The Four Americas

During the last presidential campaign John Edwards spoke often about “Two Americas.“ Right now I see our country as divided in 4 distinct groups – “Four Americas” At the very bottom are the illegal aliens who are willing to work at wages well below the poverty level. Our representatives in Congress seem unwilling to stop the flow of illegals into our country most likely because the employers who donate to their campaigns are pleased to get low wage workers. Then we have our own citizens who receive the minimum wage or slightly above. They are the working poor who live pay day to pay day, cannot afford health insurance and find themselves in rising debt. Some even become homeless due to illness or national catastrophes. The minimum wage has not been increased in 7 years. At the very top are the really rich who have found their taxes reduced by this administration and congress. This group includes the owners and executives of corporations, politicians, some doctors, lawyers, and other very well paid professionals. Sandwiched in the middle are the rest of us – the Middle Class that is really the American ideal, the backbone of our society. But with rising health insurance costs, mounting gas prices, escalating housing costs, and job layoffs due to massive corporate cutbacks, the middle class is facing more and more problems. The American Dream is fading.

With the country so divided into four distinct segments we are now confronted with natural disasters – hurricanes that decimated a large area of the gulf coast region. The cost of rebuilding will be huge. The cost of the war in Iraq is phenomenal. President Bush asked Congress to “cut back” on programs – programs that help the working poor and the middle class. He asked all of us to accept our share of whatever hardship is necessary. But what about the richest members of the “ Four Americas”? He wants to cut their taxes even more. To do this he needs the support of Congress. We, the vast middle class voted for our representatives in Congress. They should address our needs, and help the poor among us– not enact legislation to make the richest group even richer. What hardship is proposed for the ultra rich? None whatsoever. We must tell our Representatives to support the middle class and the poor and stop catering to the ultra rich.