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Yes, on this same forum (which I can't even go to very often as it breaks my heart too much) there was another guy who was sleeping in the woods. While Al's story is not on the Net (his family asked for privacy) there is another story of another guy on the same forum who was sleeping in the woods and afraid to sleep there another night. Believe it or not, the people on the forum tracked him down by calling the libraries in that city and locating him and sending the police. He went to the hospital (he was thinking of stepping in front of a train) and a total stranger, who lived two hours away, reached out to him. Her son drove two hours to pick up a total stranger and invited him to live in their trailer. This was a couple living on $700 plus disabililty only each month. They set up a make-shift bedroom for him in their trailer dining room so he could have privacy. At last report it worked out well.
While I was and am blown away at the compassion demonstrated for a total stranger by those who have so little, I am equally disturbed over those who lack compassion for the unemployed by those who have much more.
Ditto, I also am very very disheartened and disturbed over the lack of compassion and heartlessness that is America today.
Ditto, I also am very very disheartened and disturbed over the lack of compassion and heartlessness that is America today.
Hate to say it, but that's America. That's the WORLD, unfortunately.
Other countries have just as much heartlessness - maybe more. Read what politicians of other countries have said/done about their economic woes. Some of it is sickening.
Soda120, that is sad indeed. If something isn't done, more of this is going to happen.
I am going to share a bit more here so that people know that the unemployed are not just lazy bums. It's a long read. Moderator, if this is inappropriate I post this here, please delete. I just want to put a human and personal spin on this whole thing and share that this story I mentioned was not made up. This was written to Congress:
This is the story of Al, one of those statistics you all talk about, one of the constituents you read letters from on the Senate floor, on the House floor:
"He did everything right: worked hard all his life, paid taxes, took care of his family, participated in his community. Then boom, one day he was laid off at age 58, and for more than two years after that could only find odd jobs here and there. Jobs he applied for had many people showing up to try to get the same 1 job. When he reached 99 weeks and lost his unemployment benefits, he lost his home, he put his disabled wife and son into a homeless shelter, he lived in his van, he suffered when the police confiscated his license plate due to nonpayment of the registration. (He later had his plate returned to him after a kind soul paid his registration fee.) Unable to drive the van for a time to seek work, he walked miles and miles, and prospective employers told him that he would not be hired because he was too old. Managers at both McDonald's and Wendy's told him that the was too old to work for them. The welfare office said he couldn't have food stamps without a mailing address. The homeless shelters that accept men told him they were full. He managed to hang onto his laptop and used it to email Congress and the White House to help the 99ers, but no one listened. Then one day last week, he gave his laptop away to a fellow jobless man who had just sold his own computer to buy milk for his baby, walked a few miles back to where his van was parked, and shot himself in the head."—a fellow unemployed poster
Today we learned he is no longer with us. He was declared brain dead yesterday. His family courageously and most lovingly removed him from life support, and he died.
Sen. Casey, your constituent is gone. Sen. Specter, your statistic is gone. And his representative? Someone from your district has passed.
While all of you were aiming your slings and arrows at each other—you know, your good friends on the other side of the aisle—day after day, week after week, month after month, no one was noticing that many millions of Als were trying to live through one more day of heartbreak, terror, disgust, anger and a million other emotions—while attempting to find something to eat, someplace to sleep, and, yes, by golly, being chipper on that job hunt.
Today I'm not addressing this to Democrats. Today, I'm not addressing this to Republicans. Today I'm not addressing this to an Independent. I'm not addressing it to your political beliefs, your deficit spending or not. I'm addressing this to each and every human being in Congress, and I'm putting you on notice that a man died—a 99er died—because no one moved fast enough to help him.
Do you know how many 99ers are near bottom right now—who don't know if they can stand one more day, or even one more hour, trying to hold on until financial aid comes to them? They are white collar, blue collar, degreed and not, many years of experience, just out of school, with families, alone, with lives they've had to just give up, lives that don't exist anymore in any way resembling "the old days" when they were proud to be employed.
We are grateful that a bill for the 99ers has been introduced. But I cannot physically fathom that you people are leaving, and leaving millions of needy people behind. By your return from your recess, there will be more Als who just. give. up.
Do you know what it's like to be penniless? I do. I've been.
Do you know what it's like to watch your loved one die from a brain injury? I do. I've watched.
His family members and close friend Bruce have been in agony since July 27 because you didn't do something to help this man in time.
Do the honorable thing tomorrow. Don't recess. Stay. Fulfill your moral obligation. And if you didn't know you had a moral obligation as a member of Congress, then maybe you ought to consider another career, perhaps as an accountant, something which makes you accountable for money, but unaccountable for lives worth saving and lives worth living.
Today we should all be mourning. This was a life lost. Al wasn't your constituent. He wasn't your statistic. He was a living, breathing, desperate human being.
How many more lives will be lost before other living, breathing, desperate human beings are helped?
XXXXX
Chicago, IL
Thank you for this post, I hope all who read it understand how crushingly devestating it is for us who've worked hard all our lives, yet through no fault of our own have lost our jobs and as older workers are facing devestating consequenses.
At 60 there are some jobs I can no longer do like lift 50 lbs repeatedly as required by some of the big box stores. But I do apply to ANYTHING I'm remotely qualified for.
Al was someone's husband, father, brother, uncle and he's gone now. Most families in America today have been touched by this new depression/recession, keep in mind these are good people who've fallen on hard times.
Hate to say it, but that's America. That's the WORLD, unfortunately.
Other countries have just as much heartlessness - maybe more. Read what politicians of other countries have said/done about their economic woes. Some of it is sickening.
As requested by mistygrl092, I added hers to the list
Being Lazy
Being a Felon
Can't get hired
Doesnt meet the qualifications
Race
Discrimination
Long period of unemployment
Drugs - Quicker money, no taxes
Thank you for this post, I hope all who read it understand how crushingly devestating it is for us who've worked hard all our lives, yet through no fault of our own have lost our jobs and as older workers are facing devestating consequenses.
At 60 there are some jobs I can no longer do like lift 50 lbs repeatedly as required by some of the big box stores. But I do apply to ANYTHING I'm remotely qualified for.
Al was someone's husband, father, brother, uncle and he's gone now. Most families in America today have been touched by this new depression/recession, keep in mind these are good people who've fallen on hard times.
I read every one of Al's posts on the forum. People wondered on the forum why they didn't see this coming. I think Al was a proud man who didn't want to beg or seem desperate.
I still cry each time I read this. I only shared it in the hopes it would bring home the personal stories of those unemployed and the need to look out for each other. Thank you for responding to Al's story. May he rest in peace and know his story went far and wide, and that he was loved by many.
I read every one of Al's posts on the forum. People wondered on the forum why they didn't see this coming. I think Al was a proud man who didn't want to beg or seem desperate.
I still cry each time I read this. I only shared it in the hopes it would bring home the personal stories of those unemployed and the need to look out for each other. Thank you for responding to Al's story. May he rest in peace and know his story went far and wide, and that he was loved by many.
That is truly heartbreaking, and makes me feel very fortunate... it could always be worse, and a story like Al's makes me realize that. May he rest in peace, and may his family find peace in their lives.
That is truly heartbreaking, and makes me feel very fortunate... it could always be worse, and a story like Al's makes me realize that. May he rest in peace, and may his family find peace in their lives.
gizmo, there is no finding peace in something like this. At best, people carry on. I've read enough on suicide survivors to know better. Still, I understand it. What I REALLY want is for Americans to get off their asses and HELP each other.
I want people to STOP being judgmental and just realize WTH has gone on here. Short of that, I have no comments. I just agonize over the Als of the world.
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