Well, probably not. And as I -and my swee-tart- predicted it, I think I will pat myself on the back. Here are the headlines from the Huffington Post today: "The Credit Card Debt Crisis: The Next Economic Domino ...According to the Federal Reserve, the total outstanding credit card debt carried by Americans reached a record $951 billion in 2008 -- a number that will only climb higher as more and more people reach for the plastic to make ends meet. What's more, roughly a third of that is debt held by risky borrowers with low credit ratings." Read the full article at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/the-credit-card-debt-cris_b_169657.html
Also on the blog a Karen Talavera points to her article which asks for donations for a family on the brink of homelessness. My response?
"Ms. Talavera, I am going to take the bull by the horns here and say that I applaud your efforts to help this family --but this kind of action is also part of the problem. Volunteerism and donations and personal generosity are all well and good-- I hope you are able to help this family-- but really if you are going to do this, you need to expand your Christmas list. But more to the point- you're pointing us in the wrong direction. We cannot save ourselves or be saved by volunteers or generous donations or by nonprofit organizations who "help" if you do all the right things, say the right things, believe the right things, etc. (I so resented the millionaire Obama had at his speech last night- an example that should be followed??? How did he get his millions in the first place? He gave out blood money as far as I am concerned. Sickening!) It's wrong to keep steering the American public away from the corruption and scandal and keep them focused on what they can do to ease the suffering (as if!).
There are so many people who are suffering from this economic crisis and most of them are at the bottom end of the totem pole- not at the top as the bank CEOs and Wall street would like us all to believe.
Your outrage and compassion at the hardships this family is experiencing should be directed more explicitly at the system that got them there, not simply at asking for help for the next few months. You should be ringing the bell for more public assistance and crying to the rooftops for some of the bailout money to go directly to families who are about to be homeless. We've stripped our government agencies the past 20 years so that there is virtually no place to turn for a family going through hardship and what resources there are are like a drizzle in a drought.
Playwright and Screenplay writer David Beaird wrote in his show Key "West" "The storm that has blown your houses down one day will rage for us. And the only structures that will stand are the bridges that we build from misfortune to compassion. From denial to consciousness. From one heart to another. We are, thank god, our brother's and our sister's keepers. And this is our safety. And our joy. And our salvation."
It's just too bad we didn't have that attitude when our government was stripping us of our safety nets."
