I grew up in a single parent family, the youngest of 7, and my parents divorced shortly after I was born. My dad was a deadbeat dad. I never knew him, but I know that he never paid any child support. He told my mom that he "would break [her]". His goal in life was to provide misery for her wherever she went, and to ensure that she struggled financially every day of her life. At the time they divorced, he was forced to pay $35/week child support, and he never paid a dime. My mom never raised it for fear of the wrath that could follow.
When I turned 18, my mom received a letter from the friend of the court that she would lose what was owed to her unless she filed a motion. I happened to read the letter and pushed her to file. She was owed a little over $35,000. I took her to the court house. I helped her with the case, and not to toot my own horn, but because of me, she finally started getting a little bit of money when he retired. The state garnisheed his social security checks.
I say all of this because throughout all of that, my mom did everything on her own. She never applied for WIC, welfare, or any type of government aid. I was the youngest of 7. 7 kids, who my mom raised on her own, and did what she could for us in every possible way. She never missed any of our games. She went to all of our conferences. She cooked every meal. Yet, she worked like a dog in a factory to provide for us. I was the youngest of 7 kids. My mom, God bless her, retired when she was 65, paid off her house, and now enjoys her grandkids. She has 16 of them.
I learned a lot from her. I received my tenacity from my dad, I think, because my mom would rather let things go than fight for what's right. I learned that to make a living in this world, you have to work hard, provide for your family, and never count on anyone but yourself. I learned that the government isn't there for you, but if you want to make it in the world, you need to do what you can to contribute. My mom had too much pride to take any assistance. She was the 53% before the 53% was cool.
Today, I work for a fortune 500 company, I paid my own way through college, I'm married, and I have 3 children. I pay my taxes, I donate to charities, I donate to my church, and I have also coached youth sports for 15 years. I do what I can to make sure that my family doesn't have to live the life that I had to live. I provide the best I can.
Today, I read that there are 1Million less jobs, more people on disability than ever, the highest number of people ever on food stamps, and that I am not paying my fair share. I realized while reading this, that I am hated. Things have flipped somewhere down the line. What was once good is now bad. What was once right is now wrong. What was once black is now white. What was once up is now down. Because I am a provider, and one who contributes to society in a positive way, works hard to make a living, and pays my "fair share" in taxes, I now find myself hated.
I'm hated by the president. I'm hated by the takers. I'm hated for my beliefs. I'm hated for having a foundation in a belief of God as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I'm hated for being a producer. I'm hated for earning what I earn. I'm hated because I pay taxes, but it isn't enough. I'm hated because I have a job. It's alright though. I've learned from my mom that you can make it. She was hated by an evil man. She was told that she would be broken. She was told that she will not make it in life. She did. She told the world to kiss her ass without saying it, because she perservered. She taught me a lot. I learned from her. I will make it too. And because of the tenacity I inherited from a father I never knew, I'll tell the world to kiss my ass too. Only I'll yell it from the top of the mountain. Hate me all you want. There are those who do what I do and believe what I believe. Together, we'll right this ship. We'll take our country back, and we'll make sure that what was once shall be again. We'll get this thing going again... and they will hear us loud and clear. I'm hated, but I'm hated for the right reasons; because I am doing right by my mom. I'm the youngest of 7 kids.
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