As I watched another report about the "Occupy" movement this morning, I couldn't help but thinking...these people need to stop claiming that they represent the 99%! Why? Simply put, they don't represent me, and I'm definitely not in the prestigious 1% they claim to be fighting against! I know for a fact they don't represent others in my circle of family, friends, co-workers, etc. How can they claim they represent me when they don't even know me? They don't know what my values are, what my concerns are, etc. Personally, I don't have an issue with people working hard to improve themselves, even if that improvement leads them to be millionaires...so long as they treat people with dignity and respect on their way to the top.
No, my problem isn't with the top 1%, as much as it is with the people who sit on their butts for no good reason at all demanding that the government give them yet another handout or entitlement! I don't want the government paying for my healthcare. I don't want them paying for my home. I don't want them paying for anything in my life, really! I have no issue contributing to pay for emergency services, education, or the defense of our country, but what I do have a problem with is the government taking my hard earned money to give to some lazy person sitting on their couch collecting yet another check or entitlement, and griping that it isn't enough! Instead of taking my money to pay for the healthcare of the smoker with lung cancer who made the CHOICE to smoke, the alcoholic with liver problems who made the CHOICE to drink, the drug user with multiple health issues who made the CHOICE to do drugs, the person with multiple health issues who made the CHOICE to eat nothing but junk food and not get off their butts to exercise, etc., let me keep my money to pay for my own healthcare and my own choices, and the healthcare of my children!!
Now, if a person has health issues by no fault of their own (genetic disorders, work related accidents, old age, etc.), then I have no problem with aid...but the government is not doing anything to effectively weed out the freeloaders from the people who truly need help! I am willing to bet that for every one person on financial assistance who is in TRUE need of help, there are two people on financial assistance who are just too lazy to do anything for themselves to improve their stations in life. I've worked two jobs, I worked while I went to school while also being a single mom, I bust my butt every day at a job I hate so that I have the money to pay my bills, put a roof over my family's head, put food on the table, etc. You don't find me in some park whining about how it isn't fair that Warren Buffet has millions of dollars and I don't! No...I get up every morning, eat a quick breakfast as I run out the door to take my son to school, spend an hour in traffic, hit the gym, go to work for 8 hours in a building that is always freezing cold doing a job I'm really not so fond of at the moment, spend another hour in traffic, spend what little time I have left of my day with my family (which amounts to about 3 hours, if I'm lucky), and then sleep so I can do the same thing the next day...all so I can make a life for my family and pay my bills!
Sorry this is so long...this whole "Occupy" thing just ticks me off! Do I agree with the government? On many things, no...but I am not going to further waste taxpayer money by taking to the streets day in and day out to express my thoughts on the matter. I'll go on private letter-writing campaigns to my elected officials who are the only ones who can make any difference. The "Occupy" movement is only hurting the very people they claim to represent...they don't represent me!!!