Boo who?

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

Comments

[faerymasquerade.livejournal.com]

Okay, I'm sorry. I can't deal with these kind of remarks anymore because they now make me feel shame for no reason.

I have lived on SSI for years because my mother, my only parent and person me and my brother depended on, got sick. Very sick. She worked hard at a job she hated and made her miserable to provide for us and she always paid her taxes. With two kids she tried to go to college to try and get a better job, one she would like, but couldn't with us hindering her, she never finished. She was diagnosed with bi-polar and depression. We lost our mother. She became verbally and mentally abusive. I caught her slicing her wrists and she was in and out of mental institutions. We got by because of those payments (which we only got after she exhausted her disability and unemployment benefits because her job fired her. We got by because of my grandparents. I remember when our power was shut off and water turned off because we couldn't make the payments. We had to buy a few gallons of water to take baths and flush the toilet when it got too smelly.

When i graduated high school, I took a risk and went to college by financial aid and a TON of loans because I wanted to help my mom and provide for her instead of barely getting by. I got my degree but surprise! I can't find a job for my degree. I got a minimum wage job and paid my taxes even though I wasn't making enough to pay my loan payments. I lost that job. I moved in with my mother who lives in a decaying mobile because that is all we can afford. It has no heating or insulation and no drinkable water. I sleep on the floor in the living room. I'm applying to any job I qualify for and happy to say I have an interview Monday at a movie theater. I know it won't pay much but we need something and I am willing to do anything to help us. I depend on my grandparents to help me make my loan payments even though they are at the age to retire, but they continue to work hard and barely get by themselves.

My mom has gotten slightly better and wants to finish her degree (because she is so close) so she can get off SSI securely. However her previous loans have one into default and she can't get fin aid so she can't take classes then. My mom now takes odd jobs for the family to make just a few more bucks. My brother is still in high school and will more than likely have to work instead of going to college like he wants.

So please, tell me my family is lazy, that we live the life of luxury because of SSI, that we have no incentive to work because we have everything so easy. SSI pays for our food, my mom's medication, and my brother's school supplies and I am SO grateful for it that it didn't let us go on the street that I will happily pay my taxes if it means helping people like us. I realize some don't need it or are lazy, but it means security has to step up. Not destroy the system entirely. Please don't just write us all off as lazy because of a few people. I don't enjoy living like this.

Sorry for the rant, but I used to think humans were extraordinary because we would always be there for each other no matter what we did to each other, that selfishness and greed were not part of our nature. But whenever I see comments like those or people complaining that they don't want to pay for other people's healthcare (I potentially have cancer and no money to see anyone) it just makes me lose hope for our species.

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

[solarseraphim.livejournal.com]

*slow clap*