Civil Rights or Civil Riots?

I guess I am a bit confused here.  I thought slavery ended years ago.  I thought Martin Luther King rallied for civil rights.  I thought when we had the Civil War, it was to end slavery and through the years that followed, for black people to be treated the same as every other color or race in America.  I hate that following the end of slavery there was still a division in our country.  But through protests (peaceful protests), pride and persistence, that division was slowly dissolved....I thought.  I believe Martin Luther King did, in fact have a dream, and a great dream at that.  But I do NOT believe his dream was looting and burning buildings in Ferguson, Missouri.  I have a business. I treat every person that comes through our door the same, whether black, white, purple or green. Whether male or female, fat or skinny, short or tall.  I am white.  I am an American.  I do not refer to myself as a "White American"  or an "English American" or a "Cracker American".  Just an "American".  I was born here - that makes me an "American".  So why does the media continue to refer to "Black Americans"  and "African Americans"?  I don't get it.  Everyone who was present during the Civil War raise your hand....no one? Oh, so none of the current Americans were slaves.  And none of the current Americans owned a slave.  Our country has come a long ways since then.  Every one has the same rights at present - everyone can go to school, go to college, get a job, vote, fight for our country, state your opinions, protest what you disagree with, etc.  EVERYONE.
But not everyone chooses to exercise those rights.  Some choose to drop out of school.  Some choose to sell drugs on the streets.  Some even choose to burn businesses in their own neighborhoods.  How is it that people hope to further their cause by demonstrating that way?  I have been disgusted with the many injustices in our country many times.  But not once did I think it would be a good idea to steal from and destroy the places I shop at.  And not once did I think it would be a good idea to risk going to jail for my opinion.  Actually, I haven't ever protested, because I have a job to go to, and I would have to jeopardize that job if I were to be gone long enough to attend a protest.
So, to all you people rioting in the streets and destroying property you don't own, how is it you find the time for this?  Do you not have a job?  Do you not have a family that expects you home for dinner?  Maybe if you were half as passionate about getting a job and acting like a responsible citizen and doing something productive with your life, you would be a remarkable success.  And this alleged injustice, though it might make you angry, would pass with time and you would move on with your life.
As to the specific shooting incident, does anyone realize that if Michael Brown had not robbed a store, this would never have happened?  Had he been at work that day, at a job, where he earned money, he would not have had the time to rob a store.  Had he surrendered to the policeman at the first request, this would never have happened.  And why is race an issue when a black person is involved?  There have been many white, hispanic, etc people shot and killed by policemen through the years.  It wasn't a racial thing - it was policemen doing their jobs.  The same policemen you would call if someone was trying to break into your home.  The same policemen you would expect to protect you when you needed them.  Are there bad cops?  Sure.  And they should be dealt with accordingly.  But these riots imply a total disrespect for the authority we give to our policemen.  If I am walking down the street and hear a policeman say, "Stop or I'll shoot", I am probably going to stop and do whatever they ask.  Because I don't want to get shot.  Even if I don't know why they are saying that to me.
Oh, Martin Luther King, I fear your dream has somehow turned into a nightmare.

Wedding Bells for Charles Manson???

I continue to read the news, and say, "Really????" So Charles Manson is getting married. In Prison.   I thought the whole idea of prison was to punish you by restricting your freedoms.  Guess I was way off.  One, it's CHARLES MANSON!  What a freak!  Who in their right mind would want to marry that guy? Two, isn't he in prison for LIFE?  Isn't he being punished for LIFE for the heinous crimes he was convicted of?  Doesn't that punishment mean you no longer have certain freedoms, like, say, having a wedding? Unbelievable!  And guess what?  I bet our tax dollars pay for this lovely event.  Wonder what would happen if we got to say what our tax dollars could and could not be spent for?  Personally, I don't care what he wants. He gave up his rights to do what he wanted when he committed those crimes.  I never cease to be amazed at the nonsense that goes on in prisons and with our government. 

