Food Stamps, EBT

"Food-Stamps Haters: Hypocritical and Hateful" by v. johns, 2/1/12, 9:20 PM

I’ve tried my best, over the years, to become the next Seth Godin or Matt Drudge, but given the somewhat limited, and relatively politics averse, scope of this blog, uh… probably won’t happen. Still, the benefit of being able to flex my supreme intellectual prowess in writing - wink - so that my college education won’t be deemed a complete waste - is all but priceless. I’m researching more and more, but most of this blog is off the top of my head.

I’m not only an unpaid blogger, I’m currently a day laborer and temp worker. I live in Martin County, Florida. It’s fairly conservative and awfully Republican. In my opinion, where there’s smoke, there’s fire, and where there are conservatives and Republicans, there seems to be a great deal of unnecessary prejudice and fear. That’s my opinion. Not that liberals and Democrats are exempt (Low expectations, anyone?). But unlike Republicans and conservatives, liberals and Democrats generally don’t try to squeeze votes out of the worst among us: those who hate.

Conservatives and Republicans don’t want to hear about racism or prejudice. Some just want to practice these abominable crafts with impunity.  They equate doing the right thing, for those without sway, with some mythical cult of “white guilt” as they lump people who are truly stuck in “park” right in there with the real losers and scammers, among us, that all of us are victimized by.

Stop being a “hyphenated” American, they say. Yet none of them have to bare the anger and humiliation of being stereotyped as “dangerous” or being treated like something other than a normal, hard-working American. So, for a jerk like Newt Gingrich to run for president of the most diverse nation on Earth, while stoking the fires of hatred against minorities, gays, and those who seek public assistance, is not only a slap in the face, it has cramped my own personal style as I attempt to claw my way out of the bottom rung with every ounce of being I’ve got. Why not get all the help I can get on my way - what I presume is still - “up?”

The idea that a customer, clerk or manager at any retail store that accepts food stamps would have the nerve to roll their eyes or mumble and moan about someone pulling out an EBT card shows not only their ignorance of economics and commerce, but also a lack of appreciation for what any form of payment adds to the bottom line and profitability of where they shop and work. This is the kind of once-in-awhile, but highly annoying, rude behavior I’ve encountered here in Martin county, and even in some parts of Palm Beach county, without so much as an inkling of an inquiry from anyone as to what may have led to me needing food stamps in the first place (a broken leg in the latter part of 2010 and being FIRED in the summer of 2011).

Some people in Florida are not only kinda hateful, at times, but also a bit hypocritical. After the hurricanes of 2004 (Charley, Frances, Ivan and Gene), more people than you could shake a stick at were getting food stamps, some for the first time, standing in line for Army M.R.E.s and seeking help from FEMA – people I never thought I’d ever see in line for anything. I worked in seafood, then. Many were buying expensive crab legs with these cards – the same thing some poor, single black moms do and get hated for (as if seafood is junk food). So, what happened, back then, to the “boot straps” thingy that people like to wax so poetically about?

After what I’ve been through, financially, no matter what I’ve done to dig out, I don’t want to hear a DAMN THING about people’s alleged “dependency” on public assistance. Who the hell, in their right mind, wants to be limited to waiting until the beginning of each month to purchase food? That’s like aspiring to place second on Survivor.

If the American system of commerce were, at all, working the way it’s supposed to work, there’d be no need for so many people to have to hassle with – yes, hassle with - public assistance in the first place. But since capitalism 1.0 just doesn’t work well, or only works well for that infamous one-percent of us, either we keep as many people afloat as we can, during hard times, or be prepared to confront massive unnecessary, but understandable, social unrest. That’s just all there is to it.

If public assistance is so bad, we need to get rid of ALL public assistance. Put the corporate crybabies in there along with everyone else who’d apparently rather drive a government jalopy than earn a nice Chrysler 300. No more deficit-exploding tax breaks. No more Wall Street bailouts. No more oil-industry subsidies. Let airlines go bankrupt. Let farmers collude on food prices. And, for that matter, let wind, solar and natural gas get their initial operating capital the hard way, as well. Let all of these industries scrape at the margins of profitability the same way the grocery industry does. Maybe, then we’ll see who’s got cajones and who ain’t.

Before doing day labor and temp work in neighboring counties, I worked at a grocery store, here in Martin. One thing I’ll never forget is taking a break out in my car and watching a customer I knew, a white dude, DIG IN A DUMPSTER, out back, while his wife bought what she could in the store. You think a dollar more on food prices don’t make that much of a difference? Black or white, try being poor, and having to come up off of that extra dollar, then tell me what you think.

I’d like to see Mitt, Newt, Rick and Ron dig in a dumpster. Maybe, one of these days, these pompous asses can do it as a way to raise money for a charity of their choice. The smell and the flies are expected. Just watch out for heroin needles.

