I will start by saying that after several decades of living, I may have been accused a thousand times (give or take several hundred) of being a hardass and a bit mean. I’m okay with that since I really don’t give a damn what people think of me personally as I would much rather they approve of what I do for others and how I’ve treated those around me. That said, I do take umbrage at those who profit off of hypocrisy and dishonesty. I don’t have time for that.

I was struck this morning by a post on the Chicks on the Right site about a woman named Leslie who, along with her 5-year-old daughter, is homeless. Confined to a low-paying job that doesn’t pay enough to provide a home, cover utilities, and pay for other necessities, she receives government assistance to keep their heads barely above water, though she was told point blank that she would be eligible for more “benefits” if she quit her job. That’s right, in an economy with 8% unemployment (we won’t even go into the actual and real unemployment statistics), she’s been actively encouraged to quit her job. I will readily admit that she’s one of my new heroes for her refusal to do so.

While Leslie is trying to be a positive role model for her daughter, we have people we pay to represent us doing the reciprocal. And this is far from a Republican v Democrat issue, truth be told. They are the same coin, only different sides. Same shiny material worth next to nothing in these times, only with different pretty markings to denote their lack of worth. For example, where else other than our current sham of a political scene would you find a Democratic Senator and a Republican councilman conspiring to fix a mayoral race?

Add to that our Commander in Chief (who couldn’t command an army of ants to a sugar bowl) preaching about his empathy for our little commoner selves while he blows through his pad of limitless blank checks and I’m inclined to believe that it may just be about time for us all to be mean hardasses. Those sitting in their cushioned chairs would do well to remember how loud little commoner voices can be, and it seems to be time to make the big noise.