Dear Michelle, Jeremy, Ann Marie and Jim,
Thank you so much for your frequent emails. Every day I get a good dozen telling me about dinner with Barack, and telling me that if I donate to the campaign, I can get a shot at having dinner with the president... that a mere $15 will put me in the drawing to sit down to dinner with the man I helped vote into office.
And earlier this year, I did donate $15. But I certainly can't respond to every email with a donation. In fact, it was a struggle to come up with the $15 I did donate.
You see, I'm not Jim the firefighter or his wife, Sally the teacher, or any other of the disappearing middle class icons who have been randomly (?) selected. I can imagine the comfort of getting together with the Ozzy and Harriets of the nation, but I wonder if there could be any insight gained by sitting down with the rest of us, the increasing numbers of Americans living below the poverty level, those who have hopes and dreams and goals like our parents did, but who have dropped out of the middle class due to the changes in the economy, chronic illness, or fractured families.
One of the things I liked best about Barack Obama is that I felt that he was listening... And that he wasn't just listening to one group of people, but that he was making a sincere attempt to listen to everyone, to be a leader for ALL the people. And I know how hard that is, especially when some voices are shouting with all the force of the money behind them, regardless of which side of the aisle they are on.
But there are some of us whose voices may not be heard above the din, who are still clinging to the promised hope, and who are not going to follow along with the loudest talkers, the flashiest TV ads, or cower under the hatred and fear that seems so contagious in our society today. There are those of us who still believe in this nation and what we can do if we pull together and support the
people, rather than the
corporations... if we support ideas because they make sense, not because a TV or radio personality tells us to.
Certainly we're worried about whether or not our children will be able to own their own homes, are able to support themselves through employment, and whether or not we'll have the health care we'll need as we age. We're not just living lives of quiet desperation, however, and we do care about the broader issues. We care about the environment. We care about the rights of individuals in this country. We care about education, and jobs, and we care about infrastructure.
And wouldn't it be nice, just once, to see a homeless man, a displaced housewife, an unemployed vet, a disabled worker, an impoverished senior, or any of the other economically set back individuals who make up what is now the majority of Americans, sitting at dinner with the president of their nation?
I know you will keep sending me emails. While I'd like to be of more financial help, I simply can't afford to send money. As for dinner with the president? Why, yes, I'd love to. But I know better. Because if it's a numbers game... a lottery with each donation being a "ticket", I'm not ever going to win. Just another example of what the "have nots" have not.
Sincerely,
Kate