Well, I’m down to a meager $2.24, from last month, on my EBT card. My six months are up. It’s only by the grace of Almighty that as my time on food stamps have run out, I’m needing them less and less. For now. That’s how it’s supposed to work. And now that I’m back on the road doing what I do best – work! - I’ve replaced cold-ass convenience store fare with the usual hot-and-ready Burger King, Wendy’s and McDonalds I’ve grown accustomed to treating myself to.

So, thanks for the lift, Uncle Sam. That extra buying power was great while it lasted. But by the same token, good riddance to all the eye-rolling and dirty looks I’ve had to put up with for simply looking after myself. Wouldn’t want to raise the federal deficit with all the chips, subs, Gatorade and burritos I’ve purchased over the months.

© 2012 LostParadiseJournal.blogspot.com

Conservatism, Racial Bias

"Conservatism’s Racially-Biased Hold on Florida’s Future Must End" by v. johns

While I dread being typecast and stereotyped for supporting and voting for  mostly Democratic candidates, policies and causes, as a so-called “minority,” I simply cannot support a political party, such as the Republican Party, that uses (or allows) hate speech and corporate welfare to get elected and cull power. But while the pirate-like Republicans continue to grab power with bullying, race-bating, bribes and cash, the powder-puff Democrats’ overall weakness in failing to stand up to the hardened political thugs that have taken over the once-great Republican Party, troubles me even more.

I agree with Bill Maher that the American populace in general is, perhaps, simply just too dimwitted, distracted and uninformed, at this time, to rise above staunch ideology, and other forms of stupidity, long enough to truly vote in their own best interest... and that as long as the American people, in general, are increasingly composed of people of poor character and quality, we should not expect our elected leaders to be any different…

Like most other places across this nation, even New York and San Fran, I have heard, our state continues to languish in its apparent comfort with inequality and lack of real engagement from some of its most vulnerable communities. Thus, we find both haves and have-nots wallowing in the apparent certainty of their lore. In a place that brims and beams with such diversity, more people are reaching out less and less and are becoming comfortably resigned to their respective camps out of raw fear, hate and distrust of other “groups” of people. There’s no out-and-out fighting in the streets… yet, but there’s overt finger pointing galore and an eerie, quiet tension lingering in the air that makes ya skin crawl. The tension here hasn’t been this thick in awhile…

I’m sorry, but when gigantic Dodge and Ford trucks owned by white guys in “tough-guy mode,” pull up on my little Toyota fast and blitz me with their lights, they’re making a statement (“Keep the Change.”)… When other black people give me dirty looks for daring to get a long with those other than my own, that says something as well... And perhaps most eerie of all, the idea that historically oppressed “groups of people” either stay silent or join in on the bashing of other, seemingly newly oppressed “groups of people.”

Though race, class, religion and sexual orientation will be issues for all of us to have to deal with, for some time to come, what bothers me is people’s continued willingness to be drawn to the polls by these polarizing social issues, while ignoring issues that are more universal and far less dramatic -- like education, transportation, and scientific innovation -- but perhaps far more important in establishing all our citizens wellbeing. And let’s not forget the two most important issues of our time: high-unemployment and record home foreclosures.

Thus, and henceforth, it is my opinion that the Republicans and their conservative cohorts, here and elsewhere, are the ones exclusively responsible for distracting our state and nation away from the issues that really matter. I might add that these tea party people, the one’s who claim to be the party’s leaders anyway, are no saints, are not to be trusted and perhaps, worst of all, have not the slightest clue in what the hell they are talking about... They’re stirring people up about what’s on paper (debt, deficits, etc.) -- stuff that can be ironed out later -- while the rest of us are worrying about actual, physical food on the table...

So-called “blue state,” or not, the people who vote Republican in Florida are, more often than not, going to vote that way no matter what, even if their candidates are clearly and severely flawed (Rick Scott). As an Independent voice, I have no problem with Republicans running things, from time to time… as Florida’s Republican officials, ones that aren’t corrupt, tend to be generally quite capable, competent and professional… but I do have a problem with the fact that the same old Republican bunch of folks have been running things for so long in this state. And I honestly believe that they’ve been running things this long, in Florida, for the specific baseline reason that their overwhelmingly rural white constituents have given them this power on the belief that they will keep these various “others,” that they fear, in check. And while some do, through minority neighborhood neglect (investment-wise), voter suppression tactics, or race-baiting, most ignore their constituent’s wink-and a-nod mandates and go straight on to what they are there to do to begin with… rig the rules and redistribute the wealth among themselves and their corporate cronies...

In conclusion, what I’d like to see in Florida, this upcoming election, is a complete flushing down the toilet of the party in power in this state. Sometimes the only way to learn is to lose -- sometimes, that is -- and the Republican machine that has allowed what’s going on nationally to affect our state so harshly, hasn’t lost in a long time. These people have sold us out and have allowed our once-famed quality of life, here in Florida, to be devoured by greedy developers and corporate tax dodgers. I wouldn’t put too much faith in Democrats either, not initially, but the hard truth is that their turn at the bat, in this state, is long overdue and when a team like ours, Team FL, has been losing too many games, season after season, after season, it might be time to fire all the coaches and hire new blood!

