A Letter to My country and to My president,
My entire life I have been an outspoken liberal. I have always lived under the premise that I will respect you, if you respect me. I have been an advocate for those who are down on their luck, mentally/emotionally struggling, my LGBTQ friends and neighbors, my Black lives matters friends and neighbors. I have been a proponent for financial assistance to those in need.
When terrorists attacked our land in unprovoked absolute horror, while I am anti war in general, I knew we had to respond. When Ukraine was violently attacked by Russia I knew we needed to assist in the efforts to protect.
I am not pro gun, but I try to understand that the majority of gun holders are safe and educated. I am NOT pro abortion, but I am pro choice and I support EVERY woman’s ability to choose what is right for them without pressure from outside forces.
Mr. President, I voted for you. As a matter of fact, in my approximately 10 Presidential elections I have ALWAYS voted Democrat. ALWAYS! I used to take my daughter with me as I voted and explained the process to her, as I hoped to raise an involved and understanding adult. I explained that she was able to make her own decisions on who and how to vote when she was of age, and I would understand.
But, here I am. ANGRY. SO ANGRY.
We split our time between 2 very different worlds. We live 1/4 time in the heart of downtown Chicago and 3/4 time in the heart of farm land Kentucky.
In Chicago we are no longer chasing nor prosecuting those who are committing heinous crimes against innocent everyday residents of the city. Car jacking? Armed Robbery? Beatings in the middle of the day on public streets? And NOTHING? We own businesses in the city. We have a beautiful daughter living in the city. We have people who work for us and with us who live and work and walk our streets every day. How am I supposed to feel? And yet, the Mayor(yes, the very Mayor that was elected despite the fact he made a more than livable wage but did not pay his water bill) wants the City to pay reparations and then, fingers crossed, the violence will stop?!?!?!
If you are a parent and your kids are misbehaving do you give them screen time or candy and think THEN they won’t misbehave any more? No. Sometimes a parent needs to punish their children. Take away their rights. Not reward them.
And NOW the Mayor wants to use the City’s $95 million Covid money to help the Migrants. NOT pay our police more. NOT train our police. NOT pay our teachers more. NOT pay to prosecute these horrific offenders……
And now, Mr. President…NOW there is the Israel/Hamas war. Please do not criticize Israel on how they are handling their affairs. Do not make remarks that there should be a cease fire. INSTEAD, let Hamas know that you are in FULL support of Israel as they were blindly and brutally attacked.
And let me tell you Mr. President, it is not long before HAMAS attacks us on our own land. You know that is next, right? They are not here to play. They do not only hate Israel and Jews. Trust me. And then what? Will all of the “Pro Palestine” protestors want us to still support Hamas? Or will they all of a sudden want us to attack back?
My 81 year old mother went to NYC the week before Christmas. She flew in. Met her brother and sister in law and then went a little out of the city to visit an ill friend. A big storm threatened her return trip. Her flight was cancelled. She was going to be stuck in NY for many extra days. She took herself to the airport to see what could be done. She ended up getting herself to Penn Station. While I knew she was there I saw that Grand Central had quite a large Pro Palestine(read Pro Hamas) protest. I did not want to tell her and make her anxious. Then she called me….they were also at Penn Station. My 81 year old solo traveling mom was stuck at Penn Station with throngs of protesters and police barricading the entrances. Trains were stuck due to flooded tracks from the storm….Imagine telling your mom to go far away from the action and sit. Go sit in the bathroom. Wherever. Just get away.
Even MORE…can you imagine receiving a call that your family was brutally attacked while in
their home minding their own business, or at Lollapalooza? Just doing life?
And, while I am at it….I am also aghast at the migrant situation. Please hear me when I say I am 100000% behind welcoming migrants that are being persecuted. I am 100000% behind welcoming immigrants legally. But, just letting thousands upon thousands cross the border? Over the Holidays in Chicago the families on the streets begging in cold weather with their children was horrific. It is sad. Scary. And, not much, if any, better than life in their homelands.
While I have your ear, and I am venting Mr President…please hear me out……
PPP money was a relief in the midst of the Pandemic. It truly saved us. We are owners of a small independent family tavern and we were 100% shut down, except for a few take out orders every day.
That being said, because we were closed for almost 2 years, and received funds to use for payroll….we now have to pay a huge chunk back??? WHAT? Everything has increased. The cost of goods, minimum wage, paid time off even for part time bartenders/servers is now a REAL thing, higher wages for tipped employees….I mean, legitimately, how much can we charge for a burger and a beer? AND we have today money back for time while we were closed?
Are you aware that businesses that were able to stay open almost from beginning to end such as construction companies? They received PPP funds and because they were open MAKING MONEY! they do not have to pay anything back?
SOOOO, those of us who suffered the most. Not open. Worried on how to pay bills. Worried about our employees. Worried about our health. Worried on how to reopen. WE? WE have to pay our money back?
When I say the world is upside down and backwards, I honestly can not think of any other way to explain it.
We are punishing the good, honest, hard working citizens. Those that are creating havoc on our streets get off scot free. As a matter of fact we want to reward them. Those that suffered the least financially, are the ones who get off scot free. And now it is suggested we divert our city’s COVID funding to helping those that were not here during that period of time?
I remain a liberal on many social issues. But now I am watching “my” party turn their backs on Israel? This is adding insult to injury, and sadly I find myself a citizen with NO party.
We need to start with some real tough love. We are attacking ourselves from within. We bully online and take on a horrible group mentality where we cancel people who are doing no harm. That’s right Jo Koy. You might not have hit a home run at The Globes, but you also did no harm. You should NOT be attacked. That’s right Jennifer Lopez…your new song might sound redundant but you should NOT be attacked. Why are we so quick to attack and not just live and let live?
We are attacking decent hard working people and NOT attacking those that actually cause harm everyday. Make people fear to walk the streets. We attack those that have been attacked and NOT the attackers themselves.
That’s right. Be aware. As going forward, I will vote not by party line, but by who is getting our streets in shape. Those who respect the everyday hard working citizens. I will have to make hard choices on what will be the most important of topics at the time. And right now…my safety and that of my City as well as our ability to make money takes a front seat.
So, Mr. President. Mayor Johnson…..get it straight. Put yourselves in our shoes. You have the ability to correct our current path….but it better happen lickity split or we will go up in smoke, and you will take the Democratic Party down at the same time.
Sadly,
A Partyless Citizen
allison-joy 