In the 1700s our forefathers were sick of British rule and British taxes and so began the Revolutionary War which we would go on to win. Than in the 1960s you had kids who didn't agree with the war in Vietnam and you had blacks who were sick and tired of not having rights and being treated like dirt in their own country. Everybody just felt like the government, and authority (let alone anyone over the age of 30!) were to be trusted. They wanted to make a change, and they did. A lot of people I've heard say that they didn't make any change, but think about it: in 1964 the civil rights act was passed due to the civil rights movement, and even though it took a lot of time and protests, in 1973? (I am not sure exactly which year) the Vietnam War ended, making it the longest running war in American history. We also won our Revolutionary War in 1776, making us a country that's free from British rule. If that's not making a change, than I don't know what is.
Where are these kinds of people at these days? As much as people complain about how the world is, they are never willing to do what it takes to change things. They feel as if they can't make a difference, but the thing is, if they can't make a difference and nothing is going to change than how come the incidents of the 1700s and 1960s prove differently? Those two eras have proven that if you get a good amount of people together who agree on something, you can make a difference. You can make a change. Everybody these days however are too afraid. And if they aren't afraid, they are selfish people who only care about themselves, and not everyone else. They are afraid they may lose their jobs, or even go to jail. They would much rather keep their mouths shut instead of sticking it to the man, but I say, "Who cares?" who gives a shit what the man is going to do? Yes, agreed I keep my mouth shut too but if I don't have enough people to back me up that's what I'll get myself, jail time or fired, but we have got to do something, folks. Our country depends on it, and we need to do something now.
Folks, I am 28 years old and I am sick and I am tired. For starters, I'm sick of paying taxes. Why are we paying taxes for to begin with when our country was founded on anti British taxes? Why are we paying taxes all year round from our paychecks and yet pay again at the end of every year in April? Last year I had to fork out $600 in April on taxes. $600 I DID NOT have! I claim 0 on my W4, and haven't had to pay since I've claimed 0 until last year – when I started working 2 jobs to make ends meet! If it weren't for the stupid taxes, I'd actually have enough money from just 1 job! Everything is taxed, and if you can't pay your taxes in April you're charged a penalty fee. If I can afford $600 to pay my taxes in April, I'd have my credit cards paid off and enough money in the bank for a rainy day! I understand that some taxes go to a good cause, but here is what I feel should be done instead to get that money: first of all, taxes coming out of our paychecks could be left as is, but whatever is paid to the government from our checks is all they'll get from our checks. No more "tax time" in April. No more worrying about how much you're going to owe in taxes in April, because it's paid for through your paychecks they get enough from us throughout the year, they don't need more. Second, every working American should pay $100 a year to the government. Think about how many Americans work in this country. If every one of us just paid the government $100 a year, they would have the money needed to pay for whatever taxes pay for, and this would erase the need to figure out how to pay $600 - $1000 each year in taxes when you don't have it. I can figure up $100 easily without screwing my bank account status over, I can't figure up $600. I never have that much in the bank. As it is, Americans go deeper and deeper in debt because of credit. We buy everything on credit anymore because we never can buy it with money. Why not? Because we never have money because of taxes, therefore we go deep into debt – when you get something paid off, you have something else you owe money on! I won't have enough money in my bank account because of bills (and taxes) that if I need to buy food I have to put it on a credit card – in order to not starve to death because I'm not lucky enough to get food stamps. The government "thinks" I make too much, yet alcoholics and drug addicts will get enough food stamps for a month! I have seen people in the check out lane who pay for $50 - $100 in food stamps, and than go on to buy $100 worth of liquor, yet somebody like me who has to work 2 jobs to survive, and pays their taxes can't get the food stamps (yet part of those taxes that I pay goes towards food stamps).
Another thing is gas prices. If it's not taxes making you broke its gas prices, and when you got the two combined you have no other choice to pay for things but with credit because all the money you have will either go to taxes at the end of the year or into the gas tank. It costs about $40 to fill up a 15 gallon gas tank, these days – yet wages aren't going up (but I heard if you are only paid minimum wage your wage went up, but the rest of us haven't seen that raise) and prices of things aren't going down.
Another thing I'm getting sick of seeing, its stupidity and ignorance. Folks, if you are in the store and you're looking to check out – look up at the register signs. If the light is on, they're open; if it's turned off they're closed. If they have the closed sign out, they're closed, and if they have something blocking their register they're closed. Don't waste that cashier's time or yours by asking them if they're open or not. If you would just open your eyes once in a while you can figure it out yourself. Just because that cashier is standing at the register still and his light is off doesn't mean he's open. If his light is off and he doesn't motion you to come over to his lane, he's closed, get over it!
When you're in a parking lot looking for a parking space, look before you turn otherwise you might run into somebody. I can't tell you the number of times I almost got run into and the carts I was pushing almost ran into some idiot's car because they didn't look at all before they turned.
Another thing I'm sick and tired of hearing is stupid ignorant questions. If you're just trying to make small talk that's fine – but make legitimate small talk. Don't ask a person if they have a dog if they're buying dog food. That's a little too obvious; instead ask them about their dog. And don't ask a person if they like bologna or salami sandwiches if they're buying it. Why the hell else are they buying it? And if you go to a colder climate (and its winter time) don't complain or comment about how cold it is! Duh, it's to be expected. Now, if it got colder out that's fine to mention. Or if it started snowing, or raining that's ok too, it's called a weather update. But don't ever act like you weren't expecting it because it's to be expected and if you're traveling don't say something like "wow, it snows here" or "I didn't know there were ice storms here". It's a rule of thumb that when you're traveling CHECK THE WEATHER before you go.
