talking about; you have to watch this:

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I don’t have a degree in anything, I am sure any educated person can tell from my rough draft style of writing. Nonetheless, that is not to say that I have nothing to say. I am a single, uneducated, hard working mother of four with heart and soul. I am 40 years old and have not rolled the dice at this point to claim “middle class.” But I am happy at where I am and have an inner peace about me that money can’t buy. I hit rock bottom and used it as a springboard.

That is not to say I didn’t try to go to college. I did. I was also raising kids and had no support in the city I lived in, so when I was denied daycare I withdrew. Yes, that was a sad day walking away but it happened and is over.

So I don’t have an education, but I read, I listen, I observe, I soak in the ways of the world around me like a sponge. I can Google quicker than anyone, and set one day aside each week to give thanks to Google. (Just kidding)

Seriously, I feel like lately, middle class hipsters think that struggling is a fad. Dude, what makes you think struggling is cool? What, with everyone preparing for doomsday, end of the world, zombie apocalypse, and all that other shit everyone is scared of.

And, not to forget the new one I heard “economic downfall.”

I even forgot to sigh heavily. I was asked to join a group that is saving the world by preparing each other for “disaster and economic downfall.” I was told this group includes people who pump gas and people with PhD’s. Really? I said, Where do they still pump gas?

Irregardless, though I was a little offended.

I don’t want to put anyone down and make you feel all messed up for preparing for an economic downfall but man, I can’t help you. I can’t join a group of people with for real credit cards, ridiculous credit cards like you got Toys R Us and Starbucks credit cards, that is proclaiming to be out to “save the world.”

For one, I retired the Wonder Woman UnderRoos back in 4th grade due to holiness and for two, my bitch ass is trying to climb out of my own downfall, why would I fall down there again? On purpose.

Not only that but the ways you prepare for an “economic downfall” and what I call “in between paydays” are not the same thing. Like, I don’t sew my own clothing, nor darn my stinking boys’ socks. I hit up yard sales and thrift stores or WalMart, for the sock and undie thing.

And I also don’t raise my own chickens.

For one, my people didn’t eat yardbird and some still consider it a dirty meal, however I do, so do my kids. Chicken is cheap, but we don’t pluck them, gather their eggs or kill and eat them. However, we have eaten so many versions of this dirty bird that at times I wondered if it was chicken. I can bake chicken one day and turn the leftovers into stir-fry the next day, that is sustainability to me.

I don’t stockpile food because I am a mother of four and really there is no such thing.

I used to garden as a child with my stepdad but a life of renting and mostly living in apartments, mostly HUD approved low income apartments, put the ixnay to any sort garden in my life, and also I don’t have a green thumb. I could find 21 ways to guarantee a houseplant will die a slow death, so I just don’t do plants. Not that I never tried. I just choose not to torture them anymore

I can’t afford organic foods, that is my reality.

And to top that all off, I was born an raised in one of the poorest places in this country, where the unemployment rate hovers between 75% to 90%.

This country screams about 8% while my people don’t scream about 80%. I want to scream at both sides “WAKE UP!”

So see, I can’t help but get offended when a groups of hipsters and yuppies ask me to join a group that “wants to save the world by preparing each other for disaster and economic downfall.” If you really think poverty is trendy, try spending a day on the streets with a homeless person, and see how they are treated. That is reality. Not a bunker full of dried goods and canned soup.

I’m crawling out of an economic downfall that took me longer than expected. I am preparing my children for a better life than I gave them. I don’t want a doomsday attitude even if the Mayans have a good hand. I want to live each and every day of my life, loving my life, loving the day, loving my family, and hoping tomorrow is better than today.

Because that is what us poor folks do. For real.

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