Haven't posted in a while...which makes sense, since this blog is entitled Life in Denmark, and my life right now is taking place in Miami, Florida- very far from, and very different than, Denmark. But this recent election has inspired me to write again. Not because I think President Obama is the savior of the United States, nor because I think our country is doomed for destruction because Mitt Romney lost.
It's the ignorance that I am seeing all over Facebook, primarily from my upper class/upper middle class white friends (granted, yes, I know I grew up as a member of this demographic). This has driven me crazy to the point where I need to express my frustrations somewhere. Clearly, posting it directly to Facebook would just trigger a thousand comments of resentment, the arguments, and perhaps some agreement. I don't usually post anything remotely political at all- I have always hated political conversations, because of the anger it incites in so many people. I am a registered Independent, and do not consider myself aligned 100% with either political party; I am disillusioned entirely by the polarized political system in America.
But for me, my opinions about this election had less to do with politics, and more to do with humanity, with people, with solidarity. And that is where this post comes from. Sorry in advance for the lack of capitalization (I tend to not capitalize anything on Facebook, and that's the original place my post was crafted). I'm not writing it to be seen or read by everyone in the world (clearly, since my blog is 1.5+ years old), but just to synthesize my thoughts and have a release for my frustration.
So, here goes. Keep in mind it was originally meant to be a short Facebook post, which turned into a post that was far too long, and too opinionated, for my Facebook wall.
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i am so grateful to have been a recipient of the biggest handout i ever could have received, a handout that has given me more of an advantage than a lifetime of food stamps and welfare checks ever could. i did nothing to earn this handout, nothing at all, but i received it anyways.
this handout was a comfortable upbringing, where i never had to worry about where my next meal would come from. it was a life where i had family around me who had time to talk to me and foster my development. it was a life where i received an excellent public education, where i was taught not only the fundamentals of math and reading, but i was also taught to be an independent thinker. i was taught to have high goals, dreams, and expectations, and achieving nothing less of those was an option.
i did absolutely nothing to earn this privilege- i just got lucky enough to be born in a zip code that could be characterized, for the most part, comfortably as upper middle class or above. but, from the day i was born (and before, if you want to get into prenatal health, etc), i was put on a trajectory that was targeted at many more opportunities than so many people in this world. i was the recipient of the biggest handout i could have received.
i easily could have been born into a family that was struggling to get by, with a single parent working three jobs just to her children could stay in school. i could have been born as a child of a parent who does everything he can to provide for his children, works a minimum wage job, but still receives food stamps.
and you know what, i could have been born to a mother who receives welfare checks without working for it, whether it's because she's a drug addict, has falsely declared disability, or can't find a job (just to go with a few arguments i've heard). but you know what, this mother was likely born into a life where this was the most likely path, where structural violence and racism put up more obstacles than she was able to overcome. and, for the sake of another argument i've heard, maybe she can't get a job at mcdonalds because that requires a high school diploma or equivalent, and she was too busy working to support her family to stay in school, or she was passed through the system without really learning, and left at age 16 with the reading ability of a 10 year old.
but, regardless of parental circumstances, i believe this child deserves more. every child deserves what i received growing up- an excellent education, one that provides him or her with the opportunities to go as far as he or she wants, to do whatever he or she has the will and the ability to do.
and yes, the welfare system is not perfect. there are abuses within the system, there is corruption, and it is flawed. but for many families, it's the only thing keeping their children alive and in school. most people do not WANT to be on food stamps or welfare- their American dream is not to be barely scraping by and relying on the government to buy food, as appealing as that may sound. but the fact is that the American dream is a myth and a fantasy in most cases- there are too many structures and obstacles that make a linear path between "hard work" and "success" impossible.
so, for everyone complaining about welfare and free handouts, just stop and think about the "handouts" that you've received in your life. because i know, in my life, i received so many advantages that i did nothing to earn or deserve, and without those, i might- no, i would- be on a very different life path.
