Month: March 2016

I am writing this long ass post for two reasons. One,
because for the first time in many years, there is a candidate running for
national office that has a chance of winning, that I will vote for. Two,
because my brother, Joseph Wilber, has become a Republican, and seems to have
forgotten this story.

My family is a great example of how great our nation can be,
and how much the people have been fucked in the last thirty years. My father
died in his thirties. He passed before I even knew him. But we were lucky. My
mother received social security survivor’s benefits for herself and us three
boys (sorry Joe, do the math. As I remember he didn’t make great money, so
there’s no way he paid in enough to cover those benefits. Most of that money
came from other people’s taxes). We were also able to move in with our
grandmother. Her husband had passed as well, but she was doing well, having a
union job with General Foods in Chicago.

Because of those benefits and that union job, we had more
than a lot of people. When went to good schools in the suburbs. We took
vacations. My grandmother even bought a vacation home in Michigan. Not bad for
an old lady who came over from Poland as a little girl. Even in retirement she
was paid a true pension, because she was in a union. My mom was able to stay
home and take care of us. Only taking a job as a school bus driver when we got
a little older.

Unfortunately, my grandmother got cancer pretty soon after
retirement. My brother John, a true saint, took care of her during that time.
It’s probably the reason he never went to college. When she died all of that
money dried up, and things got bad.

My mom had two work two shitty jobs just to keep us afloat.
Her health quickly deteriorated. I remember her sobbing in pain, knowing she
had to go to her second job or lose everything. They had cut back the survivor’s
benefits, even making her pay back money she was “over paid.” She did nothing
but work and sleep. I didn’t have the words then. I didn’t ask why wasn’t one
job enough? Why couldn’t she be paid a good wage for all the work she did?

After two surgeries she couldn’t do it anymore. She sold our
house in Illinois, declared bankruptcy due to all the medical bills, and
retired early because she qualified for disability after those two jobs wore
her down to nothing. She went to live with our brother John. He’s pushing fifty
now and still hauling around fifty pound bags of flour for a living. Even
though he has a shitty union, he still makes enough to have a house and raise
his kids… barely.

I got to be the first person in our family to graduate from
college. Because of the sacrifices they made. Because of the last remnants of
the New Deal. Because of the last gasp of the unions representing the workers
in this country, and making sure they got their fair share.

No one should have to go through what my mother went
through. But I am hopeful, because we finally have a person running for office that
truly believes that everyone deserves a chance. Everyone should be paid fairly
for the work they do. And everyone should live dignity.

I joined the Green Party during the reign of Bill Clinton,
when it became obvious that the Democrats were bought and paid for by the same
corporate interests. I have only voted once for a Democrat since then, eight
years ago, when I thought it was important that black children in this country
weren’t being lied to when their parents told them they could be President. I
didn’t expect any change from Obama, and I wasn’t disappointed.

But I will vote for Bernie Sanders. I still don’t have much
hope for change. There will be too many obstacles in his way for that. But at
least I know someone will be speaking for my family. And if that voice is heard
maybe things eventually will change.

If you live in Illinois, Florida, and especially Ohio, you’ve
got to get out and vote today. You’ve got to drag your friends to the polls.
You can’t let this chance slip away. For my family, for your family, and for
the millions that will have a voice.