American Boot Strap Mentality

I used to believe that we, as a society, really did have a independent, boot strap mentality. Until I really started listening to people. In the past 15 years, I have heard so-called independent people scream about postage being raised, even though the Postal Service is almost a privately held entity and it still costs less than 50 cents to send a letter.

It has really started bugging me because I am doing a project that I hope gets published about the agriculture sector. But it has involved speaking to a lot of people. Farmers, distributors, etc. And no matter who it is, a foodie or a farmer, every comment complaining about what someone else is doing is usually followed closely in the conversation about how they are not getting what they are entitled to. Uggg. And it is really beginning to piss me off. I don't claim to be a boot-strap person. Actually, I hope that as a society we can all give each other a hand (yea yea, very PollyAnna). In fact, I wish I saw more evidence of people simply talking with each other. There are a few people in my own family that I can't have more than a superficial conversation with because I am either a liberal commie or (get this) a fascist. I am all things.

I SWEAR - Real conversations
Me: I wish the Prez had come out sooner about the Gulf oil spill. It just seems like he ignored it.
Cuz: What, because he's black, he's incompetent.
Me: Umm, what does his race have to do with anything?

Me: I like a lot of the health care reform package, though I would like to see a public option.
Cuz2: Really? And I suppose you would like to see everyone getting a three month vacation too.
Me: Um, what does that have to do with healthcare?

And don't even get me started about the Grandma that watches Fox News morning to midnight. She has gone batshit crazy. "Hello" is now a communist socialist plot as she yells about keeping your filthy socialist hands off her Medicare. Family get-togethers have become a minefield.

Anywhoo, I was just thinking about this, rather than beginning the next lecture in the Barbri series.