And over the holidays, mainly Christmas, don't expect to find stores open late on Christmas Eve or expect to find any stores open at all on Christmas. Christmas is the only day where 95% of your businesses are closed, get over it. It's always been this way and always will be this way, don't act like that you never knew this. I can go on and on.
I'm also sick and tired of corporation America (mainly the stores). I worked for Wal-Mart for four years. I used to like Wal-Mart until I worked for them. They have an open door policy there where, as they claim, if you have any problems you can talk to their manager and they'll help you. What it translates into is, "there's the door. If you don't like it, you can leave." – However if you treat them like they're your best friend they'll do whatever it takes to help you out. I'll give you an example (and this is what led to my termination from crap-mart) I was outside pushing carts for a little over a year, it got to a point where I was getting burnt out and they got me so mad that a customer asked me how I was doing (and I'm not one to lie to people) and I told that customer how I felt. The co-manager got wind of this, and told me instead of putting me elsewhere he was going to put me on carts for another 6 months in hopes that my attitude would change. I told him how I felt, but he didn't care. What kind of tactic is this? Obviously an employee is getting tired, put him elsewhere. That is what I would've done. But no changes were done and it just got worse, over the next month 2 more customers asked me how I was, and again (twice more) – not being a liar (which I have never been) – I told them how I felt, and next thing I knew "there was the door". Some open door policy. Yeh, maybe I should've kept my mouth shut but when he heard that I was getting burnt out, he should've put me in a different position in the store. He should've worked with me instead of acting like a jack-ass over the situation so my termination could've been prevented if he would've worked with me like he would have with the 'butt kissers'.
Another thing I'm getting sick of seeing is corporation America treating holidays, especially Christmas, like a gimmick to make more money. Christmas is not about making money; it's about giving and mainly the birth of Christ. We should all spend one year and skip Christmas and see how the corporations feel than. I am sick and tired of seeing these kids in the store at Christmas time (let alone any other time in the year) with attitudes of "I want, I want, I want, gimme, gimme, gimme" – this is what Christmas seems to mean to people anymore. It's not about buying things and getting things. It's about bonding, family values, the birth of Christ, togetherness, being with loved ones. It's not about buying things and getting things at all. Giving a needy person or family a hot meal and warm clothes, maybe. Christmas has always been about giving to those who are less fortunate, which is a good thing. Help those people out, and raise your kids to have the same values to want to help them out, but don't ever raise them to have that "I want, gimme" attitude.
And lastly, I'm sick and tired of rude, bossy, and inconsiderate people. I understand your boss, supervisor, manager, whatever you want to call them is going to tell you to do things, but they better be nice about it and know how to say please and thank you. I've worked for people who look at me like I'm stupid or ignorant just because I didn't do a project for them right away (or at all) – chances are I might have not heard them for one thing, or was working on another project and not going to drop one thing just to start on another. There's a manager at the store who is a very fast talker and is very rude. He reminds me of a car salesmen, and he apparently asked me the other day (over the PA) to sack for someone on register 4. I mainly didn't hear this, and when I looked around at register 4 I saw only 10 items on that register. When that manager walked by me he gave me this look, and had a bad attitude when he said to me, "do you not sack for people when you're cashiering?" and my answer to him was that I come off my register to sack when there is 20 items or more to sack, because on 10 items the cashier usually can sack it." – Usually if there's 10 items, it's pointless to sack for that person because it's already sacked by the time I get there. And on another day, there were only 8 carts outside, that same manager said "go push carts". There was no "please" – it was an order. Who does this guy think he is? Where does he think he is? He reminds me of a drill sergeant at a military boot camp. I never joined the military because of that kind of attitude. I'm also sick of people who aren't managers at all, but are naturally bossy (and these people usually fall into the same category of stupid people too). I've had co-workers that are so bossy that I never would even say hi to them, and they also just had a really bad attitude.
I am sick and tired of those people who tell me I have a bad attitude, but I really don't. It's like I tell everyone else, "you give me lip I give lip right back. But you give me kindness I'll give you kindness right back." Just because I ignore you doesn't mean I have an attitude. I usually ignore people I can't stand. However, the rest of this world hasn't figured that out. I can't tell you the number of times I'll be talking to someone, and they'll tell me how they can't stand a certain person at all and next thing you know they're having a conversation with that person. Why talk to somebody if you obviously don't like them? For starters, that can fool that person into thinking you do like them when you don't, and if you talk to somebody you don't like they may annoy you by something they say or vice versa, and start some argument or fight. This problem can be solved by not talking to them. Unfortunately, if you're a manager this is different. There is an exception to this rule, but why do you think I'm not a manager nor do I want to be one?
In closing, I am just fed up with how people are in this world these days and would like to make a change. We can do it. We can make that difference. Quoting Back to the Future, "If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything." America, we are a free people and we should fight for our rights! We might not be able to end ignorance, and bossiness, but we can at least shrink that problem by thinking before we act. And as far as taxes and gas prices go we can definitely change that through protests. If we can somehow get enough people for 1 week to say 'no" to the gas stations by not getting gas, that might say something. Too many people are afraid though. There have been "no gas" days before where people were supposed to say "no" to gas, but there weren't enough people involved. Why not? Because people don't care anymore. We live in a time where it's every man for himself. People with I can't lose my job attitudes, but if you get enough people involved what do you have to lose? The man can try, but if he's overpowered he's going to lose. We can do it, America. We can end this madness that we are suffering through the power of protest. It's time once again, America. Time to make a change. Time to start a revolution!
