*Ahem* I would like to add another voice please?
These Occupy protests are everywhere, and I don’t know
how to feel about them. I look on
the news and see people who are angry,
but don’t know what about. They march
and hold meetings, but they mostly just rant without goals.
However. When I read
the postings on the 99% website, my heart is broken. These are people who
are educated, who have the best jobs they can get, who just want to be able to
eat and pay rent in the same week. They
have to choose between medical care and a roof.
This is not ok. It’s not
just, it’s not fair, and it does make
me mad.
I don’t agree with the way they’re trying to affect change,
but golly gee whiz, I sure do relate
to them. I read an article recently that
said the problem is that this generation is forced to delay their lives, and I thought- “I know those people. I am one of those people!”
I know too many people who had to move back home after
college because they couldn’t afford student loan payments and rent. I know too many people who took bad jobs
because that’s all there is left.
We’re all delaying marriages and cars and houses and babies
and yes- lives because we know we can’t afford them. And the thing is, for us to make any other
decision would be irresponsible. I refuse to have a child I can’t
support. I refuse to buy a car I can’t
pay for. But the government and the
American society keep pushing us to do these things, so I feel bad when I make healthy choices.
I’m not mad at the banks.
I’m glad they keep my money for me and pay me interest without charging
me fees (choose good banks, people! Investigate before you give them
your money!). I’m not even mad at
student loan companies. I approached
them to borrow money, and without them, my education would have been impossible.
However… charging 12% interest on a loan seems a little unfair,
doesn’t it? Charging a fee for being
proactive and paying your loan off early seems unjust, right? There’s just something wrong with foreclosing on a house when there are 4 children inside,
isn’t there?
I certainly don’t have the answers. I know that this little family is being aggressive and trying to get rid of
these debts so we CAN get on with our lives.
I know that I won’t ever borrow money again, except maybe for a house. I know
that I want these people to get justice, but I just don’t know what that looks
like.
So for now, I’m just sitting with the rest of the world,
watching to see what happens. It feels
like all I can do.