Work is Overrated

Why do I torture myself like this?  I get up, usually by 5:00 a.m., do laundry, pick up the kitchen & wash any messes created after I went to bed, put on my makeup, fix my hair (well, sort-of), get dressed and go to work, usually by 7:00 a.m.  I work at a job I never thought I'd be doing - installing auto glass and working on cars.  Usually little girls dream of being a princess, or a mom, but never an auto glass installer.  But, life doesn't always give you what you dream of, and I am truly thankful that I have a job.  So I get to work, catch up on paperwork, etc and get ready for my day, where we open at 8:00.  I work along side my husband, and rarely play the "girl" card, doing just as much work and physical labor as he does.  By the end of the day, I am worn out, my hands are stained with black- adhesive, primer & chemicals, which all seep into the cracks of my hands and do not wash off.  My hands are chapped from the chemicals we use.  My joints ache from the beginnings of arthritis.  My back hurts every night.  Not only do I do the physical side of this business, I also do all the bookwork - paying bills, etc., keeping books, doing taxes, etc.  We close at 5:00 p.m., but it usually 5:30-6:00 before I get home, where I begin my "other" work.  Make supper, clean, do laundry, etc.  I drop into bed around 9:00 or 10:00 so I can start all over the next day. 
Now, I am a firm believer in "earning" a living.  So, I am not complaining - well, maybe just a little.  I believe God intended us all to work for what we need and want.  But being a business owner means bearing the brunt of the business, both good and bad.  Winter is our slow time. So sometimes after doing all that each week, I don't even get to take a paycheck if business wasn't great that week.  That's OK, too - you just do what you have to do.  Then, I go to the grocery store, and stand behind someone who proudly pays with their food stamp card.  I often consider telling them how hard I work so they can have free food with my tax dollars. 
I am now in the middle of stupid Obamacare.  I HAVE to have it.  Not that I enjoy being uninsured, but I can't afford it.  I was barely able to afford what they MADE me buy in 2014.  I will NOT be able to afford what they are making me buy in 2015.  So, not only will I be uninsured, I will also lose any possible tax refund due to Obamacare penalties at the end of that year.  I am not a politician or a scholar, but something here doesn't make any sense.  Maybe some of the people who voted Obamacare into law could come and work with me for a month or two and see if they still think it's a good plan.  You know, those people who have different health insurance and a whole bucket of perks, so they don't have to worry if they can buy milk at the end of the week. 
What I COULD do is quit working, stay at home with less stress, less paperwork, less aches and pains, and get all this stuff for free.  The people I see using food stamps and medicaid seem to be pretty happy. I just don't get it.  I don't get why the people doing most of the work are the ones being penalized the most and taxed the most and left out of all assistance the most. 
So, Merry Christmas to everyone I help.  I hope you enjoy your Christmas dinner and all the free opportunities my work affords for you.

Obamacare, Obamacare, How lovely are thy INCREASES!

We have Obamacare.  I am participating in a program I do not wish to.  We have never been able to afford health insurance.  We have always been in the middle.  We made too much to qualify for any type of government aid (how silly of us to actually work for a living!) and we have never made enough to purchase our own health insurance.  Enter Obamacare.  We really can't afford that either, but what we would pay is cheaper than the penalty for not having it.  So, I signed up.  On the government-ran website.  Which was a total fiasco. 
We have had this for several months.  The amount I pay is $135 per month, based on our income of course.  We can't really afford that, but we have done it anyway.  So last week I received a letter stating that my premium will now increase to $192 per month.  No reason for the increase, just letting me know it will be going up.  So the  $135 I can't afford will now be $192 I can't afford.  Great.  Thanks so much for thinking of me.  Thanks so much for increasing gas prices, groceries, etc. AND for increasing my health insurance premium.  I so look forward to spending more than I make each month. 
But don't you worry about me.  Unlike the government, I will make other adjustments to my life.  We will be having more beans and rice because they are still affordable.  And I will smile politely as I stand behind the person in the checkout line who is buying steaks, and name-brand groceries and proudly whipping out their food stamp card to pay.  I'll just take my beans and potatoes home and my generic brand groceries home and do just fine. 
I'll just keep right on getting up at 5:00 a.m., and working 10 hours a day so those wonderful welfare people can use my tax dollars to get all their free stuff, because I don't want them to be stressed out about the fact that they are not working.  I don't want them to have to get up earlier than they want to and go to a job, and I don't want them to stop having children for me to take care of. 
They say you can't take it with you, and rest assured, I won't have anything to take.  Oh, America, where have you gone. Land of the FREE - was that referring to the deadbeats of society?

VOTE, VOTE, VOTE!!!

It's time to vote!!  I saw poll on facebook (and it must be true if it's on facebook) that showed there was a larger percentage of people who simply didn't vote, than there were for either political party!  Not only is it my privilege to vote, it is my responsibility!  I can rant and rave on the internet, to my friends, or whatever, but when given the chance to cast my vote, I will most definitely be at the polls! 
I am not totally sure how much my one vote counts, but when combined with everyone else's I would hate for my single vote to be the reason something didn't get done because I didn't vote. 
So, if you're on the fence as to whether you want to get out tomorrow, just do it!!