Mother Talkers

In Other News: Birth Doesn't Really Hurt

by MaggieFrances

Wed Apr 09, 2008 at 10:01:34 AM PDT

The other day I received an email from a friend, you know, everyday stuff. But this email was special. It came with a gift- the gift of a Fox News link. Now I usually avoid Faux News for sanity's sake but this being a good friend who I know was sharing this with me with only the best of intentions I decided to read it. It's been days and my blood hasn't stopped boiling. Besides it being a typical Fox load offering little to no facts with plenty of spin, it hit me in a sore spot. The piece is entitled "The 'Recession' Is a Media Myth" and it came to me during the second week my husband had been without work.

My husband was laid off in January of this year and we felt extremely blessed to find a job within a matter of weeks. He took a $4 an hour pay cut but we tightened out belts and went on with life. And then he was sent home early "Not enough work" greeted me at the door day after day. We got worried, fast, and he went on the prowl for another job. That was over a month ago. A few Mondays ago he met me in the kitchen only 3 hours after leaving for work with the all too familiar drawn look "Not enough work". "Tomorrow" I reassured him. We've been waiting for "tomorrow" going on 3 weeks now. Our reserves are all tapped out thanks to this and a bad bought of strep throat he just went through that threw him out of commission for a while and piled medical expenses on our laps. Oh how I love being uninsured in America, but that's a diary for another time.

The thing is, we're not alone. In our church congregation alone there are families scraping to get by. Some are moving out of state. In our area homes are being repossessed out from under renters who have been paying their rent diligently but come to find out the owners have skipped the mortgage and owners who can't pay their mortgage let alone buy a gallon of milk. And lets not get started on gas prices, food costs, etc etc. People are losing their jobs, they are losing their homes, and they are losing their means to feed their families. This isn't just here in my neck of the woods, this is spreading like wildfire.

But apparently the economy is just fine.

I am no stranger to Fox Noise's, well, noise but this goes bellow and beyond, even for them. This isn't saying the sky is green, this is personal. This is looking straight into the eyes of a laboring woman and telling her "you're not really in pain". Like some women are able to breeze through labor with little to no pain I'm sure some will remain unaffected by the impending recession. Is it really too much to ask that those who are struggling be acknowledged?  

I don't know what the point of this diary is. I guess I just needed to vent.

Tags: recession, economy (all tags)

Permalink | 35 comments

  • John Lott (0 / 0)

    The author of that article is (in)famous for writing a book called "More Guns, Less Crime" which has been well and thoroughly refuted by a friend of ours who is an economist.  I wouldn't believe a word the guy says, in short.  (Notice how the "link" for the current unemployment rate in the article is a dead link?)

    I'm really sorry about your husband and hope he finds a great job very soon.

    Katherine

    by pat of butter in a sea of grits on Wed Apr 09, 2008 at 10:14:43 AM PDT

  • I live in Ohio. (0 / 0)

    It's been rather bleak here for a long time.  In fact, we haven't seen many good days since that Thing took up residence in the White House.  And to be fair, even during the 90's, we never quite re-captured the glory of our best days.

    Over the weekend, someone moved into the empty house across the street from me.  I was thrilled...that house had sat empty for over a year.  There's a couple others that have been foreclosed on.  I guess the upside for us is that we can now pretty reliably prove that our house is over valued so now we've filed to get the valuation lowered...hopefully, we'll save a few hundred a year in property taxes.  

    Earlier this week, the local news was busy reporting on the thousands who showed up to apply for jobs at the new Bass Pro that's opening this summer.  These are mostly jobs that pay a little over minimum wage.  Same thing happened when CostCo opened last year and when another Menards came in.  

    So, yeah...that thing about the recession being a myth?  It's felt recessed and depressed here for a long time.

    Hope things start looking up for you and your husband.

    by tjb22 on Wed Apr 09, 2008 at 10:29:10 AM PDT

  • lay offs (0 / 0)

    My BIL got laid off a few weeks ago and my sister is super stressed about him finding a job. He was in the real estate business (did marketing for a development company) so it isn't a huge shock, but it's a scary world out there right now for people looking for jobs. I hope your DH finds something soon.

    by Stacey on Wed Apr 09, 2008 at 10:38:35 AM PDT

  • Unemployment Rates (0 / 0)

    I absolutely ADORE how the right can spin the unemployment rates.  The fact that they are low does NOT mean that fewer people are unemployed, it means that more people have been unemployed for so long they can no longer get benefits or have given up on searching for a job.  Are the lemmings really too stupid to understand this?  