Independence Day Part 2

"Our Independence Day: Part 2" by v. johns

While I like to think of myself as an advocate for the poor, in a sense, I make no pretense in not liking all of my fellow downtrodden brethren. Thus, in composing this blog, I find myself fighting not only FOR the poor, but WITH the poor!

While I can certainly appreciate the actual circumstance of being poor (I AM poor!), I have failed to understand the lifestyle and social protocols that have emerged from the proliferation of the life of the less fortunate. The rich have gotten richer while the poor have not only gotten poorer, but have become more accepting of their fates. The poor no longer cheer each other on for making it out of the gutter and up into the ranks of the now nearly nonexistent middle class. Instead, they roll their eyes. Some even regard other’s fortunes as almost a betrayal of sorts.

I’ve learned through extensive reading of self-help books and from trial and error that adopting the language and vocabulary of the successful will eventually render some success of my own. I believe it whole heartedly. The problem comes when other poor people mistake my formulae for success as me somehow thinking that I’m better than them, when all I’m trying to do is to be better than myself. Jobs like mine, lowly though they be, require successful attitudes. Yet, I have been, at times, made out to be a fool for… doing my job? Speaking? Saying hello? Smiling?

My differences with other poor people have a great deal to do with the litmus tests I have failed time and again to pass. It’s no longer good enough to be poor. You’ve got to be poor… a certain way. You’ve got to subscribe to a certain mindset and actually look the part! Once differences emerge, especially differences in thought and outlook on life, be prepared to fend off gawkers and naysayers and those who simply just don’t want other people to have anything or be anything in life…

Month after month, year after year, the endless, mindless back-and-forth mental and physical posturing I have found myself having to engage in, with fellow poor people, to justify my own unique existence, and the constant focus on trivial things that have nothing to do with making things better for our country and our work and school environments, has left me with a bad taste in my mouth that won’t go away. It makes me want to be a snob about the things I believe in… Since others are so sure of what they believe in… So sure about what they believe about me…

This being America, however, I firmly believe that you can not like someone, at least initially, but still uphold their right, and yours, to a descent life in a civil society. Writing this blog is not only my way of participating in this democracy that we call America, its also my way of standing up for the middle class and the poor, not simply on emotionalist sentiment of shared circumstance, but of honor and pride and our duty to uphold the rule of law and of doing the right thing at all times. Even though other poor people have, at times, constantly harassed me, or have made fun of me for not following caste etiquette, with regard to speech, dress, demeanor and interests (In other words, they think I’m weird), I understand that by damning them all to hell, I’m not only damning myself, as well, but I’m also damning a lot of good, kind people, in between, who see character first, as I do.

I’m no Mother Theresa, for sure. I’ve tried working with kids, volunteering, giving change to bums and all the other stuff you can mention when people ask: “What are YOU doing to help the poor?” I’m just simply not good at serving people on that level. Especially, since I am one of those who are poor and in need. Also, I believe that people should operate according to their talents. Mine happen to be art and writing. So I choose to use my writing to advocate for things that are going to help the middle class and the poor on a massive scale, like mass transit, accessible education systems and government that works.

I may be wrong in my refusal to glorify and emotionalize the plight of the poor, but unlike politicians and media talking heads, I have great luxury in admitting that I don’t always like, or get along with, many of my fellow bottom dwellers. It is what it is. But considering how sure-footed some of these people seem in judging me, I think I’ll be resting quite well tonight. Yet, I’m more than wiling to fight for their right to exist, even though some of them apparently have a problem with me existing…

Though we poor and middle class folk like to sit back and blame the folks in power, in government and industry, for their mindless greed, our unwillingness to fully embrace education as a tool of the poor, and not a privilege of the rich, has cost us greatly. Our love of the exotic and trivial at the expense of overlooking the importance of the more mundane mechanics of democratic participation and civil maintenance has allowed the snakes to creep in through cracks that once were sealed… “by the people.”

Just because we are poor, or minority and poor, doesn’t mean that we are allowed to be derelict in our duty to participate in our democracy and actively plot its path. We are not absolved from envisioning the type of world we’d like our children and grandchildren and their children to live in, long after we are gone…

Where we are, right now, as a country, recovering from a party gone awfully wrong, isn’t the fault of one group of folks: bankers, politicians, company CEO’s…

The overall failure of the poor and the middle class in participating whole-heartedly in their democracy, even when things seem to be going smooth, in keeping close watch on our leaders, only when it’s crucial, our insistence on being able to “drink a beer” with our elected leaders or that they be “black enough” or “red” enough, our failure to fully embrace education or to even read the damn paper once in awhile, our incessant focus on “others” as the source of our problems, our petty obsessions with the lives of stars, celebrities and sports figures, our so-called “culture wars,” our insistence that everything be cheap, easy and free, our allowing the government to be run by ideologues, our willingness to look the other way when “one of our own” does wrong, etc., etc., etc., not to mention… the greed and corruption of the bankers, politicians and CEO’s… have all played a role in bringing this country to the brink of ruin…

The overall historical disengagement and lack of participation of the poor in shaping our true path, in recent times, has proven to be just as potentially lethal as the drunken greed and corruption of those who have slipped in to fill that vacuum of power that we have left open to them. Rather than fighting and striving together as “Americans” we’ve allowed our society, at the whim of the powerful and privileged, to fracture to the point where we define ourselves first by race, class and political beliefs.

