That's the theme this week after a few rough weeks. Sometimes we get so embroiled in the negativity and chaos surrounding us that we forget that there's always good news and/or silver linings to crappy situations. For us knowing that our bank would cover our mid-month paycheck if the government did shutdown was a silver lining, hearing that a bill had been passed unanimously through both houses to protect military pay during a shutdown was good (dare I say, excellent?) news. I know that some people thought that wasn't fair that the military would still get paid, however I think these people fail to remember that our troops are essential personnel and our first line of domestic defense. Plus, many troops don't have the cushy pay that other government jobs have to stash savings (try as we might but it is hard to do!). So, I'm going to throw out there what I think are positives of the shutdown, feel free to disagree.
With the President, Harry Reid and conservatives at odds with each other, they can't interfere with our lives. Seriously, it's nice to not have to worry about a nanny state being implemented on us. (Although there's been a joke since yesterday that I'm being targeted because I was having issues with the facebook page and had a report of not being able to view my blog by a friend) The government in the last few years has been increasingly encroaching our private lives, from the food we eat to whether or not we can have a certain number of rounds of ammunition in a magazine to whether or not you opt to have healthcare. Plus you add in all the PC hoopla and everyone must recognize everyone else (unless you're a straight, white, Christian then you must be ridiculed and punished). Having them argue with each other about all this is a nice little break for some people who are over how much input the government has in our everyday lives.
This next thing might sound insensitive, but when have I ever actually cared about that? I'm bummed that a shutdown doesn't mean that people can't get food stamps -- in the short term. From what I've been reading that if it goes long term, food stamps could be jeopardized on a state by state basis. Now why would this make me happy? Probably because lately there have been reports of rampant food stamp fraud. This is a program that desperately needs an overhaul to make sure that people who actually need the assistance get it, that it is only affordable healthy nutritious food they can receive (no more bakery sweets, no more pop, no more chips, no more lobster, no more steak, no more energy drinks, etc) and that they cannot use it to buy other items, nor can they transfer it to someone in order to get cash back. WIC will also be affected on a state to state basis as well as only so much of it is federally funded. I feel for those who get formula from WIC, I've been there with B when hubby was a private and we were making next to nothing so I get it. However, I do feel that as with food stamps, WIC could stand an overhaul too. It's very frustrating to go into the WIC office, see a parent with the latest smartphone fresh on the market, a new designer handbag, the kid is all decked out in expensive shoes and clothes and you see them in the parking lot and they're getting into a shiny new BMW still with the temp new tag on it. I will admit that I have an iPhone and it's fairly new because a) we had an upgrade b) it was a birthday present and c) hubby was deployed so we could afford to spend the $99 on an iPhone 4S (I didn't get the 5 because, why would I pay another $100 for essentially the same phone?) -- plus for over a year I had sucked it up and used my iPhone 4 that was crazy shattered just because I was not about ready to pay to replace it for the cost of my upgrade and it still functioned. Sorry, tangent. The fact is, with a government shutdown it's good for some programs to be put on hold because there won't be a crazy amount of fraud happening -- and maybe it will encourage people to buck up, find employment to help them get off welfare. Yeah, I just giggled a little bit too. And I'm ok if we get kicked off WIC, not because I'm all high and mighty and we can really afford to not be on WIC while still being in the level where we qualify, but because if there's a family who legitimately deserves to be on it more than we do, I'm ok with that.
Another good thing about this shutdown? And this might be my favorite story out of this mess, the the Greatest Generation kicking some ass yesterday. Personally, I think it's so stupid to barricade outdoor, open air monuments in the District but well you all should know well enough what I want to say about that. Anyway, how awesome is it that these WWII veterans were able to get past the barricades to see the monument dedicated to them? Pretty damn awesome, and thanks to the Congressional members who stood with the veterans, cut the tape and moved the barricades. Thank you to the Park Police for having enough respect for these men and women to not boot them out and arrest anyone involved. The fact is, the Honor Flight permits should have never been revoked and everyone in Congress and the President should have made sure that these veterans were treated with the respect they deserve and allowed their trips to continue without having to worry about the politics of it all. Perhaps, those on the Hill (and really the American people) should take a moment to recognize that they could learn a thing or two from the Greatest Generation. They watched the horrors of Hitler, they fought against it, when times got tough they rationed everything, they grew victory gardens, had pride in their country and rallied together to stop the greater evils in the world. They were proud to be Americans, maybe we've lost a little (or a lot) of that in the last several years and need it back, we need to be reminded that we were once a great country and we proud of that.
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