I should first state that I am not an ultra-conservative. In fact my political leanings are very much dependant on the topic or issue at hand. This tale is about how a simple ride on public transportation can make you at least cognitively race to the right.
Yesterday, I took a very crowded bus from downtown four miles south. In the seat in front of me were two women in their mid-thirties. I am assuming here although, they both looked a bit older. I gathered that they had not seen each other in a while. The white woman had her hair pulled back in a very neat bun. The black woman’s do was similar but not so neat. This does not really matter, just setting the scene. Their conversation went something like this:
BW: Where you been, girl? I ain’t seen you in a long while.
WW: I just got out of rehab.
BW: Really, I thought you were doing so good?
WW: I got my settlement check. It was 30 grand and I relapsed.
BW: What settlement check?
WW: You know from when I fell at work. (She mumbles but, I got the impress it was at a fast food restaurant)
BW: Really, $30,000?
WW: Yeah, but I only got $8,000. left.
BW: $8,000.?
WW: Yeah, like I said I relapsed and spent the rest in 2 months. I woke up and two months later that’s all I had left. Yeah, they took my kids. That’s where um comin’ from now. They gonna give them to my mother for now until I can get things straight. My dad got the rest of the money, but, they don’t know about it. (I assume “they” here means the courts and the county).
BW: Dang, so how you gonna get them back.
WW: Well the first step was finishing rehab. I got another $20,000 comin’ too.
BW: Fa what?
WW: The whole amount was for $50,000. The 30 grand was just the first check.
BW: So, you get another $20,000?
WW: Yeah. (she puts her head down as if she were sad or ashamed. I’m not certain which?
I stared out the window while the words representing WTF! repeatedly paced through my brain. I had a million questions that I could not ask for obvious reasons and will ask a few here.
Does she need to reimburse the county for care for placing her children in foster care? Does she need to pay for her own rehab? Does she need to reimburse the courts for their time? Does she believe that she has any responsibility to the taxpayers that will have to foot the bill for her very bad choices? Do the powers that be know that her dad had squirreled away the money for her? I’ll save you the effort. The answer to all of the above questions I believe is a resounding, NO!
My eyes drifted to the guy across the aisle with muddy boots and a face that I felt certain was weathered 15 years beyond his actual age. He was a hump, a proud hump that I imagine got up every day and went and humped for the man to pay for his life; to provide for his family and give them a bit better than he had coming up. I felt far sorrier for this guy than I could ever for Miss Rehab. Yeah, I fully understand that a whole lot of bad, bad direction has made her the person she is today. I fully understand that in many ways the society, schools, government etc. have failed her and her children but, I can’t help thinking about that guy and a whole lot of others like him who have tried and more times than not succeeded in making good choices. His good choices have resulted in barely making it himself while supporting a system that believes in redemption/rehab. What about him? He gets to hump for his good choices. She on the other hand gets to blow the money obtained from a nuisance lawsuit while at the same time create “bills” she won’t be held responsible for. Yes, indeed I know that life is not often fair but, I still ask, is this situation fair? I believe that we are a society and as such should care for those who either temporarily or permanently cannot care for themselves but, where should the line be drawn? If your life sucks and you are handed $30,000., and you do not use it to move your life forward; should those of us who are pushing forward each day be responsible for your bad choices? I say, no, no, no.
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