Romney believes—and this is preposterous—that "almost half of Americans are dependent upon government and see themselves as victims". I believe that Romney is out of touch with everyday Americans in our country; people who work and pay taxes and try to make ends meet. These Americans are not relying on the government. In some cases they may benefit by certain programs that are in place to lessen their burden, like those in place to benefit their children (education and health programs), but on the whole they are by no means relying on the government. Do these Americans see themselves as victims; perhaps—and with good reason; raise your hand if you remember receiving those enticing credit card offers in the mail. The formative word here is "enticing". The word "manipulation" also applies and perhaps the term “false sense of security.”

Raise your hand if you are a member of the middle class. How much do you have to earn to be a member of the middle class? Does anyone know? I believe that “MIDDLE CLASS” is an illusion. You don’t actually have to make a lot of money to think you are middle class. The reason for this is “CREDIT”.  Back in the days when the banks were sending us offers for credit cards whether or not we asked for them, my husband and I were able to buy anything we wanted, whether or not we could afford it. Had we any sense back then we would not have done so. We would have held out a little longer until we could save the money we needed for the item so desirable; instead we wound up getting deeper into debt and our illusion of prosperity was fading before our eyes. So we did what any hard-working young couple would do—we re-financed our mortgage, adding our new debt onto our old debt so we could once again realize the illusion of prosperity. This form of reasoning got a lot of people into trouble once the housing market tanked and the banks and credit card companies were on the verge of collapse. So many Americans lost their homes and there are many still hanging by a thread. The foundation built by the illusion of a “strong” middle class is not so sturdy anymore. It is only a truly strong foundation when built on real prosperity. Real prosperity is realized by the very wealthy, which is a small percentage of the American population. The rest of us strive for a prosperity that lately seems beyond our reach.
 
 


 

Rhetoric

 

There is a lot of animosity out there today in the political arena. You can hear it in the oratory. The message is clear and unyielding. It’s as though there is an immovable force among our leaders keeping things to either one side or the other. And I think it is having a negative affect on “we the people.” We are seeing only black or white based on what we are hearing. We are experiencing the unyielding constituent of human nature.

Rhetoric is a powerful tool. It can bring people together or it can push them further apart; it can spawn hatred or it can induce compassion; it can and will generate either good will or dissension among the ranks—all depending upon the way it is written and they way it is said. It’s hard not to fall prey to it’s power.

I’ve never been one to discuss politics on an intellectual level. Quite frankly I don’t have the brains for it. I find politics as confusing as mathematics. I cannot debate a subject, but I can write about it with skill. I’ve been writing most of my life about one thing or another. That is my strength. I always find the words. I shape them in such a way that the reader may be inspired by my thoughts and perhaps my logic, and I make an effort not to be unyielding when conveying these thoughts. I try to use good sense when I am writing, for I know there are two sides to every coin; an opposing perspective. I am on one side and my neighbor or even a family member may be on the other. But the coin itself is intact. It needs both of it’s sides to exist.