I borrowed Kit Kittredge, An American Girl
from the library last night. Princess and I watched it today.
I found it disturbing. I wanted to like it, great cast, thought
I would get caught up in the period style.
It didn't feel period. It felt timely.
Princess enjoyed it, thinks getting a basset hound would
be great,lol. Didn't get why the children would be
embarrassed by their family being "egg sellers".
(She really wants chickens or ducks of her own.)
I was unsettled, disturbed, and a little depressed.
The movie was nice. I'm sure if we weren't all standing on the edge of the same abyss,
it would feel more entertaining.Instead, I felt scared.
We are at a moment of time in our country's history that will
either be recorded as one where we got our act together and
made things better, or we blew it big time.
I wish I had more faith in you America,
but you have let me down before.I am a bit of a pessimist, my Grandfather
always said.." I usually expect the worse, that way, I am not caught off guard when it happens,
and if it doesn't..I'm pleasantly surprised." I must take after him.
I know we are luckier than some, we can make our mortgage payment every month,
I don't consider if I should buy milk or not. No one is going hungry here.We are lucky.
I am smart enough to know I am not that different from many of the people who are in
serious trouble..not really. My mother used to say "but for the Grace of God.."
I try not to make the mistake of "judging" the poor, or even the middle class.
I came from there, and I know it would
only take a couple of bouts of bad luck and one or two bad decisions to end up there again.
Sometimes things happen that are out of a families control.One sick child or spouse,
and people who are insured (and paying a good chunk of their salaries to be that way) find out how little their insurance coverage "covers". The executives of your company make some bad decisions and you have no job.
Maybe you ran up dept "keeping up with the Joneses", or maybe you just took out another loan to put your kids through college. It's not just "them" it is "all of us".Socialist you say? Fine, I'll take that label too, along with..
"East Coast Liberal Intellectual" (my Grandfather always said"AKA..literate")..whatever.
"Redistribution"? Yeah, well..in my neighborhood, we call it making sure the rich pay their own way just like us.
OK, I'm going to take a deep breath, and get off my soap box now before I fall flat on my face.
By the way, if you or anyone you know are having a hard time putting food on the table,
check out The Angel Ministries.
If you are not having a hard time, you can still check them out and make a donation.
Not your "kind" of organization, donate to one that is, maybe this one .
Or, you can drop off a basket of muffins, or a baked chicken or casserole at a house for a family you
know that is finding it tough right now. Or just invite them to dinner.
If you don't want "big government" to do it for you...then let's really start taking care of our own.
11 comments:
"If you don't want "big government" to do it for you...then let's really start taking care of our own."
Sing it sister. This is the part of capitalism and the the part of the cries of "he is a socialist" that really gets to me.
A capitalist system says that people WILL provide through their own choices for those who are struggling. The problem I see here is that it's just not happening. Keeping up with the Joneses has become what gives so many people "the good feeling" that charity and giving to others once did. Like you, I wish I had more faith in Americans - but we've gotten pretty far off track imho.
Thanks for saying this today, Kate.
Kate....love your thoughts here! You said it perfectly!!
There are far too many "labels" being thrown about and it all really adds up to one big distraction from the ever present truth- this country is in trouble!
I agree with you- it is time to start taking care of each other, and start putting or hearts and heads together to fix this mess instead of all the game playing.
See, now I'm on a soapbox too ;)
Great post!!
I feel blessed to live in a country where the two main political parties are falling over themselves to offer the best emergency benefit (income) offer for those who lose their jobs due to the current economic downturn. I pity America, I really do.
yes, let's take care of each other. Compassion is what we need, at all times.
I am really worried about our country too. As a libertarian I have ideas and plans but it would mean big changes. I can look at each big issue - education, health care, the financial rescue/bailout, etc and each issue does have have good libertarian solution but life would be SO different if we lived in that world. I think it would be a bit scarier, kind of like when you leave home for the first time but it would also be very free (like when you leave home)
I think most of us want freedom, the freedom to homeschool, the freedom to marry whom we choose, the freedom to go into business for ourselves, the freedom to spend or save our money in the way that works best for our family, etc.
Well... I will just leave it at that. I am sure we have a lot in common politically, in some areas. I wish there was a really good book on Libertarianism, a short read, and something I could recommend to people. There is this website http://www.libertarianism.com/
heh - sorry I am trying to sway you on your own blog. Forgive me my presumptuousness this morning. I think I am just really worried about this country too.
You are so right!
You Halloween pictures look like the kind of Halloween I always wanted. House to house on foot, without all that in and out, and driving about.
((hugs)) Thanks Gals.
I try to keep it "non-political" here, but sometimes we need to speak out.
Appreciated reading your thoughts here.
Lynn
I didn't see the Kit movie but from what I gather it really glosses over the true deperation of the Depression.
You know ITA with your ideas. We support our local food bank with financial donations. It makes me feel better when I think of people who are hungry. I do believe that private groups (NGO's and even religious organizations) can do a better job taking care of those in need. I'm feeling a sense of urgency about doing more good in the world. Right now, I'm too focused on making sure my children have a good life. I was actively involved in the welfare of children before kids but since we adopted Cate I've let go of those ideals. But I'm not sure how to balance both.
As I watched the results last night I was very hopeful and inspired but I also felt a little small and useless. I want to give something more but I just don't know how to do it right now. Hmm...perhaps it is a subject for a post. lol
I'm glad I wasn't the only mom out there who was disturbed by this movie, although I think it was for different reasons.
The main issue I had was with the the way the movie made the word "hobo" sound, as well as the sheer number of times it was said. I'm not sure that I can vocalize exactly what I felt was wrong with it, but each time it was said I felt like they had made a racial slur. But almost every other review I've read called it "sweet" and "Charming."
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