On this day, the 4th of July, in the year 2010, let us all pause for a moment and think about all the blood that has been shed so that we can pop smack to our elected leaders and keep private power-hungry punks in their place. For as much as we’d like to believe that some “other” is running the show, if we keep on going the way we are going, letting those who use “other” to bait us into traps that steer us off of our American journey, we’re going to wake up find this worst of nightmares actually come true…

Oil Spill Crisis

"BP Oil Spill Crisis No Excuse For Trashing Obama" by v. johns

As you may well know, even with national issues unfolding and having immediate local effects, I prefer to focus solely on Florida-specific issues. With news of this sort unfolding and changing daily, I’m not even gonna bother spending much time on things like the BP Oil Spill Disaster except to say… We WERE warned.

The warnings were clear, but OH NO, you –- you as in WE the American people -- were so concerned about God, guns and gays that you failed to be truly eternally vigilant and keep abreast of all the lies that the “free market idiots” were shoving past your nose and now down your throat and now onto OUR beaches. You were so busy keeping up with the Kardashians and buying homes and Hummers you couldn’t afford, all while thumbing your nose up at other less fortunate people, that you failed to see the possibility of all that has transpired thus far, including the current and tragic Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster.

Now that the Bush years have come and gone, NOW YOU -– you meaning “ideological purists” and those who follow you -- want government to work? Now that YOUR constituents, which you have mislead and used and lied to about government’s real role, are woefully and clearly in some real, cold-hard livelihood and culture-destroying trouble, you’re yelling and screaming for a government, that YOU have helped to cripple, to pull a rabbit out of a hat? And some of you, leaders and followers, are so shameless and vile that you only want government to work for people who look and smell and walk and talk… like you. Some of you would rather that we all ride in horse carriages on dirt roads than to see minorities, women, gays, the elderly –- you name it -- advance in this nation and do THEIR DUTY to CONTRIBUTE to this freakin' society as all are required to do…

…And this is by no means an assault on the good people whose lives are affected by this tragedy, but a statement of utter anger disgust, on my part, on how sorry we as Americans have become that we can allow politicians and corporations to get away with destroying the standards and practices that MAKE us who we are… Americans…

I’m no sage, but it doesn’t really take one to see that the tragic and fatal Deepwater Horizon platform explosion and oil spill disaster, along with its Wall Street meltdown corollary, are only, quite possibly, the beginning of a long line of free market foul ups that have threatened to undo the fabric of American society. All this time we’ve been told that the government is some big, bad far off entity with no real role in American life –- and believe me, it DOES feel that way sometimes -- only to witness the same dammed people telling us this garbage RUNNING FOR OFFICE to make careers for themselves… IN GOVERNMENT… for the sole purpose of enriching themselves and their friends at OUR expense.

Picture me telling you that the Worldwide Web or the Internet is of no value, and damning it to hell daily, while using it all along to enrich myself and gain unfair advantages over you amid your ignorance and lack of maintenance and use OF it! Is THIS what these so-called Tea Party folks want? Is THIS what the so-called “Republican rank and file” and their “Conserva-Dem” water boys and bitches want? When will we -– WE meaning “Americans” --finally realize and understand that -– at least in theory -- WE ARE THE DAMN GOVERNMENT, and that it is our DUTY, one way or the other, to remain vigilant and engaged and to ensure that the right people, PUBLIC SERVANTS FROM AMONGST OURSELVES, not simply “Democrats” or “Republicans,” are elected to CARRY OUT OUR WILL via the mechanism to enact our will that we call… government?

Sadly, with the kinds of people we are producing in our society these days –- selfish, cold, detached, desensitized, antsy, addicted, criminal, over-stimulated, etc. -– it may be untold generations before we can truly recover from the pangs of backwardness, moral or otherwise, that the Bush years hath spawned. While I’m just as miffed and puzzled about Obama’s handling of the BP oil spill crisis, there’s no way in hell I’m going to punish him for my frustration and bewilderment by voting for his opponents and detractors, come the next election, KNOWING that these people not only wish to see him fail, but quite possibly, may actually wish to see the whole damn country… fail! Such free-roaming ignorance and malice can only seemingly exist in a country as open and free as ours.

While party affiliation seems to matter less these days, it has become clear to me that not only has Conservatism essentially failed, it has become a one-way pipeline for greed, prejudice, anger and fear. While the Democrats and Liberals are not without fault, the Republican Party, and their Conservative-before-American filth, has nauseously and shamelessly allowed itself to become the party of greed, prejudice, anger and fear.Their awfully contagious “exclusive club” mentality and divisionary tactics have fouled our air and soiled our spirits.

