The Unpaid Nonessential Employee

So unless you live under a rock, (and to be honest, sometimes I wish I did,) then you know by now that our Government "shut-down" effective Midnight, October 1st.  Now to the rest of the world, this might be highly entertaining. To me, it's incredibly aggravating.

"Why are you aggravated?" you ask --  and I'm glad you did--- Allow me to tell you:

It's not that I planned on visiting a National Park today or that I'm in need of a Federal Firearms Permit.  Nope.  I'm also not shedding any tears over the thought that the IRS is unlikely to  audit me anytime soon. But, (and this is where the name of my blog comes into play) there are hundreds of thousands of people on unpaid leave. 

Thousands of veterans and soldiers aren't getting any money either. 

You may wonder, "Are you out of work as a result of the shutdown?"

No, I don't work for the federal government. "So then why do you care?" you may ask. (You ask very good questions!) Because I do! And I am curious as to why Congress isn't. 

In the clash between the good politician versus the bad politician, very few people have made an attempt to even appear concerned about those nonessential employees who seem to be forgotten about.

The term 'nonessential employee' is a complete insult. We all know that some jobs are more visible than others, and establishments such as hospitals obviously can't run without doctors and nurses... Of course everybody understands that! But the same applies to the support staff: You can't run a hospital without an army of office clerks, janitors, lab technicians, gift shop cashiers, computer programmers.... the list goes on and on.  The same goes for a courthouse, a restaurant  a gas station, a chiropractor's office, a beauty salon, an automobile dealership and yes.... The Federal Government. Every single person has value, and if you take away any one of them, you can't run a business or a government effectively -  if at all. 

To degrade someone's status and call it nonessential is ignominious. These types of elitist terms are how class warfare's begin. It's really no different than the nobleman versus the peasant farmer. It's declaring that one person is more significant than another. It pisses me off! 

Some officials have recognized the disrespect of the term and are replacing it with phrases such as "expected" and "non-expected." That pisses me off too. It's like calling a turd a piece of crap. It's the same thing.

A quick side note here:

I used to work for a Veterinary Clinic: My co-workers and I routinely worked 12 to 16 hours a day, on our feet without breaks. It's the nature of the job and we accepted that. When an animal came in, either for routine care, or due to an emergency, every single person played a critical role to that pet's well being. All the while, we made sure that all the other animals who were in the clinic, received the same dedicated attention. The phones continued to get answered, products  continued to be promoted and sales were being made. Everything flowed. And quite often a satisfied customer would send a Thank You card or a token of appreciation. Without exception however, the card was either addressed to the Veterinarian only, or to "Dr So-and-So and staff". While the thought was always appreciated, there was also a bit of a sting to it. The pet's owner only recognized the doctor's contribution and didn't appreciate the work we all individually performed. I'm not saying that each person should have been addressed separately  but it would have been nice if everyone's role was understood and acknowledged. And honestly, a doctor spends a fraction of his or her attention on a pet, when compared to the rest of "the staff". A doctor reviews the symptoms but the Veterinary Technicians and Assistants are the ones who hold the animal down, give the vaccines or medicines, dress bandages and administer I.V.'s along with practically everything else outside of surgery. But, such is life and I, along with the rest of my co-workers just accepted it. After all  it's not like we had a choice. We were the non-essentials.

Ok, Where was I? Oh Yeah....

For years now, we've been hearing about  "Job Creation" and "Help for Small Businesses!" But suddenly, there are thousands without an income and small businesses can't get help or resources because the SBA is part of the shut-down. We've been listening to them say that we need to spend more wisely, yet for the last several days, our government has been spending a lot of money on everything from printing thousands of little signs that say "Closed until further notice, due to Government shut down" to paying webmasters to put up notices on government sites that says:

That's only a little bit of money right? That little bit of money could go to WIC. Or the thousands of nonessential workers who were dedicated employees: Women and men who have often gone to work sick, scrambled for back up day care, taken the bus when their cars broke down, dealt with the public, (that's always fun!) and missed important moments in the lives, because the business of government is how they earn their livings. But, no.... They were just sent home. The business that they work for, isn't working for them.

Talk about a thankless job!

There's a host of costs that were spent to just prepare for this event. And even more money  is being spent and subsequently lost for every day the situation continues. By some estimates, $12.5 million dollars each and every hour. Yes, hour! That pays for a lot of essential things like rent, baby formula, food, electricity, and so on.

