Letter to the editor

The other day, the following opinion letter appeared in our local paper:

When dust settles, what will you do?
Friday, February 20, 2009
To the editor:Can you see it? The dust is settling around those who "have" and the ones who "don't." The greed that has run rampant through this nation continues trying to shore up crumbling walls holding together a sick room. In the meantime, the children, the aged, the jobless, those in need of vocational rehab, and generally the ones who "don't have" are caught in the settling dust.
Not that they can settle there, because many of the services they need to weather these times are being yanked away. Their voices are mere backdrop noise, as the wealthy scramble over their bodies, trying to hold onto the dream they thought they'd realized.Please don't tell me that you've worked all your life and deserve what you have. I understand. We just made different choices -- and my choices didn't involve accumulation.Instead? My family shared what we had, and my kids understand that a life well-lived isn't measured in tangible items. The sweeping societal changes require all of our immediate attention and focus. It's time to shore up our society. I know you can see it. What will you do about it?

Well, the steam built up in my head enough to go to the computer and fire off this response:

" At the risk of offending the author, you need to understand that I HAVE worked hard all my life! I was told when I was growing up 'the Lord helps those who help themselves', 'there are no free lunches', 'if you want it done, do it yourself', and other pointed but useful homilies. They taught me to stand on my own two feet, to value hard work, to share what I could, but I also grew up with a fierce love of freedom! I don't want the Government with a capital 'G' to do my thinking for me, nor do I want them to strip me of all I have worked hard for, although their incompetence and ineptitude has done a pretty good job of that in recent months. Don't you dare tell me that I don't get to reap at least some of the rewards of my hard labor! I have sacrificed a great deal over the years to keep a roof over our head, food on the table, pay the bills on time, and still try to sock some away for retirement, which I am in right now. What will I do about those who 'don't have? Ask them respectfully to work as hard as they can, scrimp, save, do without non-essentials, just like I have done! "

Apparently, I wasn't the only one who got a little peeved by this letter, as I just looked and there are a number of responses recorded on the website. I don't think the author understands that if those of us who have worked hard, put aside some money for emergencies, and didn't spend ourselves into debt, turn around and give away the money we have saved, then we will be standing in line for assistance along with those who are there already. Either that, or we will be reduced to living hand to mouth on what is left. As it is, my husband and I both drive OLD vehicles, which probably ticks off the environmentalists, but who can afford what it costs to buy a newer car these days? And we both wear old clothes, which I don't mind. We rarely eat out. But we do get the bills paid on time... that's a life-long habit. At any rate, I just couldn't turn a blind eye to the insinuation that if we aren't dirt poor, that we are evil Capitalists, without speaking up for the values I was raised to respect, and still do!