Politics has always been a contentious subject matter, and most people veer away from discussing it in any form or fashion–but I think it bears a lot of discussion, given recent events and the combative climate in the United States and other nations around the world. Also, political candidates appear to be doing more name-calling, finger-pointing, dodging real issues, and, in many instances, being outright dismissive of the concerns of voters and prospective voters. Politicians, for the most part, may start with good intentions–but in the end, many digress into an air of apathetic self-servitude, sacrificing their constituency to the whims of self-enrichment, backroom handshake deals, and status enhancement–leaving constituents without honest representation of who they voted for, to begin with, skeptical about the significance of their votes and wondering if their voices ever mattered to start with.
We wanted to see and share what our community members are thinking, so Scoop decided to explore and get to the meat of exactly what the voter concerns are as they prepare to vote in the November election since the candidates running for office deem it unnecessary to let us know where they stand on the issues that affect us ordinary working Americans.
What Keeps Us Up at Night.
For the next five weeks leading up to November 5, I will be asking our readers to share their concerns about the upcoming election. Here are some of our first responses…
L. Long, an African American mother of three currently working a job for which she’s overqualified to make ends meet–though she holds two Master’s degrees said, “I’m concerned about the cost of living not keeping pace with my paychecks. I shouldn’t have to work three different jobs just to keep food on the table for my family. The cost of living is rising faster than paychecks. Opportunities for jobs that pay a living wage are virtually nonexistent unless you know someone. After spending all that money to secure an education that was supposed to lead you to a job so you can pay the bills, take care of your family, and maybe buy a home–you end up on this carousel of debt where your only choice is to keep working so that you don’t end up homeless and starving.”
“Forget home ownership; it’s a pipe dream. Anyone looking to buy their first home is priced out of the market at this point,” remarked Long.
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Thank you for reading an excerpt of Lorraine Lavender-Sams’s article on scoopusamedia.com. To read more of the article, What Keeps Us Up at Night, concerns ScoopUSA readers have shared about the upcoming election,” please subscribe to Scoop USA Media. Print subscriptions are $75.00 and online subscriptions (Print, Digital and Vizion) are $90. (52 weeks/1 year)