    But the joke is on the Republicans. Because people can be in favor of "moral conservatism" all day long, but when you start screwing with their pocketbooks, they get nervous and look for a new solution.

    by Inky on Wed Apr 09, 2008 at 10:58:12 AM PDT

  • vent away (0 / 0)

    Job and money insecurity just plain suck.  I'm so sorry you're dealing with this.

    DH is in a fairly recession-sensitive business.  So far he hasn't been affected, but we worry anyway :)  From where we are sitting it definitely looks like Faux is once again in the wrong.  

    Fingers crossed for you guys.  

    by mamacita on Wed Apr 09, 2008 at 11:28:50 AM PDT

  • Seriously (0 / 0)

    First of all, I wanna say I hope your husband finds GOOD work soon.

    Secondly, the few of us who know about Republicans HAVE to keep vigil.  I have seen this happen before:  yes, the so-called "values voters" will vote Dem if they are having hard financial times.  But, then when the Dems clean up something, they go back.  WHY?  That time is the real time to stick to it.  Do not forget.  I am astounded that Americans often have a 1-2 year memory.  And the GOP isn't helping things by constantly whining, "Forget how the war started!  That is the past!  Look to the future!"  It is absolutely true -- those who don't remember and understand the past are doomed to repeat it.  (I am waiting for GOPers to ban History from public schools.)

    by Shell on Wed Apr 09, 2008 at 11:31:31 AM PDT

    • Why? (0 / 0)

      A misunderstanding of how and why things improve. The problem is that too many people see themselves as independent, especially when things are going well. Without a sense of how their jobs intersect with the wider society, there's no sense that taxes for social betterment are a good thing. If you believe you exist in near isolation, then it makes sense to try to keep as much of what you earn. It's nonsense, of course, but that's the fundamental problem. If we can create a feeling of social structure where we all have a stake in wider society, then people will hopefully come to understand that lower taxation isn't the be all and end all of how politics ought to operate, and Dems will stay in power for longer.

      "You're never more alone than when you're alone in a crowd."

      by Expat Briton on Wed Apr 09, 2008 at 11:47:12 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      • The true sign of intelligence (0 / 0)

        ... is seeing connections where others do not.

        too many people see themselves as independent, especially when things are going well

        Amen.

        by Inky on Wed Apr 09, 2008 at 12:00:40 PM PDT

        [ Parent ]

      • I agree completely (0 / 0)

        But the myth of "rough, rugged American individualism" is strong ... and deep.

        If you just look at interviews with average Republicans, they will say, "Every man for himself!  No welfare!"  But then, when questioned about individual WELFARE things, such as cops, firemen, roads, bridges, etc., they start stammering.  In short:  "Everything I need is fine.  But you?  No!"

        Face it -- America is not special per se.  Americans are like humans everywhere.  They are born, they eat, they sleep, they want the best for their families.  They have to start thinking globally, or even nationally -- rather than THEM, THEIR family, etc.

        by Shell on Wed Apr 09, 2008 at 12:04:43 PM PDT

        [ Parent ]

        • so true (0 / 0)

          Last week I interviewed the pastor of a very large church here in Orange County (like 6,000 members, plus several spin-off churches). He took pains to tell me that his church members are encouraged to volunteer in the community; about 2/3 of them do so, to the tune of hundreds of thousands of hours per year.

          This church is in a very wealthy area, and it's members are mostly upper class. They mentor families who live in motels, tutor poor children, do neighborhood clean-ups and even go to Peru to give the disabled some mobility through the FreeWheelchair Mission.

          "When you have money, it gets really easy to start thinking that everyone had the same shot," the pastor told me. "You think differently when you get involved with people who can't afford tutors or music lessons or even a house and car."

          by Erika on Wed Apr 09, 2008 at 12:15:29 PM PDT

          [ Parent ]

          • These are my parents (0 / 0)

            "When you have money, it gets really easy to start thinking that everyone had the same shot," the pastor told me. "You think differently when you get involved with people who can't afford tutors or music lessons or even a house and car."

            And it makes me CRAZY! I hear all the time how THEY did it- on one salary- with my dad as a teacher. I just laugh bitterly, because come on.

