Work longer hours to build America?

Jeb bush in an interview on July 8th, on Periscope made a comment that sickens me.

“People need to work longer hours to help grow the economy." He then follows it up with, "the simple fact is people are really struggling. So giving people a chance to work longer hours has got to be part of the answer. If not, you are going to see people lose hope. And that’s where we are today.”

People have been loosing hope for generations and not because they want to work more hours to keep up with expenses of life.  No, they are loosing hope because they are forced to work more hours just to stay afloat! 

How can Jeb Bush honestly believe that encouraging people to work more hours is actually going to help the economy and the individual.  In fact, I know from personal experience, being forced to work more hours actually hurts the economy.  I have less time to 'enjoy my pursuit of happiness,' because I can't for afford to.  I earn less money now working 40-80 hour weeks then I did 25 years ago.  In addition the added stress has caused physical injury to myself both from the longer working hours, and the continued stress of trying to survive!  That alone hurts the economy.

Why should I continue to work hard for the 1% that continues to work less and earn more?  Why should I be denied good health as I stress out more from working longer?  Why should I be paying more to live a normal life? 

Clearly Jeb Bush is out of synch with reality.  He is set on lower taxes for the rich.  He is set on higher profits for the large corporations.  He is set on making the average American work longer in order for the 1% to be wealthier.  If he really wants to help the average American to not lose hope, then demand corporations pay a fair and honest wage.  Demand they truly hold up their agreement to provide high quality products, great service and at a fair cost.  It is those items that have made America great.  It is those items that have built the American economy.  It is the hope and belief that the average American can become a part of the 1% that has fueled the economy.

All Jeb Bush is doing is trying to convince people to work harder and earn less for the good of the country.  REALLY?

We must thank our founding fathers this weekend for allowing people to say foolish, and at times, hurtful things

July 4, 1776, Independence Day, a day that we celebrate for it was written and approved by men who were willing to give their lives to form a new country.  We not only celebrate their courage and their desire for freedom from a tyrant, but for what has become a country of such freedom and hope that millions of people from around the world dream and desire to have such freedom.  With this freedom to pursue a basic goal of self worth and happiness, it also has the ability and the right to say what is on your mind.  But with that basic freedom of free speech, responsibility for what you say comes with it.

Recently, Donald Trump choose to exercise the freedom of speech by saying things that were hurtful, incorrect and disrespectful to a group of individuals that live in this country, and about their relatives who live in other countries.  I will not repeat what he said, for there is no reason to continue to hurt people with his words.  This is not the first time Mr. Trump has gone off the deep end with his comments, and to be blunt, his bullying tactics.  However, with those comments, and the fact he is claiming to be a member of an organization that he feels supports him, those words he said can not go un-noticed, or go without punishment from that organization.  The organization I am referring to is the Republican Party.

While a small few within the party have come out against what he has said, the people who run that organization have not, nor do they seem willing to.  In fact, it appears they have chosen to be quiet in the hopes that it would fade away, and even Mr. Trump would fade away quickly.  That way, they will not be in a position to alienate anyone within their party for condemning what Mr. Trump said.  This is a true mark of what politics has come to.  Let others on the fringe of the organization say what ever they want to say to win people over to the party, thus bringing in more money and hopefully more votes.  Ignore what they say, so as not to alienate those fringe elements, or even the core base of their party.  And while that may seem to be a good idea, all it does is harm America as a whole.

By not condemning those words, or even addressing them, the Republican party and the Democrat party allow those words to continue to divide Americans.  This is one of their goals, to have only two parties rule the country, thus preventing any sense of common ground to exist as proven more so since 2008.  Just as they continue to claim they are for the middle class, when in fact they continue to destroy the middle class by their actions.

The fear of alienating anyone so as not to loose money or votes is a joke. This stifles true conversation, true engagement and ultimately finding that middle ground that benefits everyone.  It was that middle ground that took our founding fathers months to find when they choose to break away from England and form their own country.  That middle ground is what made America great through the years.  It was a place where people could have heated, honest conversations to express their thoughts, and from that, a middle ground was created which then lead to greater prosperity.

For any one party not speaking up about such hatred and miss-guided comments in fear of alienating their membership does not bring people to a place of true growth.  Finding that middle ground that allows for us to learn and grow as a country, as people.

So while we may dislike what is said, we must thank our founding fathers this weekend for allowing people to say foolish, and at times, hurtful things so that a conversation can exist and we can grow from what was said.  It is one of our rights given to us through blood on the battle fields.  It is one we should honor and respect.