Yesterday, after a morning of blogging, I walked to Pittsburgh’s “Little Italy” and stopped in Nico’s at the corner of Friendship and Pearl for a few beers and some friendly conversation.
Several people were there, two who had just lost their jobs. Martha has worked in an office position at the University of Pittsburgh for many years. She was recently called in and simply released. On top of that her husband is in the hospital in the ICU because of a recent car accident. He was at a stop light when another driver plowed into him from behind. He and Martha have two pre-teen girls.
Then Corday lost his job. He’s been a professional truck driver for years with an unblemished driving record. He was just released. It’s the first time in his adult life that he’s been unemployed. His wife just had a breast removed because of cancer. She’s recoverying after also having reconstructive surgery. They have two very young children.
Martha and Corday are both over fifty years old.
Even with all my problems, the visit to Nico’s reminded me of how fortunate I am.
A Time Of Decision For The Republicans
February 25, 2009 — pittsburghflashfictiongazetteLast night after Obama’s speech the pundits, commentators and so-called experts dissected the speech. I expected that. What I did not expect was the nearly unanimous opinion on the part of these media types that the Republican Party was in danger of becoming irrelevant for years to come.
Supposedly, at this critical time in America’s history, there is a debate going on in the Republican Party between the moderates and conservatives about the direction the party should take.
The moderates want to be more inclusive, to bring more groups under the Republican tent.
The conservatives want to go back to the more narrow (Goldwater) doctrine of the party: Cut taxes and government is part of the problem not part of the solution.
Listening to this last night as I sat in front of my television it finally hit me how out of touch with reality, the reality that the vast majority of Americans live in, the core of the Republican party is.
If the conservatives want to reduce their party to minority status for years to come let them. Just don’t let them get control of the government…again.
We’ve had eight years of conservative control already. The days of the Goldwater Doctrine are over.