Protecting the Family

Posted by Little Miss Know it All

January 11, 2007 |

Are we a family friendly society? Politicians would love for you to believe that’s their focus–all the kissing babies, marriage-penalty tax talk, protecting families, its all for the kids, blah, blah, blah.

However, let’s look at recent evidence. More than a quarter of our country’s kids live below the poverty level. Divorced and single parent homes now outnumber married-parent homes. We have more toys, more books, more toddler programs (Gymboree anyone? ), in essence, more STUFF for families, but to what use? What good is the super deluxe Eddie Bauer car seat combo with leather trim, cupholder and matching jogging stroller if Mommy and Daddy can’t stand to be in the same room together? Or if they are up to their ears in debt, working 60 hours a week just so that they can “live” the American Dream? (Let me say, that’s not living, especially not in freedom. That’s slavery to some falsified idea of what life is about.)

And what about those families we sold a bill of goods to during Welfare Reform in the mid 90’s? (Don’t misunderstand me, it was desperately needed–but the follow through is greatly lacking.) We trained them, educated them, promised them that if they got off welfare, their lives would be a thousand times better. But, is it? A majority of those families moved into minimum wage jobs. And here’s a shocker–working 40 hours a week at minimum wage–their income still qualifies for welfare!

Again, we let welfare reform be good PR, then forgot all about it once the tv cameras were turned off. We haven’t followed up to find that a two income, 40 hour a week family working at minimum wage is still below poverty level. Can you imagine a family of four living on $15,000 a year?

Neither can Little Miss Know it All.

I am so tired of politics as slogans. I want something with substance, something with some bite, and a poltician with follow through. Don’t just do it while the cameras are running, do it when no one else is looking. That’s what Jesus did, that’s what he commanded…and if you claim to be a follower of his and come to my church looking for votes, then I expect you to be doing it too.

Stay tuned as tomorrow Little Miss Know it All will tie the minimum wage and poverty to illegal immigration….

For more information on this topic, see Kevin Spurlock of Super Size Me fame as he lives on minimum wage for 30 days…