By Mary MacElveen
February 11, 2009
I have not handed out my ‘Founding Fathers Award’ in quite sometime, but today, I bestow this personal award of mine to Henrietta Hughes who showed courage beyond belief in that town-hall meeting in Fort Meyers, Florida.
When people are forced to live under such hardships as she lives in her car, it can be a humiliating factor where one does not want anyone to know of their plight. Often-times, they feel they have failed in life and in these dire times, it is far from the truth. The government and the system itself failed her, yet she showed the courage to speak saying to the president, “Please help.”
Her pleas must not be ignored when the AFP reported that California may not have any alternative to then to lay off 10,000 workers. As Republicans in the U.S. Senate exhibit their obstructionist powers, Republican governors like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Crist and Rell back President Barack Obama. They like mayors who came to the White House pleading for help are on the front lines as these Republican senators cling to their ideological beliefs.
As I heard her pleas to President Barack Obama for a kitchen and a bathroom to call her own, the tears came. I could not believe in that any American would be forced to beg to any president, yet she did and grabbed the heart of this lone journalist. She became my hero for speaking up for millions of Americans and she must be our hero as well.
Finally our collective-misery had a face in Henrietta Hughes and we must all in our souls be thankful to her for speaking out on behalf of we the people.
As I think of her courage, the bile rises swiftly in my throat thinking of the greedy CEOs at banks and those who have benefited from our tax dollars through the first TARP bailout. As they hide, swimming in our money, this woman stood up to be the opposing voice.
Ms. Hughes does not want a junket, or any of the perks that we the people have given to them through the first bailout package which had no restrictions: She wants a bathroom to call her own.
As Rosa Parks stood up and sat in the front of that bus telling America what was emphatically wrong when it came to race relations in this country, Henrietta Hughes stood up for all of us. She became the voice of all Americans no matter what race or class you belong to. Even if you are a member of the upper-class, be mindful of the fact, you as well may be forced to live a car like Ms. Hughes.
In looking upon her tearful face, the anger seethed in me knowing how any recovery bill that goes back to the senate after conference must meet the requirements of Senators, Specter, Snowe and Collins. How dare they hold onto their ideological beliefs when people like Ms. Hughes are suffering!
If I could grab the attention of these senators and other Republican senators, I would say, grab a cot for any filibuster they may wish to enact. We the people must be heard. I would remind them of the millions in this country who do not have any cot to sleep on as Ms. Hughes reminded all of us stating she is living in her car.
Lastly, as I viewed President Barack Obama walk over to her to hear her plight, I thought finally we have a compassionate president. As he reached out to her, and kissed her cheek he carried away with him her tears. Her tears were the tears of a true hero in my eyes. Thank you, Ms. Hughes for being the voice and face of we the people and we all owe you our debt of gratitude.
Author’s email address is, xmjmac@optonline.net
I wish to add an addendum to this piece: Hours after writing that article on Henrietta Hughes, I was please to read where some help did come to her. As reported, “A White House press secretary said administration officials asked the local housing authority to contact her after the exchange in Fort Myers.” As well as this, “Meanwhile, the wife of Florida state Rep. Nick Thompson offered to let the woman stay in a house she owns that's vacant about 30 miles away. Chene Thompson isn't sure if Hughes will take her up on the offer.” Whatever the outcome is, I am thrilled beyond belief for her good fortune.
Showing posts with label Republican Senators. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Republican Senators. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Thursday, February 5, 2009
To the Republican members of the senate….Pass the stimulus package NOW!
By Mary MacElveen
February 6, 2009
I like many have been watching the debates concerning the ‘Stimulus Package’ for many days now and I will be brief in this open letter to all of you who are dragging your feet. We are in a crisis. Get it?! People have actually lost their jobs, losing their jobs or will lose them all together and while you grab camera-time thanks to a 24/7 news cycle, they suffer. Yes, real Americans are having a hard time out here. They have lost their homes, or are losing them. Real Americans are not able to eat as you so pontificate.
Tax cuts or cuts in taxes to corporations will not suffice. Real people need jobs in order to spend that money which will turn this economy around. The Reagan era is over with and thank goodness for this country!
In New York State where I live, a commercial is running pleading to Governor David Paterson not to close state hospitals as you so enjoy top-rate health care. That is where some of this stimulus package will go to. I tremble knowing that a community hospital that I have come to depend upon will be next on the chopping block.
I want you to envision this mental image, this economic crisis is just as devastating as 9/11 and Pearl Harbor where everyone got behind the Commander in Chief to support him and his policies. We as a people elected President Barack Obama and we demand that you get behind him as congressional bodies got behind President Franklin D. Roosevelt and President George W. Bush.
All of you who grab the cameras act as if your party won on November 4th, 2008 when the complete opposite happened. We as a people exiled you. No, you did not get your trip to Disney World, but were exiled to the farthest reaches of this planet given your past and dismal record these past eight years.
If there are elected officials that the American people should be paying attention to besides our president it would be our governors who have loaned their support behind his bill. Governors such as, Schwarzenegger, Crist and Rendell. These governors as are many are on the front lines as you whimper and plea to the American people why this bill is so wrong. They are doing the heavy lifting making executive decisions where you all huddle to in a plan to embarrass our president. Well, we the people will have none of that! As I watched Senator McCain speak of this bill, all I will say is, “Senator McCain, you lost, get over it and loan your support behind our president who was so gracious to you!”
We the people who voted in this change demand it, Senators, now it is your job to make it so. You lost and are in the minority and now is your time to back our president, President Barack Obama.
Author’s email address is, xmjmac@optonline.net
February 6, 2009
I like many have been watching the debates concerning the ‘Stimulus Package’ for many days now and I will be brief in this open letter to all of you who are dragging your feet. We are in a crisis. Get it?! People have actually lost their jobs, losing their jobs or will lose them all together and while you grab camera-time thanks to a 24/7 news cycle, they suffer. Yes, real Americans are having a hard time out here. They have lost their homes, or are losing them. Real Americans are not able to eat as you so pontificate.
Tax cuts or cuts in taxes to corporations will not suffice. Real people need jobs in order to spend that money which will turn this economy around. The Reagan era is over with and thank goodness for this country!
In New York State where I live, a commercial is running pleading to Governor David Paterson not to close state hospitals as you so enjoy top-rate health care. That is where some of this stimulus package will go to. I tremble knowing that a community hospital that I have come to depend upon will be next on the chopping block.
I want you to envision this mental image, this economic crisis is just as devastating as 9/11 and Pearl Harbor where everyone got behind the Commander in Chief to support him and his policies. We as a people elected President Barack Obama and we demand that you get behind him as congressional bodies got behind President Franklin D. Roosevelt and President George W. Bush.
All of you who grab the cameras act as if your party won on November 4th, 2008 when the complete opposite happened. We as a people exiled you. No, you did not get your trip to Disney World, but were exiled to the farthest reaches of this planet given your past and dismal record these past eight years.
If there are elected officials that the American people should be paying attention to besides our president it would be our governors who have loaned their support behind his bill. Governors such as, Schwarzenegger, Crist and Rendell. These governors as are many are on the front lines as you whimper and plea to the American people why this bill is so wrong. They are doing the heavy lifting making executive decisions where you all huddle to in a plan to embarrass our president. Well, we the people will have none of that! As I watched Senator McCain speak of this bill, all I will say is, “Senator McCain, you lost, get over it and loan your support behind our president who was so gracious to you!”
We the people who voted in this change demand it, Senators, now it is your job to make it so. You lost and are in the minority and now is your time to back our president, President Barack Obama.
Author’s email address is, xmjmac@optonline.net
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