            Also, a guy who does some consulting here, an old Vietnam Vet, was asking me who "took care" of my kid when I was at work. I told him she went to school and he asked how much that costs, and when I told him, he said "so I guess this is just a vanity job then, right?"

            Uh, no. And I also got the "I guess I'm just old fashioned, my wife stayed home with the kids." and I just said politely, "you're not old fashioned, you're fortunate to have been able to have that opportunity" and walked away. It's perspective. How can I expect to get someone like that to support an idea for state sponsored day care? There is no direct correlation.

            by lilianna28 on Wed Apr 09, 2008 at 12:22:24 PM PDT

            [ Parent ]

            • "vanity job" (0 / 0)

              LOL. That's what I'll start calling what I do to make sure my daughter has health insurance... a "vanity job."

              by Erika on Wed Apr 09, 2008 at 12:28:12 PM PDT

              [ Parent ]

            • It is interesting (0 / 0)

              Yes, I know I have said this before -- but those today have it much harder than I did, when I first got out of college.  And I had it much worse than my mother did when SHE first got out of college.  (My father was sort of different, having come of age during The Depression.)

              WHY can't people, when they get older see how it is different now?  I attempt to.  I SEE what my kids are going through, that I didn't have to.  But my mother can't see this.  To her, their starting out is JUST like it was when SHE was.

              Yes, today, there are more luxuries.  Example:  when I got out of college, there were no ipods, PCs, cell phones, or even cable TV!  But I realize that many of the newer things are NOT luxuries now.  (Esp. cell phones!)

              WHY can't older people realize it is different now?  Some good, some bad.

              by Shell on Wed Apr 09, 2008 at 02:53:39 PM PDT

              [ Parent ]

        • The myth of "American exceptionalism" (0 / 0)

          is long overdue for revision. Where do we get off believing that we are so much more special than citizens of other countries?

          by trueblue illinois on Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 09:22:25 AM PDT

          [ Parent ]

          • Hugh Bicheno argues in his introduction.. (0 / 0)

            to Rebels and Redcoats that America's perception of itself will always remain unrealistic and and tied to the idea that America is always inherently good while the Revolutionary War remains so mythologized. Essentially, he thinks that if we can get a realistic assessment of what happened then into the classroom and people's minds, they'll be able to look at the present through more realistic eyes too.
            I'm not sure I agree completely, but in some ways he does have a point worth considering.

            "You're never more alone than when you're alone in a crowd."

            by Expat Briton on Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 10:39:05 AM PDT

            [ Parent ]

            • That's very interesting. (0 / 0)

              I've probably read more European history than American history.  And you're right...in American schools, we never learned anything about the "other side"...it was just that England was bad, and we were good.  The French were good because they helped us.  

              We also don't teach our children anything about the context of our revolution...our kids really believe that all the ideas encompassed within the Declaration and Constitution were dreamed up by Jefferson, Adams, etc.  I'm not at all dismissive of the Founders' abilities, contributions and attributes, but in all honesty, they just picked up on a movement that was already in progress.  

              by tjb22 on Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 10:47:27 AM PDT

              [ Parent ]

              • I'm nervous as hell of my Citizenship Interview.. (0 / 0)

                ..because if they start asking me about this stuff... you get the idea. What I do find extremely positive about America is that regardless of your opinion of what happened during the revolutionary war, that so many people buy so wholeheartedly into the ideals in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution is a hugely positive thing. Sure, there may be spin there, they may not have been entirely original, but these really are great documents both because of their historical significance and because they remain relevant and an eloquent expression of human rights.
                At the same time, I wish for some real soul searching on history in the US. But I guess that'll take time - they're only just starting to talk about the British Empire in British schools now, and of course it is a difficult topic to address because of the complexities and the good and the bad (I'd for people to learn about the Opium Wars as a huge example of how evil empire can be, as well as some of the more positive things the Brits did, but more than anything I'd like balance), so I'm guessing that here, with the emotional investment so many have in their current perception of the Revolutionary War, it'll take far longer for a more balanced view to come into play.

                FWIW, Bicheno's book isn't that balanced view I'd like to see, but it does have value insofar as it swims so firmly against the current of popular opinion - too much so, that's it's problem, it feels like the writer wants to take down everything he can regardless of fact, but it's sometimes good to have someone try to attack everything they can, just to see what sticks afterwards.

