cans of soup

As a child of the Great Depression, my mother retained many habits from her parents during that turbulent time regarding a certain quality of life, especially as it concerned itself with food staples in the house. The day my dad received his paycheck, the very first hour of the paycheck in hand, my mother and father would drive to the Star Market, and shop for that weeks groceries. Money for anything else could be found, my mother used to say, but no food in the house brings hunger and hunger does not have the patience to be taken care of it is immediate not like the power or water company.

And when my parents would shop for the six of us, they purchased three times the amount of anything they needed; for fear that the depression might pounce upon America again, denying us of the potential for three meals a day. More was better, having it just in case the remedy, and never take anything for granted the motto.

My mother would say if you have six cans of soup, and have to give up half of them to family or friends at least you still have three cans of soup for yourself. But if you only had one can of soup and had to give that up, no one in our family would eat. It's not that I am a glutton she would add, but at least having one of something is better than having nothing, it is part of survival. If you have more then you can provide for others and isn’t better to be able to help not only yourself but in cases of emergency, help others!

My mother would bake and cook for not only the six of us but for our myriad of friends, and the dozens of relatives who always seemed to be hungry. She felt strongly if you have more you can share, and wasn’t that a part of the American dream.

The Republican/Bagger politicians backed by Koch Brothers, Big Oil and a slew of billionaires, seem to think that the dream for America, their America of 2011, is if you have more, you must retain more, and sharing any burden has no place in their list morals and values.

In the land of the Republican/Bagger the population finding themselves poor is a sin, middle class an outrage, and old, disabled Un-American. In the land of the Republican/Bagger, consensus is agreeing to one side of the argument, and sharing the weight of existence in this country ridiculous. In the land of the Republican/Bagger having six cans of soup is a good thing and if someone else goes hungry because they have none, it was their fault in the first place for being poor.

What has happened to this nation when compromise means do it my way. What has happened to this nation when people needing jobs, people wanting to save their homes, people hoping for health care are usurped by people with power who just want to buy more cans of soup without inviting anyone to their banquet? What happened to equalizing life, liberty and the pursuit for all of us? What happened to compassion, caring and charity?

If my mother were alive, she would have given away 5 of her cans of soup, and made sure no one went to bed hungry.