Meanwhile, the ass-hats who put us this mess, are using the American budget as a game of keep-a-way, And they are getting paid. A lot! 

Some of those same highly paid, essential politicians are thrilled that our country is in the mess that it's in. Out of principle, (and because it's like shooting fish in a barrel) I generally don't like referring to Michelle Bachmann because.... Well, because she's Michelle Bachmann, but in this case she summed it up perfectly, as told by The Washington Post:

"We're very excited," stated Michelle Bachmann (R-Minn). It's exactly what we wanted and we got it. She followed up with, "People will be very grateful." 
 She later told Sean Hannity on Fox news, "This is about the happiest she has seen Republicans

What does one say to that? I'm at a loss for words, which is bad, because I'm trying to write this blog.....

It never ceases to amaze me how people can have such little empathy and be so out of touch. I'm 42 years old. You'd think by now, I'd learn that people really are that self-absorbed and inconsiderate. 

And this leads me to another thing I've got to get off my chest:

I am on Facebook a lot lately. I seem to have phases, in which I'm either on all of the time, or go months without logging in at all. But, as stated, I'm on a roll right now. I've noticed a particular picture that's been posted several times. It appears to be a letter from an employer who has decided that he/she needs to cut back staff because of the perceived costs of  Barack Obama's Presidency. Now, I have no doubt (or at least I hope) this letter is fake and meant to be satire, but the sad thing is people aren't getting the joke. They think it's real and leave responses like "Hell yeah, they deserve it" and "That's awesome" along with three our four "likes." 

In fact, I got this picture off of a Facebook page that belongs to a sweet woman that I attended high school with. On her page, she has some Republican themes, like "Defund Obamacare' and quotes of Donald Trump trying to sound important. The rest of her page is filled pleas to end animal cruelty and recipes for pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, or something like that. I've ran into her several times at the grocery store, and she is still, a very sweet and likable lady. So what gives? I'm having a hard time merging the soft spoken, kind person that she seems to be, with this mindset. Is she really that hard-hearted, to find justification in firing somebody over their voting record? Even if she does understand that this is a joke, I would think that she'd have to be insensitive to find it funny. Does she not realize that if this were real then, someday the shoe could be on her foot? Is she a representation of the average Republican?

I've always thought that the goobers on freeway overpasses, with "Don't Tread on Me" flags and teabags hanging from their hats, are only a few out-of-touch, old white men, but maybe I'm wrong. Could it be that roughly, half of the American public just don't give a damn?  That their lives are all that matters, and to hell with everybody else? Are they sheep who only repeat what the shepherd is saying? Are they just simply incapable of understanding the complexities of someone's life, other than their own?

I'm perplexed.

I've always thought that Republican's feel that government should be very small and as unobtrusive as possible. I agree with that! I do. But reality sucks people! We must look after are own, and that means making sure that our food is safe to eat, taking care of the needy, and paying our veterans. All these things are not happening right now because essential people were sent home. 

One more annotation:

I was once let go of a job, (not the one described above) in large part due to my political beliefs. I didn't come to work waving a  flag with a donkey on it or anything like that. I had an Obama election sticker on my car. True story. So, for those who think that it's funny to fire an employee because of who they voted for.... Be careful. Next time it could be your job. Remember, in the U.S. the rules apply to everybody. It might not be so fair then, huh?  

Even those nonessential employees who only seem to matter after the boss gets the lion's share of the pie at the company picnic or if there's filing that needs to be done.

Finally, it's this type of disregard for your fellow human beings that create a culture where nonessential employees are categorized and undervalued. For those of us who don't have the degree's hanging on our walls or the keys to the kingdom, we need to stop thinking about others and ultimately ourselves, in this way. You teach people how to treat you.

As for my friend on Facebook with the posting of that letter... I doubt you'll read this. It's not really your cup of "tea", but if you do -- know this: I like you. I really really like you! But I hate that damn picture of the letter.

-v-

Hitler? Come on now, Really?

Okay, so let’s go to the real “meat and potato’s” as to why I’ve decided to start this blog….


Tomorrow is October 1st. The news and social media are consumed with Healthcare vs. Government Shutdown! Among the populous there seems to be a lot of confusion, due to misdirection and out-right lies from our elected officials and the benefactors who pay for their re-elections.


