The 99 percent tell their stories

Listen to Dave Ross Commentary: The 99 percent tell their stories

According to presidential candidate Herman Cain, the 99 percenters — who claim that our economy is stacked in favor of the wealthiest one percent are lazy people:

“If you don’t have a job and you’re not rich, blame yourself,” said Cain.

Blame yourself! Maybe some of them ARE lazy … but let me just read you a few of the handwritten notes being posted on a blog called wearethe99percent.

We are blessed with two full time jobs but still pay on student loans 16 years after graduating. We are one car repair away from missing a mortgage payment.

Today my sociology professor asked a class how many of us expected to get a job after graduation… No one raised their hand. Then she asked how many of us had over $10,000 in student loans… Almost every hand in the classroom, including mine, shot up.

I’m 38-years-old. I had cancer. After that my health insurance ended. I’m unemployed, I owe almost 50,000 in student loans and I have less than 50 dollars in the bank.

I have been unemployed since 2008, my unemployment insurance ran out last year, my husband works two jobs to take care of our family of five, he is exhausted.

I am 26-years-old I have been working since I was 16
I build medical devices. I can barely afford my studio apartment.

Saved for old age. Career cut off by illness. Crash took my resources. Can’t sell house.

Maybe we can try to convince these folks to blame themselves:

“If you don’t have a job and you’re not rich, blame yourself,” said Cain.

That might work. But we do have to consider the day might come when they stop blaming themselves.

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