What if it Rains?

By Mary E. Adair

The day is draped with black and gray clouds. With no discernible breeze, they simply hang there, drooping into downward triangles and points from great globular masses and manage to impart a glowering threat with the darker colors against the totally overcast gray sky. Perhaps it is the 'chicken little' tendency of this writer, but it certainly appears as though 'the sky is falling.' People who live in the northern parts of our country are more likely to be used to such a sight, and perhaps able to totally ignore it, but in this land - usually drenched with sunshine - it is unusual. Hard not to read it as a portent of something more ominous than the weather. Easy to tie it to what has turned into an opressive election atmosphere with the presidential elections looming on the second day of this month.

For one who cannot help being non-confrontational, all of the insinuations that both sides are lying about things that will inevitably affect each of us leads to a great deal of distress. Never has an election seemed to be more important. Never has it been harder to make a choice. Never has this author seen such divisive currents raging throughout states, cities, towns, and families. Confidence has been eroded, and confusion reigns.

One thing stands clear for yours truly, and that is that America is still the best country in which to live, work, play, and die. The people you love are generally more important to you than strangers, but when they will be affected adversely, something rises up inside that impels you to try to protect them - the ones you love. A letter recently crossed my desk, written by the husband of one of my late sister's classmates, urging all to vote Republican, and his explanation of why, and of what he was fed up with, was the most chilling and heart-stopping account of the common feelings of Republicans who do have some amount of wealth, that fear wrapped itself around my heart.

This man believes all who receive any kind of government aide, from college grants to social security or disability, is stealing money from what he has paid in as taxes. He abhors helping anyone except through personal donations at his church, for which he receives a good tax credit by the way, and refers to all such recipients as unworthy and being a drain on the economy of the country. Obviously, he will work to see that such aide is stopped if he has anything to do with it, and believes that George Bush feels the same way. 'Only lazy people need such help.'

Who will win the election? Will whomever wins be able to pull the support of the other party along with his idea of what needs to be done to help the country flourish? Who knows? But, all that matters to this writer is that friends and families not allow politics to divide them, and that people not be stripped of the meager funds that now assist them to live with a bit of dignity. It is to be hoped that we will not be seeing the depression years return ... with endless soup lines in our communities; night shelter areas set up in churches and town halls, and more people wandering from community to community pushing grocery carts piled with a few belongings.

What will your family do if social security checks no longer help support your elders? What will your widow and children do, if you are killed? Will your children go to college? Will the wounded returning from Iraq and Afghanistan be able to go to a VA Hospital?

The rain is still threatening.