My social circles pretty much reflect what the national consensus is. One person thinks that Ted Cruz is the second-coming and that Green Eggs and Ham is a Holy Book, while another thinks that He’s the Anti-Christ. But a lot of my friends just don’t know what to think. And, they are probably the smart ones: So far, the law hasn’t been implemented, so the “let’s wait and see” approach seems to be their mindsets for now. (Let me just say that “blessed are those with an open mind.”)


But, I digress…. Some of those who are the Ted Cruz/Sarah Palin/Tea Party zealots have taken to name calling. I know, I know, sticks and stones. I don’t care about throwing insults or yo’ mama jokes. The concern is that there is an attempt to compare our President to Hitler and the Affordable Care Act to Nazi Germany.


Really? Hitler? Nazi Germany?


How insulting! Have any of these people who have drawn this parallel stopped to consider their words? To minimize the suffering of 6 MILLION Jews and an additional 5 MILLION people who were tortured and killed and compare it to…..Healthcare?

How fortunate for the name callers that they don’t have the burden of visualizing a true understanding of what that time in history was really like. How fortunate to wake up in a nice warm, lush bed and not think twice about it. To turn on hot water in the morning and take a shower. To be able to hug their children and spouses without a real fear that they may never be able to do so again. To be able to go to their jobs and be given appreciation for doing so. To be able to go to the grocery store without being turned away. To eat their highly processed foods and only have to worry about their waistlines because they can eat all they want. To get in a car and the only concern is the traffic and missing the kick-off on Monday Night Football. To get back into that warm bed with down-alternative, hypo-allergenic pillows and worry that they’re only getting 6.5 hours of sleep before the alarm wakes them up, instead of eight. To be able to LIVE. Now, let’s fast-forward to today…. How does somebody compare the daily non-stop suffering of that era to healthcare of all things? It borderlines on racism. It certainly shows a complete lack of empathy. I may have a certain amount of contempt for a lot of people and down-right disgust for some. But to compare what we have now to Nazi Germany? How removed from life a person must be.


We’ve all seen the horrible pictures that reflect Nazi Germany, but before we start comparing ourselves to that, Let’s take a moment to remember their terror. Then, let’s put today’s problems in perspective.


Think for a moment what it was to be alive and on the receiving end of the Nazi’s, some 60 years ago…. Yes, there was a national healthcare plan, put in place in Germany in the late 1800′s. But by the end of the 1920′s, Jews were excluded from that system, because… Well, I’ve never understood why. That however, was the least of their problems. Parents had to stand by and watch their young children be beaten in the streets by a soldier. If they tried to step in and protect their child, things would get a lot worse. If there was a theft reported, the Jews were scooped up and tortured until somebody admitted to the crime.








Imagine that a loaf of bread or an apple was suddenly missing from an outdoor vendor. A possible theft was reported. As the police go to the grocer to take a report, a family of Jews happen to walk by. That family is arrested, along with anybody else who may be ‘suspected’ on the street.


They are separated.


Stripped. Kicked. Beaten. Raped. Repeatedly.


Husbands hear their wives crying.


Mothers hear their babies screaming.


Finally somebody confesses. Anything to make it stop. “Stop hurting my baby. I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.” ”Stop raping my wife. I’ll confess.” They probably didn’t do it, but who cared? They were Jews and somebody had to pay!


The punishment for the crime? The continued assault on the family. Then death. Children first.


Yellow stars sewn on coats. Banners and signs in store fronts telling Jews to stay out. Homes and businesses confiscated. No way to buy basic food. No shelter. And that was BEFORE it got real bad.


.







Ironically, Nazi Germany would never have allowed for the public comments and protests that these so-called Patriots take for granted. They would have been scooped up with the Jews and been persecuted for daring to speak out. Also paradoxical is that some of those 5 million other deaths were American Soldiers. Men who signed-up in order to protect what it meant to be American. To protect us and persevere our rights, one of which is the right to vote for our elected officials. The idea being that majority rules.


Right now, the majority voted for a black man who happens to believe in healthcare for all. I think — that he thinks — that when it comes to “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”, that the word “Life” was written down first for a very specific reason. I also think that the Affordable Healthcare Act is an extension of that philosophy. Does that sound like Nazi Germany?


Oh wait… the “slippery slope” argument. It’s not like Nazi Germany NOW, but it will be if things don’t change. I honestly think you’re downright nuts if you think that Americans will stand for watching an entire class of people be categorized as illegal?…… Uh-Oh… wait. You might be right. But wait, we aren’t supposed to be talking about Mexicans! Those are just the illegals immigrants. (Insert strong sarcastic overtones here.) Consequently, some of the misinformation out there is that illegals will be getting some of the insurance that you don’t want anyway. Um…. I forgot where I was going with this, because things just got turned around. Who is the Nazi now?


