Growing up in Chicago

I don’t always vote Democrat.  I have very conservative Christian values and believe like many other Christians struggle with who to vote for from election to election.  I was on the fence for a while with Mitt Romney.  I don’t necessarily agree with his take on Christianity but from afar he seemed to have some of my same Christian values.  I’m going to be honest and say like most other politicians, I don’t particularly trust Barack Obama.  I do believe he’s very intelligent and capable leader (and was born in the U.S.).

I come from a part of America where Mitt Romney’s 47% is much larger than 47%.  I grew up in the Englewood and Bronzeville neighborhoods of Chicago.  Most families including mine were poor and required government assistance.  We darted in and out of the lower middle class.  My mom had my brother at 14 and me at 15.  I eventually had 3 younger brothers.  My dad was a hardworking but poorly educated man.  They did the best that they could with what they were armed.

I’m not ashamed to say we needed help.  We took advantage of every private and public program we could including Food Stamps.  As we got older my mom got stronger and eventually went back to school and completed her GED using private and public assistance.  She took a job driving a school bus making I believe about $147 a week in the mid 80’s.  She kept at it and was eventually promoted to a dispatcher and later a supervisor.  I got a chance to work with her for about a month and was amazed at how good she was at her job.  We always said she should start her own business.

She later actually did start her own transportation company with her new husband.  They run Threpar Transportation out of Chicago.  They provide safe transportation for school age kids to and from school.  Depending on the peaks and valleys of business they can employee anywhere from 3 to 5 full-time drivers.  They are examples of true job creators in an area of Chicago that needs jobs.

This wasn’t a benefit from some trickle down policy by giving a tax break to “job creators.”  It was a combination of long term government aide and private support working together to help educate my mom and give her a chance.  I picture Mitt Romney and his supporters looking at little girls today like my mom and thinking they are a waste on government resources.  The thought sickens me that someone would call people in these situations victims.  My mom didn’t feel like a victim.  She made some poor choices (I’m glad she did) and understood that no one put her in the situation.  But, I promise you she has given much more back than she received.  Are there people that abuse the system?  Sure, just as long as there’s money to be made their will be cheats.  It doesn’t matter if it’s $200 a month in food stamps or sub-prime mortgages.

I don’t have to see the debate to know who I’m voting for this year.  It’s the guy that didn’t call my mother a victim.