A letter to President Obama
March 24, 2009
When I was real young, I was proud to be an 'American'.
When I went to school i stood proudly and placed my hand over my heart every morning
and said the 'Pledge', with everyone else. And I think we all meant it too.
When i was younger, it seemed everyone was 'proud'. Proud to help another,
to me then that 'was' being 'American'. I learned that things did not have any value,
unless they were 'earned'.
When i turned 15 i was living on the streets by myself, in a strange city,
but it was in 'America'. I remember shivering under that bridge at night in Dallas Texas,
and I watched all the cars drive by. Not one stopped. I never did fall asleep at night,
it was to cold i guess, the shaking would keep you awake. Why didn't anyone stop?
Where there any 'Americans' left?
Maybe i had a misconception of what an 'American' was. I got a fake ID then, and worked at a fast food place. I knew, if i wanted anything, i needed to earn it, that is how i was taught.
I was not on the streets long, maybe 6 months, then a boys home for a year, and then another place for a year. wow. My attitude and life changed during that time, about 'America'.
The Health Care System heh. I was cured, and released at 17, when the insurance ran out.
Coincidence? I think not. I personally do not believe anything was wrong with me, and i still do not. But i think if someone is getting paid, they could think of something.
Because of that, i do not trust doctors, or hospitals, insurance would do me no good, i have not been able to find anyone that cares beyond a paycheck. My teeth hurt, but i am fine.
When I was 17, I got a job, and worked hard. I worked hard, for years, and years.
I was angry back then. That is why I never registered to vote. I had finally been taught that the America that was taught to me as a child, did not exist.
People cared about themselves, or money, or something else. Not simply another, because they were 'American', and that's what I had thought it was all about.
I worked alot of different jobs over the years, fast food, tree work by power lines, offshore drilling, i always worked real hard, and always put pride in everything i did, and always will.
I never did register to vote though. I never felt like i was a democrat, or a republican, or anything, but i always worked hard, and tried to help others, and i never cared what they were either. I'm not a big religious fanatic, but to me God has always been there, if nobody else is, so I have always done my best, because i never wanted to let God down.
By the time i was the age to vote, I saw alot of people talk alot, but not do anything. The Government simply wanted money to me. I don't know what happened to all the people from when i was a child, and often i think maybe it has just been my perception that changed, but i don't think so.
I live in the City of Oak Ridge now, the government built this city to develop the atomic bomb for WWII. I live in original housing, that housed the workers that worked on that. I felt like this is maybe one place that still existed in America, that was actually the America I got taught existed when i grew up. I was born in 1964.
It seems the City of Oak Ridge is fighting with the owner of our housing, Applewood Apartments,
because they are an 'eyesore'. We are poor. This is the only place the tenants here can afford to live. The rent is half of what is considered 'low income housing', and what i like, is they are not government subsidized. You have to 'earn' it.
My apartment is nice. I live in an apartment some worker lived in to help win WWII!! wow..
and they want us all to just go away i think. We are scared, and upset about it.
We have asked for help, but they say help is tearing them down and building new ones nobody here can afford.
You know, I am poor, but i won't go away. I will never go away. There will always be poor. But I will not accept a 'handout' either. I am happy with being poor. But i find here, in Oak Ridge, it seems the City does not care. To me, that is the government, that doesn't care.
If poor people are a problem, they are going to get rid of us, but you know, we will always be somewhere. Why cant' they simply help? They could grab a paintbrush, or a hammer, instead of talk alot and shuffle papers for money around.
America. hmph. I haven't seen one government or citizen of Oak Ridge try to help. We were on the local news last week, and still nobody cares.
I know this letter will never make it to you Mr Obama, maybe alot of government people will laugh at it before they throw it away. But i tell you what, I am 44 years old now, and if you helped, I would register to vote, and be a proud American. Not just proud, and not just an American,
but a Proud American.
You're the first person I've seen since watching Mr Kennedy on TV as a kid that it feels to me like you might know about the America I've been talking about.
Thank you,
Mike Johnson
Oak Ridge