Humanity House
Tracys House of Losers.
That is what Humanity House was called this week on Facebook.
This from a gentleman who fancies himself to be intelligent, in the know, always filled with lots of suggestions on how the county, city and school board could all be run much better.
My friend who wrote the original post answered someone and said that she was sure my feelings werent hurt. She was correct. My feelings were not hurt. I was angry.
You should be angry.
Classism is defined as prejudice against or in favor of people belonging to a particular social class.
Prejudice is exactly what this is.
People who would never consider themselves racist, sexist, homophobic, nationalist, ageist or xenophobic dont bat an eye at classism. Though poverty and classism is one of the most brutal forms of oppression in our society, we never think about how our actions and words affect those who are struggling to survive in a world that values humans based on the amount of money they have.
We dont think about what the elderly, disabled or poor working class person goes through on a day-today basis just to survive. We dont consider the humiliation that comes with the death of a spouse and suddenly your income is cut by more than half but your bills are the same.
For some, it is the first times in their lives they dont know how they are going to keep the utilities on or pay for their medication. Will they be able to pay the property taxes? Put food on their table each night?
Some have to ask for help in getting the bare necessities for the first time in their lives. Are these people losers?
The people taking care of an terminally ill parent, spouse or child, who give up their jobs to do so and struggle to make sure they can get to medical appointments, provide medicine, food or utilities, those who have to ask for help to meet the needs of the household are these people losers?
The working poor who get up and go to work everyday at low paying jobs, who work long hours and two jobs but still cannot meet rent, utilities, childcare and put food on the table are these people losers?
The people who live in generational poverty and know of no other life; who have never been taught the basic skills required to become employed; who do not understand, because they have never been taught, how to manage finances because there were never fiances available to be managed they ask for help because they know of no other way of existing. Are these people losers?
Classism is finally being talked about because what was the middle class is now becoming poor. They work hard but fail to rise. Are these people losers?
Life is hard. It doesnt have to be made harder by cruelty and judgement.
Humanity House is called that for a reason. We are human.
We succeed sometimes, and sometimes we fail. Sometimes we persevere, sometimes we quit.
