Where's The Love, Guys?

I guess I am following the advice that Polonious him Hamlet gave but never folllowed himself: "Brevity is the soul of wit."

As the countdown as to who the GOP nominee will be winds down I find myself having less and to say. Perhaps it is because of all the screaming at the news coverage of these candidates. Or, more to the point, I am so very weary of all the misrepresentation!

Those of us in the "know" versus those in power are going insane with the apparent appeal to the emotions approach to campaigning. In public speaking and debate this was the type of speech to avoid as it sacrificed quality and fact. In short, effective speaking was not appealing to the emotions. Yet, here we see hooligans standing up and giving standing ovations for hateful rhetoric, booing a gay serviceman and cheering capital punishment in Texas.

Right now the field has narrowed down to Gingrich, Santorum, Paul and Seamus the dog's abuser. Yep. Now I won't even mention his name at all.

But all the posturing about about how wrong social programs are and how people are bilking it I have this to say. Firstly most of the senior citizens I have known in my life barely received $800 per month in Social Security. Secondly the Federal guidelines that determine whether or not people will receive public Assistance are as follows: 1 person household, $10,890 annual income ($908 per month),
2 person household, $14,710 annual income ($1,226 per month) and for every additional person $3,820 is allowed for each additional person in a household.

Who are these people kidding? While Seamus's abusive owner claimed making $365,000 giving speeches "wasn't much" begs the question...Does HE (or any other GOP candidate) have any idea at all about these income eligibility requirements or that if a person/family makes ONE DOLLAR more a month they WILL NOT QUALIFY? As if making one dollar over this requirement is living the lavish life! It makes me think no poor Republicans attend the debates.

Nor, I imagine, do they know the humiliation one endures during the application process. If they did they might possibly understand the suffering and despair that leads to (although inexcusable) shootings at public assistance offices.

Lady Liberty invites the tired and poor to come into this nation. But the tired and poor are already here.