Don’t let the corporate puppets fool you… Their aim is still the same… To bankrupt their own damn country at the expense of their own fellow Americans for their own personal gain. While I sometimes – sometimes -- trust Democrats about as much as I trust Republicans, this CURRENT CROP of Republicans trouble me and are quite possibly the most dangerous and ignorant people on the face of planet at this time. So, unless and until their party acquires the competency and tone of one of my heroes, General Colin Powell, as punishment for them, I’ll be damned if I ever vote Republican any time soon. But you can damn hell rest assured that this being “Flori-DUH,” my one, lone vote for Independents, self-proclaimed “public servants” and candidates who net under $50,000, in upcoming local and national elections, will probably drown in the same “Us versus THEM and their taxes” chorus that has been playing in this state for decades on end. God help us all…

Once Jobs Come Back

"Once Jobs Come Back, Let’s Hope Our Civility and Goodwill Return As Well" by v. johns, 3/10/10, 11:10 PM

I almost feel guilty ranting and raving about seemingly trivial issues regarding my job life when there are so many people out of work and out of luck in staying in their homes, but the truth is, once this national governmental and financial mess has finally been cleaned up, the temptation of our people to return to the same stupid habits that got us into this mess shall remain. I don’t give a crap what CNN and MSNBC say, it’s just not enough that government and the banks clean up their act, while the rest of us continue treating each other like garbage for no apparent reason other than to be cute or spread hate.

Our American culture has become rife with the types of personal nastiness and stupidity that makes serious ongoing problems like racism and sexism look like minor inconvenience in comparison. Have you ever been hated for wearing glasses or for looking studious? I have. I can count the number of times on two hands, in my entire lifetime, that I’ve actually been called the “er”-ending variation of N-word. Compare that to the thousands of times I’ve been called “nerd” or “square” or “fag” or the “a”-ending variation of the N-word out of pure personal hate and human disregard on the part of the idiots hurling those putrid insults that the losers in life often do. It just makes me wonder, with all these people with so much time on their hands to find ways other than race, religion and gender to separate ourselves and spread hate in multiple forms, where do people have the time to engage in the only nation building that counts… our own? Where’s that strong, sturdy blue-collar intellectual set from the 1980s that read the paper, watched the news, voted, sent all their kids off to college and watched their neighbors yards?

We all need jobs. No doubt about that. But if you think for one minute that economic prosperity is all there is to American prosperity, you, my friend, are a fool. Our economic prosperity begins with our moral clarity. And our moral clarity begins with us. We shouldn’t allow our fellow Americans to hate other Americans over the stupidest of things just because its the cool thing to do or the cute thing to do or because we want to feel like we’re living out, in real life, an episode of Desperate Housewives or Jersey Shore.

Once the jobs come back a new attitude must also emerge. I heard it said that, one time that in America, we are no longer our brother’s keeper. And I believe that the fact that we no longer really look after one another, unless we HAVE TO, has played right into the hands of the bozos that are at the heart of all this misery. Let’s all make sure these politicians and bankers do their jobs, but even more important than that, let’s all make sure we do our job in actually participating in our own democracy and taking care of each other through both government and private means. It’s okay to be cute. It’s okay to follow and be obsessed with celebrities. It’s even okay to notice differences amongst ourselves and revel in them. It’s not okay to allow our country and our society to fragment in so many different directions that we fail to see that how prosperous we have become, throughout history, is the direct result of our ability to supersede our fragile human tendencies for the greater good so that all who call America home will feel welcome here…

South Florida's Atmosphere

"Sunny South Florida's Gloomy Overcast" by v. johns

South Florida represents a retreat for many who have tired of cold weather, political strife, higher taxes etc. from their own home states and countries. It also embodies a place to chase opportunities, to start all over, to relax. But, despite its sanctuary image, some of the same misery and bad vibes seen elsewhere in the nation can also be found in this 300-mile stretch of beach-front paradise. Crime, poverty, drugs, unemployment and other ills, though they will always persist here and elsewhere, to some degree or another, have become more and more intense in this region and are only made worse by neglectful governance and pay-to-play politics. Consequently, this type of misery, poorly addressed, if at all, has crept into and spread across nearly all demographics to create an environment that sows seeds of doubt as to whether or not a place so sunny, but with so much underlying misery and gloom, can actually be called a paradise...

At first look, you wonder how and why any misery, and its various servants, can even dare to exist in such a cool place as this. One where leisure and happiness seem to be the order of the day. Maybe some people are not trying hard enough to be happy. Maybe they live in bad neighborhoods. Maybe some miss the snow. But upon closer observation, you see how poorly things are run in our local governments and how strained things are between different classes and types of people and how politics and side deals and pay-to-play schemes reign supreme over real progress and, at some point, it all begins to make sense... Our paradise is one that is lost.

