>>>Apparently, Mrs. Skinner has family and friends who have offered to help her and she refused because she wants to do things for herself.<<<
Good point! This is a very good example of where Republican policy fails to acknowledge impoverished people, notably senior citizens. I've done a lot of volunteer work with elderly folk, and if there's any singlular resounding theme among them, it's their downright determination to do things themselves. To the greatest extent possible, they take tremendous pride in caring for themselves. This even includes eating less so they can give more to relatives and friends.
Mrs. Skinner knows she can collect returnable cans in order to help pay for her prescription drugs--and I bet yers she's not the only elderly person doing this. Anyone who lives in a major city has witnessed the Mrs. Skinners of the world.
Regarding her refusal to take money from her son's family? Again, this goes back to the pride of the elderly. How rich are her children, for example? Would she want to take from them? Probably not. Elderly folk are very resistant when it comes to such matters.
On a positive note, Mrs. Skinner probably also believes the can collecting process is a great source for exercise. I say: Praise this woman!
But whatever the specifics of her situation, she should not even have to worry, or have to resort to anything like collecting cans in order to help cover the high costs of prescription drugs. Would anyone argue prescription drugs are not expensive?
I'll close by saying poverty in America is a kept condition and sometimes it can exist even by the pride of the elderly who are more apt to downplay their needs rather than require assistance of others. Self-determination is a wonderful attribute and it's a particularly powerful model of behavior among our senior citizens. Mrs. Skinner demonstrates this.
However, were a comprehensive health care system in place--where pride itself, doesn't become a main issue--I'm sure that the Mrs. Skinners of the world would be more willing to accept assistance since it would be considered a norm in society. Right now, it's not and the Republicans aren't helpful.
While Republicans were fighting for interstate banking type issues and corporate loophole type issues, they were also fighting against issues like minimum wage, housing, Headstart, family leave, daycare and a whole host of other important issues. And, speaking of returnable cans, weren't the Republicans way, way late on that issue? You bet they were!
If you think about it, were Mrs. Skinner trying to collect her cans in 1986, she wouldn't have gotten any money--only exercise.
Pretty much the Republican party is the party of the rich, by the rich and for the rich. It's comprised primarily of well-to-do white establishment folk. Were it not for NRA issues and Christian Coalition issues, there'd be few ordinary Americans among them.
Diversity is the key to the future and understanding it and embracing it is cruicial. Democrats at least understand this; Republicans do not. |
