Creating A Nation United

NAMES ARE BLOCKED FROM PRIVACY

What follows is a conversation that I had with a “Friend” once removed. By “First Real” I am referring to the length and depth of the conversation.

January 25, 2017

Meg Phillips Hi ____. I don’t know you and I don’t want to attack or insult you. I would like to know why you responded to ____’s post with “who cares” When it is clear that millions of people care. If you don’t that is fine as well. I just don’t understand what you want to accomplish by spreading apathy. How is that a productive response? Why respond at all?

____:  I don’t really care about his tax return the truth will eventually come out. As far as the rest of it I’m waiting to pass judgement until something is actually done. I like that he is not using a majority of politicians. Is it scaring? Maybe, but I find out more intriguing. Many of these people are successful large company people who know how to get things done. Let’s be honest there has been corruption on both sides for a long time. I day last try something different with people that are successful and get things done. Frankly things can’t get much worse than they are. We have some things here at home that need figured out. Our focus should be here until we do. Is that gonna upset some people sure, but you can’t make everyone happy it’s just not feasible. I work with inner city kids and I see first hand what these bailout programs are doing. They hurt way more than they help. All the construction work he is talking about
Is great create jobs for these folks that don’t have the education to get a white collar job. People what more freedom that requires more responsibility on their part and it’s just not there. So then the opposite happens and more laws have to be passed so those that are responsible get punished. none of this gets fixed without some yours bring stripped on we have slipped to far for it not to

 

Meg Phillips Hi ____. Thanks for your response. I completely understand your point about creating jobs for folks that can’t get a white collar job. I have a Bachelors degree and two Masters degrees and I can’t get a job doing what I want either. A job which I went to school for and am now at an entry level position (one where only a Bachelors degree is required) and one that pays so little that I have to put off paying my student loans and get a second job. I’m not complaining because I made those decisions and am privileged to have been able to do so. However, I want you to know that it’s hard everywhere right now for the vast majority of Americans. In terms of the inner city kids, I would be interested to hear your thoughts as I too have spent time in city public schools. What solution(s) would you propose if you, someone with experience, were made Secretary of Education? I know it’s totally hypothetical, but still kind of an interesting exercise.

Meg Phillips Regarding taxes: in leadership positions, I feel like it’s important to model good behavior meaning that you have to do yourself what you are asking of other people (kindness, patience, understanding) and in this country, part of that involves paying taxes and making sure that you have representation via that payment. President Trump and Steven Mnuchin have both not paid taxes to our federal government on what seems to be somewhere between $170,000,000 and $95,000,000 (but that’s only on a pretty surface level of checking so I would have to fact check the larger number better, but the minimum is accurate as Mnuchin admitted to it). I see this as part of the problem as well; the rich seem to get richer and the poor poorer, and the middle class has simply disappeared. That money could be used to rebuild infrastructure (railroad, roads, dams, etc.) Jobs: Following Rick Perry’s example, maybe we could invest in wind farms as a source of job creation and we would be using an energy source that might be hurting people.

____: Just quickly one of the biggest problems that I see in the kids that come through is no knowledge of the basics. A specific example would be multiplication tables. They need a calculator to solve basic math. How are these kids passing to the next level without knowing this? This creates a big problem once they hit higher level math. I’m not a big fan of how school has become so standardized. We have lost a art in the form of teaching. Some of this is the result of parents not being involved in their kids lives or schooling. I’m glad it’s not up to me and I pray for those making the decisions. Not sure about his pick in this area, but I do know that the trend of the last decade when it comes to schooling had not been good. I see lots of people getting ridiculous degrees that have no job market. We are losing the middle class in part because in my opinion nobody is looking at those type of degrees anymore. We have generations that have no basic skills to fill these types of positions. We have generations raised with no work ethic addicted to Facebook and video games. I could go on and on on this but got to run

Meg Phillips Thanks for your response ____. It’s so appropriate for you to mention multiplication tables because this morning I was working with a senior in high school who had to use a calculator to figure out all the numbers that can be multiplied to get to 24. I completely agree that teaching as a nuanced art form has taken a back seat to standardized testing. I believe this to be one of the main issues in our schools and is reflected through the cultural environment of division that can be seen everywhere. I also think that bringing back vocational programs (Home Economics, Carpentry, Mechanics, Art, Music, etc.) would be beneficial. I think it is easy to point out problems and place blame but how can we make it better? In terms of employment and the economy, do you think it would be helpful if the government put more restrictions on corporations that inhibited them from outsourcing jobs?

____: I’m torn on the last part. I’m not a big fan of more government involvement, however I think our priority as a country right now should be at home. It’s a good question. I think we do ourselves as a country a great disservice by not offering those classes that you mentioned not all kids are born for the classroom some are more geared towards those types of classes and we put them at a disadvantage by not offering them

Meg Phillips I completely agree! These are classes that ensure students can become educated in more than rote memorization and have the power to keep kids, who might otherwise drop out, in schools. I understand your hesitation about government regulation. I believe that our government is meant to protect the people and sadly I think it has been doing a pretty inadequate job. However, I think that it is time for the government to start putting serious restrictions on private companies who close factories, taking away millions of jobs from American workers because they can make their product more cheaply overseas. This seems to me to be a simple way of addressing unemployment and proves that the government cares about “us” (meaning Americans).

____: Well u may get your wish because I believe trump is gonna do just that

Meg Phillips I hope so, but I don’t remember him running on that policy. Did he mention bringing either Ivanka’s or his clothing company back to the US? I didn’t follow his campaigns too closely so I’m really not sure.

____: It was in his inauguration speech

____: Lol he should. He could open up a factory on the south side of Chicago

Meg Phillips Thanks for your engagement ____! I think opening up a factory and hiring people to rebuild Chicago’s south side is a great idea! I would much rather have federal tax dollars going to bringing business back into the US rather than building a wall to separate us from Mexico.

____: So far he is doing just what he said he would do, so unlike the majority of other politicians he is doing what he says. Refreshing! It’s sad that this country is so torn apart but the gate is coming from the left. You don’t have to like the guy I sure DON’T but door far I can’t argue with what he is doing. People are just ticked off cause now they might have to be held accountable for their actions. I don’t understand all this hate I’m seeing