                "You're never more alone than when you're alone in a crowd."

                by Expat Briton on Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 11:12:37 AM PDT

                [ Parent ]

                • Oh, I think you'll do fine... (0 / 0)

                  from what I've heard, it isn't that big of a deal.  

                  I think we short change our kids...really, in teaching them more about the revolutionary era, I think they'd take a greater pride away concerning our founding...the way its taught, it sounds a bit as if some old guys just got pissed off about taxation and decided to break away from England.  It was so much more!  We were the first to take such large steps based on the writings of  the most enlightened thinkers western society has ever produced!  It meant something and it had much more meaning than what most really think about.  

                  I do like that we do teach about the documents...but even there, because the context of the teaching, a lot of misunderstandings occur.  

                  And yeah...I wonder how the United Kingdom handles that whole Empire-burden-of-the-white-man thing...does it cause as much controversy there in discussion as similar thoughts about our history causes here?

                  by tjb22 on Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 11:30:47 AM PDT

                  [ Parent ]

                  • They don't. (0 / 0)

                    They just don't discuss the Empire. It's the Romans through the Normans and Saxons, jump to the Elizabethans, and then.. there's a gap 'til the 1st world war. WWII, and that's your history class. Admittedly, there is a lot to cover, but still. That the Empire is kind of bypassed is scandalous.
                    Or, at least, it was. The Government now has a policy that curricula have to be developed that address the Empire. It's only been in the last year, so I've no direct (or even indirect) experience of it, but at least, on paper, they're supposed to start talking about the Empire and figure out precisely how they're going to teach it. The big controversy on that is, unsurprisingly, that as we have large populations from former colonies/Commonwealth countries, how do you both do a relatively positive treatment of the Empire (and there were positive things) while not offending those who legitimately know that there were some pretty bloody awful things we did, too.

                    (My answer: treat history as history. The sins of the father are not the sins of the son, we need to know what happened regardless of whether it makes our nation look bad or not. I may not be at fault for the slave trade, colonialism, or the many wars we fought, but that doesn't mean I do not bear responsibility in a small capacity, because I still carry the benefit that my nation reaped from those conflicts and policies, and we need to do the world right by that. To do so, we need to educate as to what happened.)

                    "You're never more alone than when you're alone in a crowd."

                    by Expat Briton on Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 08:58:05 PM PDT

                    [ Parent ]

              • funny... (0 / 0)

                I loved that in my AP US History class, our over-the-summer assignment was to read the Magna Charta and a few books on the French and English Enlightenment and write papers. Our teachers were determined that we understand the philosophical underpinning.

                by Rachel on Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 03:58:55 PM PDT

                [ Parent ]

          • we're not the only ones (0 / 0)

            if it's any comfort, the French will refer, with a perfectly straight face, to L’exception français - the French Exception. For example, how can a country survive with extremely generous social benefits and a 35-hour work week? L’exception français. So we're not the only exceptional ones out there...

            by Rachel on Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 03:56:51 PM PDT

            [ Parent ]

            • But we should expect (0 / 0)

              that out of the French...but ourselves? No!  We're better than that!

              by tjb22 on Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 06:06:11 PM PDT

              [ Parent ]

              • funny, the French say the same thing (0 / 0)

                the French can say, with perfectly straight face, that the Americans are cultural imperialists, and then turn around and say how much extra effort needs to be made to "l'Afrique francophone" to promote the colonial and cultural ties. When one points out gently that, um, that smacks just the teensiest bit of cultural imperialism, you get the quick response that French culture is a force for good and so it's right to promote French cultural ties...

                Ah, Cartesian logic.

                by Rachel on Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 07:30:19 PM PDT

                [ Parent ]

                • Funny, (0 / 0)

                  That reminds me of an article I once read about France that said of immigrants, "we don't care what race you are, we don't care what religion you are, we don't care about your sexuality, as long as you're French." The point being the French are often tolerant far beyond what most of us experience, and yet have absolutely no acceptance of multiculturalism - they have one acceptable culture, the French one. And step outside of that, and you're in trouble.

                  "You're never more alone than when you're alone in a crowd."

                  by Expat Briton on Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 08:46:12 PM PDT

                  [ Parent ]

                  • yes (0 / 0)

                    It's strict but oddly welcoming. If you make a go to fit in to French life, you're in good. Otherwise, wow.