Once a nice place to live, South Florida has become merely a nice place to visit. Many here, happy or not, mostly natives and long-timers, feel that we have become nearly unlivable. And for most of us who just want to live our lives in peace, that feeling comes not only from rising taxes, higher living costs, higher fuel costs, sleazy politics and rampant crime -- all of which have negative effects on people's outlook on life -- but also from the resulting abundance of bad attitudes that surface in revolt. Add to all of this: a brooding culture of excess and a plethora of uncivil behavioral patterns and norms that have gone unchecked in our overall decade-long rush toward urbanized sprawl. Not to mention all the fallout from the failed one-party rule of our national government. Along with a failed, unimaginative state leadership.

Even with everything going on nationally excluded, many of our residents, here in South Florida, are just plain stressed. Some are naturally miserable and overly stressed, living in such a manner as a lifestyle of sorts to look cute or in line with the etiquette of their caste, while others are mainly, understandably and legitimately stressed by traffic, crime, construction, racial strife, low wages, medical bills, bad neighbors and other urban growing pains as the region continues its overall trend toward uncontrolled urbanized sprawl. Not to mention our continued recovery from past storms and the fallout over insurance rates that followed. All of which make for an unusual mix of sunshine and misery... in a place that is not supposed to have any misery... at all.

In the midst of all this misery, one of the most frightening aspects about South Florida is the threatening feeling that criminals and their various sympathizers and apologists have all but taken over. From organized gangs to smooth operators with suits and ties to petty creeps trying to rob someone with their pants sagging lower than their socks, South Florida's crime trends tend to surprise even those from northern big cities. Leaving many people to fear for themselves and their families in a place that should be, at least, reasonably safe and secure, overall.

And as if the greed and vanity of a brash and brazen criminal culture isn't enough, the negative, scorning vibe of Miami's hedonistic dark side pulsates throughout the region. As a result, the good people and their culture of neighborly goodwill and unselfish deeds are often overshadowed, if not overtaken, by the pervasive culture of carnal indulgence, vanity, narcissism, selfishness and excess that looms over and darkens South Florida's brightest of skies. Add to this misery, a state and regional leadership that seemingly only exists to serve the people with time or money on their hands (retirees, transplants, vacationers, the very wealthy etc.) and not the people who must make a living here from scratch.

For many of our poorest residents, by the way, their lives have often been plagued with inflation, stagnant wages, poor quality health care, declining neighborhoods and, at times, a seemingly self-imposed lack of upward mobility. Some of them, not educated enough to understand the forces shaping their environment, resort to a type of group-think and isolationism that only serves to benefit their exploiters. And, as a result, the same cycle of shattered dreams persists generation after generation as education is supplemented with pure emotionalism. A cycle made significantly worse by a political structure that fails consistently to invest in our region's most valuable resource: our people. The result: a shallow, poorly-funded and non-influential education system that fails to form deep links with its equally floundering and unimpressive industrial component. Followed by many broken homes and lives... that don't have to be.

But even before education, security is paramount. Security clears the path, in these often forgotten neighborhoods, toward progressive thought and the building of dreams. Perhaps now that there is a major effort underway in our local law enforcement agencies to remove filthy gangs and other criminals from our most troubled areas, in places like Lake Worth and West Palm Beach -- perhaps now -- the good people remaining in these areas can finally begin to think about building their dreams... instead of about how to dodge bullets and raise their children at the same time.

Whether one is rich, middle class or of meager means, life is just so much better when ordinary people feel that they can live a good life no matter what class they are in or income level they are on. Most people don't ask for much. In effect, real progress is made, ultimately, when citizens and their governments are fully committed to working whole-heartedly toward mutual outcomes that benefit us all. So, while South Florida's misery and gloom stretches across all ages, races, classes, genders and religions, it is generally safe to assume that, in any case, a better outlook on life tends to make for the creation of a better life... Wouldn't you agree?

Bad Attitudes

"Paradise's Paradox... Bad Attitudes Abound" v. johns

South Florida, with its sultry sun and surf, is a place that looks great on the surface... Lots of fun and sun, parties, clubs, tennis, golf, boating and fishing... Lots of beaches, of course, lakes, rivers, creeks, ponds... and pools... So many pretty people, places and things... Depending on where you live and what you do, of course... A place alive and vibrant with many scenic vistas, both natural and urban, but with what can be argued to be some of the rudest, craziest, laziest and most character-challenged people you will ever meet... in your life...

Despite South Florida's image as a mecca for fun and leisure, the price of living in this paved urban paradise, and its many sprawling outlying areas, is that we must often put up with people whose mindsets oppose or conflict with our sunny and scenic surroundings. And nowhere is this paradox of paradise more apparent than in our daily travels to and from...

