SHEsaysWITHaSMILE.blogspot.com

Very Important Conversations to (me!) sandra, tvgp ~writeousmom ~tops #economics

I am so burnt out on the bullshit of that argument.  its a lie.

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what I'm talkin' about..  

I was having lunch with my son, jack, at giant burger, and we talked about many things, but among them, low income housing

and he started to mention how Pleasanton doesn't want to attract low income people because it increases crime

a large part of me wanted to stand up on the table, and with a megaphone shout

"that's bullshit!"

I'm so tired of that worn out threat and lie..

and so I said to my son..   I explained how I have a great work ethic..  I have given..  look at everything I have contributed to Pleasanton..   sending you and your sister through the school system, volunteering in the schools, the good neighbors holiday boutique, being a keynote speaker here and there, the poet laureate, 5 years the reflections chair, contributing on local tv, with in a word, and conversations, teaching arts/crafts in the pre-schools, and creative dance at pams dance studio..  there is a very long list..   hard work, volunteerism, contribution,   -writing classes through the parks/rec..

and ive worked at all these Pleasanton places of business..  Amelia's deli, creative imaging, ricks picks, ruby hill, Pleasanton patch,      -making minimum wage give or take a dime an hour

and the people ive worked with... great people! enormously hard working..   many, many, on low hourly wages, shift work, part time..       owners cut hours at will...   no benefits...

these people are not a crime threat to the population  -they are some of the hardest working, caring, wonderful people anywhere

and I am not apologizing for not making a lot of money, like its some kind of crime..   and I am far, far, from a criminal even though I spent a decade below the poverty level.

you know who else is low income...   all the teachers that have helped you get where you are write now..   they don't make enough to buy a home here in pleasanton.. their contributions are HUGE!    you mean to tell me..  all these pre-school and elementary school..  middle school, high school teachers..

hard working, mighty contributing teachers are a crime threat to your neighborhood if you were to provide places to live that they could actually afford   -that's a lie.

there is not one minimum/low income person I have worked with who would threaten to increase the crime rate if they were to rent an apartment here..

so, I was very glad to hear   -AT LEAST!-  they are building low income housing for the teachers.. so they don't have to commute hours each day back and forth...    they should be able to live where they work and are contributing

you know what high crime is..    

the lack, the dodging..    the legal loop holes, the avoidance of providing residence for people of all income levels..   because people of all income levels are contributing to what makes Pleasanton, pleasanton

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I'm going to skip here..   the crimes, stealing, drug/addiction issues taking place among the wealthy..
and what a true crime threat disposable income is for a percentage of the 'rich' kids

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instead..  just like to ponder  -if we take a micro-view of the entire working population/job opportunities within Pleasanton, and make one of those fancy power-point graphs

which would show:   the # people earning $20,000 or less; this many 20,000 - 30,000, etc.

and then, another graph with the total # jobs in each wage/income level

and then, the third graph..    housing/apartments, prices in each level..

   -well, if we could see actual numbers in those three graphs..  wouldn't that be telling.

and at least, in my imagination..    there should be local affordable living opportunities which come close in distribution to the jobs.

***

and he is such a good listener, my son..    and he let me rant/rave, and then we talked about upcoming family get togethers, school, college, cars, and just how great the burgers, the shakes..

***

Next Very Important Conversation was with my sexy; Robert..   we were driving somewhere..  and he re-mentioned how dramatically things had changed for cops..

how, just after 9/11, police-officers were respected, celebrated..   but, after the media..  the corruption by the few that got blasted over and over..   how drastically it changed..   how his children, once very proud to say their father was a cop.. became fearful..   just didn't mention it at all..

and Robert said   "man, I've had to start looking over my shoulder all the time, like for the past 5 years.."

and I thought to myself     only 5 years..    but out loud said, "you should try being female."

***

but I haven't stopped thinking about that..      -the entire reason cops have gone from being respected/celebrated to being fearful, looking over their shoulders, and shunned/threatened by the public at large

is because a small % of the corrupt ones...   but how, the media so magnified; so blasted; so repeated, repeated, repeated

and it is a very well established pattern of human behavior, that we project onto the whole of a given population the misdeeds of the few..

few bad cops =   all cops are bad.

few cops are racist   = all cops are racist

few bad white men in power  = all white men are bad.

few corrupt religious leaders   =  all organized religions are bad

few lying/cheatin' men  =   all men are dogs

few lyin'/cheatin women  = all women are hoes

few coaches are pedophiles/molesters/rapists   = all coaches become suspicious...


this is a very long list..

but, the point before I go on about my day, is this

what Robert was telling me...   how the way the media/the news portrayed cops made it so he had to start looking over his shoulder all the time

that is EXACTLY what the black, African American, population has been trying to explain, for the past 100+ years!      -the way the media/news has portrayed them..   has made it so that they have to look over their shoulders all the time

and I would add on, the way the media/news portrays blacks, makes all non-blacks feel like they have to look over their shoulders when they are around blacks..

so,

the common denominator -  is THE WAY THE NEWS/MEDIA PORTRAY...

and!

THE WAY THE PUBLIC AT LARGE RESPONDS...     projecting on to the whole, the behavior/crimes of the few..

***

and this is only one of many reasons I do not watch the news, and only VERY SELECTIVELY watch tv in general...

***

and, notice I am skipping here also..   the way the media portrays females..

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but clearly, clearly, clearly

where we most need the paradigm shift,  dear new generation..

is in the media.

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see how powerful it is...    

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it can be used for good or evil...

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and so you see then,   -what they like to do, is show pictures of the small % of low income areas where crime/drugs are high..   and get you to project that image on to the entire population of people making $20,000 or less..

the first thing to understand is that the % of crime/drugs is small, relative to the entire population of 'low' income people, families




and I challenge you to walk into any business, restaurant, hotel, retail establishment, warehouse, factory,  and look at the wage earners..  and ask yourself..  if I were to provide them a place they could afford to live, without changing their income..

would the result be high crime?  can you look at the barista, or server, teacher, or volunteer, or packager, or receptionist, etc..     and say to yourself..    'don't want YOU living in my neighborhood..'

***


In Jesus,    -is portrayed how? in the Bible vs. the media..   what do you project onto Jesus   -name,   -amen.

posted by SHE @ 8:50 AM