The Unemployed Worker's Soliloquy

If you've ever been layed off or know someone who's been layed off, you know a helping hand from either friends, family, or unemployment is very important. I don't even know what to say to self-employed workers who don't qualify for UI or Cobra. I've heard heartbreaking stories from people while volunteering for Barbara Boxer and attending health care rallies/lectures the past few months.

Friday afternoon I was on my favorite mode of transportation: SF Muni, specifically the #5 bus. I was in the midst of a private conversation with a friend of mine, detailing the phone calls I made to some Republican aides in Washington, after the Senate defeated the Jobs Bill, when a man came up to me and shouted: “You liberals make me sick. Always depending on other people to solve your problems for you...” I won't repeat the entire tirade. You get the gist.

When I relayed my experience to my sister, Jane, she came up with the perfect response:

Yeah. I'm just the mother-fucker who pays taxes for your military, police, firefighters, libraries, public schools, social security, unemployment benefits, medicaid, medicare, infrastructure maintenance, and public transportation.  Are you lame today, or were you just riding public transportation to spy on the liberals?  I know that you fight all your own wars with your own equipment, take care of protecting yourself from crime and fires, that your buy all your own books, have written to the government to tell them you don't need your social security checks - ever, can take complete care of yourself if you lose your job, and when your insurance runs out will just pray to the God of your own understanding to help you - oh wait - that would be asking for help - scratch that, get out there every day to patch up the roads near your house, and drive your own car or walk everywhere you go. Have a nice day.

Amen