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Election 2012: Your stories
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- Posted September 18, 2012 by
- ThinkingJohn Follow
Location
McKinney, Texas
McKinney, Texas
Assignment
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How are we the 47%
First let me say that my wife and I are solidly supporting the President. We've never considered Mitt Romney as qualified to be President. So how do we get to be the 47% Romney describes?
My wife and I are working people. We have worked all of our lives, even when we were students. While my current company has had lay-offs, I have managed to keep my job. My wife, after being lay-ed off twice in the last few years has had a hard time finding permanent work and has been moving through a series of temporary jobs. She works and does not receive any unemployment.
We pay taxes and have managed to pay all of our bills including our kids education costs. We give money to our church and charities. We take advantage of government provided roads, parks, airports, libraries and other public facilities. We have health insurance including for our 22 year old daughter. We appreciate clean air and safe food and water. We love America and support our soldiers and diplomats. We want our country to be safe. Aren't we like other Americans?
So how is it that we get to be the 47% Romney describes as being "dependent on government, who believe that, that they are victims, who believe that government has the responsibility to care for them?" Are we the 47% because we care about the plight of people who have been victims of natural disasters? Are we the 47% because we want to help people who have been less fortunate than us and maybe had their home foreclosed.
My 89-year old Mother says she is going to support Mitt Romney, but what percent is she, because she pays no taxes. In fact the majority of those who pay no taxes are elderly who have no income from jobs. Are we the 47% because as a small part of the support I provide for my Mother to live in an assisted living facility we use her Medicare?
How is it that we feel entitled? Well, we feel that when we retire my wife and I are entitled to receive back from the government at least a portion of the large amount of money we have invested in Social Security. We also feel entitled to some respect from someone who is a candidate for President even though we may not agree with his policies. Instead of respect we get spoken of contemptuously for being part of the 47% who, because they don’t support him, must be bums and freeloaders. A candidate who speaks so disparagingly of the American people is not worthy to be President.
My wife and I are working people. We have worked all of our lives, even when we were students. While my current company has had lay-offs, I have managed to keep my job. My wife, after being lay-ed off twice in the last few years has had a hard time finding permanent work and has been moving through a series of temporary jobs. She works and does not receive any unemployment.
We pay taxes and have managed to pay all of our bills including our kids education costs. We give money to our church and charities. We take advantage of government provided roads, parks, airports, libraries and other public facilities. We have health insurance including for our 22 year old daughter. We appreciate clean air and safe food and water. We love America and support our soldiers and diplomats. We want our country to be safe. Aren't we like other Americans?
So how is it that we get to be the 47% Romney describes as being "dependent on government, who believe that, that they are victims, who believe that government has the responsibility to care for them?" Are we the 47% because we care about the plight of people who have been victims of natural disasters? Are we the 47% because we want to help people who have been less fortunate than us and maybe had their home foreclosed.
My 89-year old Mother says she is going to support Mitt Romney, but what percent is she, because she pays no taxes. In fact the majority of those who pay no taxes are elderly who have no income from jobs. Are we the 47% because as a small part of the support I provide for my Mother to live in an assisted living facility we use her Medicare?
How is it that we feel entitled? Well, we feel that when we retire my wife and I are entitled to receive back from the government at least a portion of the large amount of money we have invested in Social Security. We also feel entitled to some respect from someone who is a candidate for President even though we may not agree with his policies. Instead of respect we get spoken of contemptuously for being part of the 47% who, because they don’t support him, must be bums and freeloaders. A candidate who speaks so disparagingly of the American people is not worthy to be President.
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