                    Not for nothing, the World Cup victory of 1998 and Euro 2000 victory did a hell of a lot to get the French to see various other ethnicities as French. Everyone loves a winner; I'm just waiting for Zinadine Zidane to run for politics...

                    by Rachel on Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 09:49:32 PM PDT

                    [ Parent ]

            • But of course you can have that. (0 / 0)

              You just have to be protectionist about it. It requires controlling trade, otherwise everyone else will undercut your labour rates. The French's problem is that they're involved in globalization, too.

              "You're never more alone than when you're alone in a crowd."

              by Expat Briton on Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 08:47:45 PM PDT

              [ Parent ]

              • export only trade... (0 / 0)

                I swear, they'd love a return to mercantilism. I loved the years we spent in France, but if you're not a French citizen (or holding a European passport), it's really difficult.

                by Rachel on Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 09:50:33 PM PDT

                [ Parent ]

  • I work in the newspaper industry. (0 / 0)

    Worrying about the possibility of being laid off has been a constant for the last couple of years now.

    I live in Orange County, which was ground zero for the housing bubble that just burst-- as a result, we've had some of the nation's biggest job losses as OC-based mortgage companies went belly up. That trickles down of course, all the way to the housecleaners and gardeners that people used to take for granted but can't afford any more.

    I know it's small comfort but you're not alone. I pray a new administration will help us get back on track, because Bush has been a disaster, and frankly I don't think all these bail-outs are solving a damn thing.

    by Erika on Wed Apr 09, 2008 at 12:08:52 PM PDT

    • Ugh ... newspapers. (0 / 0)

      I spent many years as a newspaper reporter and editor and the day I left the field was one of the happiest of my life (at my going-away party, one co-worker told me I positively "glowed.") It's not enough to have to work lousy hours for little pay for bad managers. You have to worry that on top of that, your job could go poof! at any instant to bolster what was, in my company's case, already healthy profit margins (like, 27 percent!).

      It was very hard for me to leave the field, because I loved the essence of what I did and really saw it as a calling. In fact, it took me years to make the psychological adjustment that it would be OK to not be a journalist. I still write, report and edit, but for a private university now, and am somewhat insulated from the roils of the economy. Most of my newspaper colleagues are out of the field, too. One is now at the Chicago Sun-Times, however, and lives in fear that her job will be eliminated. I've got to hand it to her for hanging in there as a journalist, but I feel for the amount of stress she has to tolerate with regard to keeping her job.

      by trueblue illinois on Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 09:31:15 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  • B.S. (0 / 0)

    Recession is media hype?  Maybe Lott didn't notice that the Fed has been lowering interest rates in an effort to lessen the severity of the crisis.  Or maybe he missed Greenspan's comments the other day when he used the R word to describe the economy.  Maybe he hasn't noticed the stock market's decline.  And of course, Lott made his sweeping pronouncement before the International Monetary Fund warned that the US is about to go into recession and could be a catalyst for worldwide recession.  But then, those are facts, and he doesn't need things like facts in his reporting.

    There are so many things wrong with his article--his math is wrong, his facts are wrong, his research methods are shoddy (he looked up headlines on Lexis and counts that as research???).  Tell me again why Fox is still on the air.

    by coobert on Wed Apr 09, 2008 at 12:09:41 PM PDT

  • so sorry (0 / 0)

    I hope your husband finds a good job soon, Maggie. You vent and yell it loud, because you're right!

    What I can't stand is the blatant hypocracy of the Republican party. Welfare is bad, personal bankruptcy laws need to be tightened because people need to take "responsibility" for their mistakes. But turning over a multi-billion dollar line of credit from the Federal Reserve (ie, our taxpayer dollars) to JPMorgan to buy Bear Stearns? That's "restoring equilibrium to the system." Lowering the Fed rate isn't about shoving cheaper money into play (and risking a blow-out in inflation when the economy is stagnating and oil prices are rockting- hello, 1970s), it's "injecting liquidity into the financial markets." The double-speak is driving me insane.

    by Rachel on Wed Apr 09, 2008 at 04:49:38 PM PDT

  • It hurts, so I'm told (0 / 0)

    My friend just had a baby, big boy over 9 pounds.

    He is a mixture of Puerto Rican, African, African-American, Christian, Jewish, New Yorker, Israeli who was born in Belgium.  I'm not exactly sure which citizenships he will be able to claim but since his mother is a US citizen I imagine that makes him an American.  :-)

    And I asked her, and she said it hurt.

    by Aaron on Wed Apr 09, 2008 at 05:17:57 PM PDT

Permalink | 35 comments