Open Letter Home

Sat. 12 March 2011
I wrote this entry Thursday afternoon, just after I read the news from Wisconsin, when I was in the full swing of my rage about what's happened there.  As a result, it is full of anger and sarcasm.  I can think of one person I know who would almost certainly say it is downright bitter. 
Firstly, that's not necessarily who I want to be.  And secondly, I know a lot of my readers back home in Wisconsin are probably getting plenty of rage and hatred and spewing, both on the news and in personal conversations.  So I've considered taking it down entirely.  But I felt it, I wrote it, and a lot of you read it, so instead I'm putting it behind this warning: It's pretty angry.  
The end is hopeful, though, I think.  So, if you're up for it:



Dear Wisconsin,

You are all about to be fitted for your new collars.  There are leashes to go with them.  They were very expensive, but don’t worry; it was nothing your owners couldn’t afford.  Besides, you paid at least half.  They’ve been taking the money to pay for them out of your piggy banks, little by little, while you were sleeping.   

Unfortunately, you don’t have much choice in the matter.  Your parents taught you to be good; to obey.  You bought a house or took out a student loan because they told you if you worked hard enough, you could be a success someday.  And that you need a degree to do that.  You need to own your own home.  Even if you couldn’t afford it, you took out one – or both – of these loans (probably under some pretty nasty terms, because we aren’t socialists, for chrissakes! – in a capitalist society, the government should not inhibit the freedom of the banks to bend you over and rape you, if you’re willing to let them) and you set to work paying for your future.

Then you got a job that probably doesn’t thrill you so that you could pay your mortgage or student loan (or both) and began to go after that beautiful American Dream that you knew could be yours someday, if you gave up everything else you ever wanted from your life.  And when your boss told you that the banks spent all of your money and you could either take a pay cut or lose your job (and your house), you took a pay cut.    And when he told you that you could forget going to the doctor or forget your job, you (again) chose your job.  You have to eat.  You have to pay for your house (or your education).  It’s only right.  After all, you already signed your name on the dotted line.  You can’t default now!  It wouldn’t be right!  It’s not how decent, hardworking people like you treat the banks who were kind enough to lend you all that money so you could buy your dream life!  (That is what you have, right?)

Meanwhile, you weren’t the only ones buying things.  Wealthy people were doing their part to stimulate the economy, too.  They were buying politicians and votes.  (I know, you feel like you should have seen it coming, but how could you?  You were working.)  Now they've taken away the right that a lot of you had to get together and ask them for more, if you need it, or if you feel you deserve it.  They don’t think it’s right that you should  make a wage that allows you to pay all of your bills, or that you should be able go to the doctor if the state has to pay for it.  And if the state has to pay for that, how is it going to pay for tax cuts for the rich people?  (They have no choice.  The tax-cuts were bought and paid for ages ago).  And, you know, more importantly, if the state is paying for decent wages and doctor bills, what’s to stop people from leaving their private employers and going to work for the state?  Unless more private employers  offer decent wages and pay for their employees to see doctors, too!  Is that really what you want?

Oh…wait.  It is?  Well, I don’t see what you’re going to do about it now.  They already had those collars made and everything.  Just for you.  How do you expect them to pay for all of them?  You may as well stop being ungrateful for all they do for you and just put them on already. 

Unless you’re ready to sharpen your teeth.  Unless you want them to see that they can take their bullshit threats about taking your jobs and they can shove them.  Strike.  Generally.  All of you.  Strike.  Boycott.  Stop paying your banks until they get their acts together and start treating you with dignity.  Stop going to work for employers who use you.  Make a circle so tight around the capitol building that those douchebags can’t get out.  Don’t let them out until they remember that they work for you!  That there are more of you than there are of them.  Start your own community schools, neighborhood watch, put out your own fires.  You have the real power.  Without them, you can go on with your lives.  You really can.  You may have a few bumps in the road until you figure it all out, but you’ll be ok. 

But you have to be brave, because they’re going to tell you that isn’t true.  That you need them.  They’ve been saying it for ages, and you’ve started to believe it.  But it’s not true.  They’re only saying it because  they’re afraid.  See, without them, you’ll do just fine.  Without you, they can’t survive.  They don’t need reminding of that – they know it already.  They need to see that you know it, too.

All of my support and love is with you in this.  Go on now.  Bite back.  Bite hard.  Tell them what they’ve been telling you all this time: It’ll only hurt for a minute.

Love,

Rachel

A little mood music?