On one hand, the sunshine entices you to believe that everything is wonderful and fine. The California-derived Mediterranean look and feel of its architectural overlay almost assures you that its is. Most coastal areas here, especially the small towns, exude the cool, laid-back look of a tropical paradise... Driving south on U.S. 1 between Tequesta and North Palm Beach -- or -- on A1A in Delray or Ft. Lauderdale, as you are soothed by the beautiful scenery, you feel a sense of serenity and calm. The sand, surf and salty air beckon...

On the other hand, even the sunniest of days cannot escape an occasional patch of dark clouds. The rude, difficult -- and sometimes dangerous -- people we encounter, on some days, makes South Florida feel more like a no-holds-barred northern metropolis... Even among the rare natives, the friendliness stops at the slam of a car door... Driving on I-95, in rush hour traffic, as you cruise along with no particular rush to be there, you find yourself in a boiling asphalt sea of rude and nasty driving-challenged idiots determined to run you off the road at any cost. And you begin to wonder whether or not this part of the continental United States is anywhere near deserving of being called a paradise...

While South Florida has successfully presented itself to the world as possessing all the glitter and panache of a wildly sophisticated urban dreamscape, the overall civic and social culture of ordinary citizens leaves much to be desired. The rude, uncaring and uncivil behaviors of our residents tends to detract from the inviting look and feel of an area that is often touted as the pinnacle of paradise.

Our region, even in its most glamorous parts, seems to be swamped with an abundance of rude and nasty people. People who actually have nothing better to do than to be rude and nasty. As such, rude and nasty people, quite naturally, do rude and nasty things. Things, mind you, that often make victims of others: driving erratically, insulting others, racism, bad customer service manners, domestic assault, criminal activities, etc. It begs the question of whether or not the sun that shines so brightly, down this way, is really an illusion concocted and funded by the state legislature to make our region appear to be more livable...

Bad attitudes abound. If you go online and type in, say, "Miami vs." any big city, U.S.A., you will find some pretty scathing commentary concerning its people: the perceived lack of brainpower, the bad traffic and its accompanying bad behaviors, the rudeness, the snobbishness, etc. Similar notions apply when you compare all of South Florida to other regions around the nation...

South Florida, though located on the bottom right of a state that consistently ranks at the bottom rung in all national and regional indicators and studies, manages to tarnish its image well enough on its own. This despite the very popular idea that our entire state is composed overwhelmingly of crazed lunatics, perverts and morons. And the notion that many people's negative impressions of our entire state seem to originate from their experiences here doesn't help our region's woes at all. 

While other more stable and sane places around the nation enjoy the distinction of being normal places with normal people, Florida is routinely ridiculed in the media and by word of mouth as being a source of the of all things dumb, silly, weird or bizarre. Its most populous and most popular city, Miami, synonymous with South Florida, is often cited as the bad driver, bad manners and road-rage capital of America. And despite its glamorous presentation and allure, the actual day-to-day atmosphere of the Magic city has, perhaps unfairly, been compared to that of third world nations...

And while it is tempting to blame all of our behavioral problems on education, or lack thereof, I'm just not entirely clear on whether or not all the rudeness and poor education are really that significantly bound to each other. But I'm willing to bet that poor and uneducated feel all this nastiness more acutely than anyone else.

Rude or not, there is no doubt that education and training -- and good quality jobs -- produce better citizens. When will Florida realize this? And I believe that a great deal of the nastiness that is allowed to fester in this region is only made worse when education is not deep seeded and heavily influential. And is made even worse, yet, when residents are resigned to living in a place where outsiders fare better than natives and heavy investment in its most vulnerable people, beyond exploiting them for cheap labor and quick taxes, seems to be lacking...

At some point, you gotta wonder... Just what is it about places like Austin, Seattle and Portland, and even huge, 4-million strong Atlanta, that make these places at least appear so drastically different in its people's basic attitudes and character than any given metro in Southeast Florida? Why are they at least perceived as being tolerant, welcoming, "Achieve the American Dream" type places while we are perceived as merely a playground for the rich, where the poor and middle class need not apply, and where the brains that we do have must surely come from somewhere else?

To recap, yes, Florida is a very strange place. Its part of our lore. And our appeal. I can live with that. Secondly, although I reject the notion that Floridians are generally a bunch of morons and dummies, given its overall anti-intellectual environment, its heavy promotion of hedonism and leisure, and its poor school systems, its very hard to prove otherwise. But, while the first two items are up for grabs, the rudeness, the bad attitudes, the road rage, the overall lack of respect for one's neighbors if they are different, etc. are very real and have almost become signature characteristics of a place that has grown too fast and has lost a great deal of its original character and charm.

As our state struggles to break free of its image of all things lame, its economic engine, South Florida, bares the mark of being a once fairly livable place where, now, any manner of bad behavior goes. The image of a perpetually playful paradise continues to loom heartily over its actual problems, pitfalls and perils, creating an unusual mix of clear skies and uptight citizens in one of the world's most sought after retreats. Indeed, South Florida has managed, quite well, to successfully sell the Sunshine State's most valuable commodity: the illusion of endless happiness and joy...