Okay, back on track. Forget the illegals, cause they don’t count, right? (still being sarcastic….) I can pretty much guarantee you that Germany’s healthcare program had nothing to do with the Nazi machine. I’m not seeing the connection. Now, if the day comes when your freedom of speech puts you in prison, or you are condemned for your religion…. (Muslims need not apply)…


You know, the more I write this, the more I do see the Nazi connection, Sam-I-AM. The rules of the far right only apply to the far right. Now, I don’t have a magic ball and I can’t see what is in your heart of hearts, so I can only make conclusions on your actions. And here’s what I see so far:


You don’t like Obama because he has a Kenyan father and you don’t trust the validity of his birth certificate. Just substitute Kenyan with Jewish and ding-ding-ding, we have a winner!


You don’t like the Affordable Care Act because you have to buy something. So instead of just stating that, your representatives put out a host of lies in order to scare the population. You know who else put out erroneous propaganda? Yes, the Nazi’s! And here I thought you weren’t smart….


The German government in the early part of the 20th century had dehumanized an entire race of people, blaming them for economic woes such as job stealing and burdens on society. Now, just replace Jews for Hispanics or the poor and…. Yes, you are getting good at this!


So maybe the far right is correct in it’s comparisons. It may have been self-fulfilling, but it appears as if their prophecies are turning out. And if they’re right about that, then perhaps our Government should be shut down until we get it right. Congratulations Ted Cruz! I’ve just agreed with you! (Still being sarcastic there, Teddy! You and your colleagues could just stop this nonsense, pay the bills you were hired to pay and prevent another downgrade of American credit. Just a thought…)


A final thought…. Initially, I wasn’t going to insert any photos into this particular posting but in the end, felt it necessary to remind us how fortunate we are. To trivialize our political differences to something as abhorrent as Nazi Germany, is to not give honor to those who died needlessly. Many died selflessly, so that others could possibly live. Countless lineages came to end and untold stories will never be known. It is not my intention to exploit the horror of what they went through but instead demonstrate that we should take great care with our choice of words.


-v-

Who really IS going to read this?


I'm an opinionated person. The problem is, that I want everybody to like me, so I rarely tell people what it is that I'm opinionated about. Or, if I do, I feel the need to qualify what I'm saying so that I don't 'offend' anybody. I say things like: "We can just agree to disagree..." or "I completely understand what you're saying," if the person has an opposing viewpoint. Then I shrink back into my head and wonder if:
 A.) How am I ever going to allow people to understand what I think and feel if I minimize my own thoughts,
and
B.) does that person still like me? Even as I write these thoughts, I wonder if YOU are going to like me because I sound so.... spineless.

Well, screw it. If you don't like me, so be it. If you do.... I feel validated. My issues are probably not that far off from a lot of people's, but even you do happen to be reading this, and you are a confident enough person to always be authentic 100% of the time, free from worry about what people think of you, perhaps you will forgive my shortcomings and yet still find value with my blog. I have made myself a promise however; And this extends to you, the reader. Here, I will be genuine. Always. Why? Well, for one, the anonymity of the internet allows for a certain amount buffers in my mind; but secondly (and maybe more importantly) because I want to be. For once, I want the platform to say what's on my mind, without apologizing, or being afraid to step on toes. I want my voice to be unobstructed and to be able to say what I want to say without worrying about being fair to hearing another person's objections.

So, what are my opinions? I am a Democrat. I bleed blue. I find labels like 'Progressive' and 'Liberal', compliments.  I suspect that much of what I will write will be reflections on our current political system and all of the issues that I take exception with. A lot of my thoughts surround the social platform that my party is known for. Climate Control?  Yes.  Total separation of Church and State?  Yes.  Gun Control?  Yes, that too.  Pro-Choice?  You betchya!  ObamaCare? Bring it on!

But there are other things I brew on. Family matters, animal rights, workplace ethics, internet privacy and a whole gambit of other ideals. I'm not sure if I'll ever speak to all of them, but rest assured that those thoughts are also bouncing around in my head.

So, why am I writing them here? And perhaps just as importantly, why are you reading them? Well, those are two questions I have NO opinion about. The answers range from "I don't know" to "Because I can, and so can you."

-v-