Am I Political? (Part one)

One of my friends called me Ms. Politics this week. I laughed about it because if she thinks I’m political she should meet my brothers and my sister. I try to be politically aware. But I am far from as informed as I should be. I must confess that it all is confusing to me. Politics remind me of advertising, mostly bullshit to try to sell you something. I haven’t much faith in most all of the politicians that I listen to. And I am frankly shocked at how people with relatively low I’Q’s have even made it into the political arena. In a game where you need to be able to keep up and think fast or at least remember your notes we are being presented with people like Michelle Bachman and Rick Perry.

I got all excited last election and I got caught up in “the change” that was being offered us. I still feel that Obama tried to make some of the changes he talked about. But he turned out to be part of the same machine. I am convinced that it is the machine that is broken and needs fixing. Congress and the senate have shown all of us that the only thing they really know how to do is try to make each other look bad. Its’ all about chess moves to them. You (any president) try to get this done and we will block you so that you don’t look good. God forbid one party gets one over on the other. They have all forgotten that they work for “all” of us…oh wait it is I that have forgotten that they work for the highest bidders (banks, Big Pharma, ect ect) and us poor “people” don’t have the clout anymore to get their attention.

People have said to me “I just don’t “get” these occupy protesters. What is that all about? I don’t even know if they know why they are protesting.”  What? You don’t get it? I guess you must not know anyone that has lost their job to outsourcing, lost their home to the banks, have run out of unemployment after filling out like a gazillion job applications, graduated from college after working hard for a degree to not be able to find work and on and on. Been denied medical bennies because of a preexisting condition….Umm watched the banks get bailed out and still STICK it to us and drive all our property values into the toilet. People are just SICK and tired that’s what it’s all about. People don’t know what to do to be heard anymore. Who’s in charge of this Occupy movement people ask? Well let’s see, the people I guess. Anytime someone steps up to take charge they get shot, history has shown that. So how about we all just step up..Can they shoot us all? The police come out in full riot gear these days… when you come dressed for war well, damn, someone is going to get hurt I guess. Shameful.

I see so many people in my job. All different types of people. They come in for a small piece of relaxation. They talk, I listen. Four of my clients have lost loved ones to suicide this last year. All ages, from 28 to 58. One from a medication side effect (they are suing the pharmaceutical company, good luck with that, I wish them success) the other three from job loss, failed marriages, stress.  I share in my client’s joys and I share in their grief. The main thing that sticks out is they are all good people. They love their families they want to work and retire and feel safe and secure.  They are all stressing.

Neighborhood community organizations have popped up around Detroit in the last year. Detroit 300, It takes a village, ya’ll. They are trying to work with the police to make the city safer and get the community to work together to fight crime. This is a good thing. God knows Detroit has been raped to the point of extinction by its city government for the last 30 or so years. They have left that city barren. I know we will need to all have such organizations in all our neighborhoods soon if we are to survive.