 

Independence Day

"Our Independence Day" by v. johns, 7/4/08, 11:27 PM

Martin County, at times, appears to be one of those kinds of places where the poor and the middle class are so caught up in caste etiquette and so hellbent on keeping up with and competing with one another over the pettiest of grievances that they have been excessively slow to envision the larger war that has been - and is being - waged against them in the form of government waste and corporate greed. While the poor sweat blood for pennies a day and greet anything even remotely resembling style and class with disgust... often decrying middle-class values with jealousy, scowls and taunts... the middle class, itself, finds itself not being able to keep up with the Joneses - let alone the Kilroy's - as they teeter on the edge of descending rapidly into the lowly ranks of the poor via high fuel costs, layoffs, foreclosures and near death home values. Meanwhile, the rich frolic and play as if their fortunes have nothing to do with the middle class and the poor having money in their pockets to buy the goods and services that the rich produce and peddle to them.

In the meantime, a new strain of rich, the super rich (who make the rich look middle class and the middle class look poor... who have learned to profit on the bad times of others... who REALLY DON'T owe their fortunes directly to ordinary citizens but to legal loopholes and corrupt schemes, almost in direct partnership with our government) has emerged. And they have raided and squandered vast swaths of our nation's resources in global theft schemes that have brought this once respectable nation to its knees. Schemes that have threatened even THEIR fortunes...

But not as much as WE - the people, that is - are going to threaten their fortunes once we get control of our government again... IF we get control of our government again...

All this time that has passed, somewhere along the way, WE, the citizens, have dropped the ball in our duty to maintain a constant vigilance in our pursuit of a more perfect Union. Now, without further ado, we have landed ourselves on the financial front lines of a global war against ordinary citizens for corporate dominance and control over nearly every aspect of our lives. That dominance and control being for the express purpose of exploiting and reaping loads of capital and cash off of as many of those aspects as they can...

In this sick, twisted narrative of Eden's descent into the bowels of Hades, all the while that the poor and middle class have been fighting each other over mere nonsense, some in our state government, along with their Washington and private sector counterparts, have robbed us blind in the midst of our drunken stupor. While we have hated each other for the dumbest of things, the powers that we have allowed to be, for their own personal vanity and gain, have sought to add company to our misery by taking it and shoving it and sticking it to the middle class... Robbing them broke, beating them down and driving them in droves deep into the depths of financial ruin and personal despair...

Perhaps the saddest note in this sordid song of tragedy and lost dreams is that both the middle class and the poor have been used perfectly and effectively as foot soldiers against their own American brethren. Dividing the nation and the state along liberal and conservative lines, the conservative working poor and business-owning middle class were made to believe, by their leaders, that their generally better educated liberal counterparts were the impending social downfall of the country, if not the world. When, in truth, their own severely flawed conservative leaders were the actual secret torchbearers of doom itself. They were told that God, guns and the rights of gay citizens (or lack thereof) were the most important issues of our time and they believed it. They were told that terrorists were going to strike again, at any moment, using everything from pens to shoes, and they believed it. And they punished and struck against any of their fellow citizens who didn't...

Here in Florida, rural conservative support has been used to thwart real progress in the state's most populous, and perhaps, most liberal counties... Leaving them swamped in gridlock and crime with corrupt local politicians and overzealous, rule-skirting home developers driving drunk at the wheel.. All the while setting the stage for the kind of economic rot and decay that has not been seen since many generations ago...

The Bush era here in our great state (Jeb) coupled with the Bush era in Washington, that will thankfully be ending soon (George), yielded droves of misguided citizens who were puzzlingly ready and willing to vote at the polls for things - God, guns and gays - that had nothing to do with solid, concrete progress and prosperity. Many who were poor, instead of voting for issues and policies that would help elevate them to the ranks of the middle class and beyond, were tricked and rallied into voting against their own best interests. In the meantime, the middle class has found itself, seemingly suddenly, but really slowly over time, joining the ranks of the poor.

The failed 2006 anti-incumbent-laced attempt of our citizens to punish the ruling Neo-con dominated party (Republicans) and regain control over their government revealed yet another dynamic: That those that they had elected to act out their civilized revolution (Democrats) were either too spineless, too weak in heart or too weak in numbers, at the very least, to carry out that mandate. Leading many to wonder and suspect whether or not we have all been lulled into the seduction of an illusion of competing ideals... and ideas... whether or not we are all doomed to repeat a vicious cycle of electing those who run in our name but serve their terms to the appeasement of the private and corporate masters in which they serve...

Today, let us all celebrate our Independence Day by vowing to once again become the nation of independents and free thinkers our forefathers envisioned. By vowing to never again allow ourselves to become so divided that we nearly forfeit our country's future to those who would sell us out... If we can imagine ourselves defeating seemingly undefeatable alien monsters in the movie "Independence Day," then surely we can imagine ourselves, on this holiday of the same name, defeating the wicked, non-caring private and corporate interests of the world that have crushed so many dreams and destroyed so many lives...