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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forums19 years later, single mom writes Open Letter to Pres. Carter about her 'Habitat' home
Dear President Carter,
I need to tell you how much my Habitat house means to me...My family (2 sons & 1 daughter) moved into out house Christmas Eve 1997. As a single parent raising children & working 2 jobs, this was a significant milestone in my life. Now, 18 years later, the children are grown, the house has aged, I have aged, and am now 2 years away from paying off my mortgage. During those 18 years, I went back to school and earned my MA (Religion & Culture) in an effort to obtain a better paying job - no such luck.
After 2 decades of Human Services work, I now work 2-3 days a week in a hospital emergency room registering patients. I was forced to begin to collect social security early due to an employment lay-off and termination. My social security check is $840 after my student loan and Medicare deductions. It turns out that working with the differently abled as an attendant, working with low income, first-generation college students, and assisting economically and educationally deprived teens and young adults to earn high school diplomas and learn trades does not fit the ever-shrinking circumstances for eligibility for loan forgiveness. If it were not for my little home, I would be unable to afford to rent an apartment these days. I know that no matter what, I have a home, a place where I can grow old, familiar and comfortable and mine. And you, Mr. President, made this possible. For that, there are no words to describe my thanks.
God bless you, Mr. President
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/1/31/1477991/-19-years-later-single-mom-writes-Open-Letter-to-President-Carter-about-being-a-Habitat-Homeowner
annabanana
(52,791 posts)EXCEPT Jimmy Carter.
He is a treasure
Gothmog
(145,321 posts)FSogol
(45,488 posts)LiberalLovinLug
(14,174 posts)Where talking Nationalistic bravado, even if it is all bs, is applauded and evokes the go-to chant: "USA USA USA..."
Americans have been so conditioned to accept the easy way, at least in the movies. It is always so much messier in a real situation, and the "good guys" do not always win. Why negotiate, why talk, why try and understand the other side when you have an automatic assault arsenal? I am just catching up to the series "The 100". and on the first season. I enjoy sci-fi and the premise of the story is intriguing. A hundred young people stranded on a future earth, sent down by a space station on its last legs, after 100 years after some type of war related, and toxic destruction and contamination of the planet.
But of course they run into some savage humans, and lo and behold they find a stash of working automatic assault weapons. Might is always right. The writers make sure to pound home the fact that those that want to "just get along" are obviously naive and stupid and killing the "other" is the only way.
The reliance on violence, an unnatural lust for firearms, is unfortunately what many think of now when someone says "USA". It is relied on, even in TV shows, as the only answer to any problem. Jazz music, rock n roll, movies, even the famous American spirit of innovation and self determination, is no longer American's legacy.
randys1
(16,286 posts)tabasco
(22,974 posts)He is the greatest role model for all Americans.
sorefeet
(1,241 posts)Billings on the interstate. One home facing the interstate has a 4x8 piece of plywood that say STOP OBAMACARE. I felt that they must be some ungrateful people in that home. I surprised a neighbor hasn't removed it by now.
tk2kewl
(18,133 posts)SammyWinstonJack
(44,130 posts)BERNIE BECAUSE FUCK THIS SHIT!
mountain grammy
(26,624 posts)Replaced by mean and greed, the path preferred by the majority of American voters.
chervilant
(8,267 posts)"...the path preferred by temporarily embarrassed millionaires."
(By this, I mean that --despite ample evidence to the contrary -- entirely too many Americans still believe the wealth carrot meme.)
mountain grammy
(26,624 posts)LonePirate
(13,426 posts)Taft is a distant second and I cannot even think who might be third. Nonetheless, Carter is a true American patriot and hero who has made our country and the world a better place for millions of people.
exboyfil
(17,863 posts)Should be near the top as well.
oberliner
(58,724 posts)His foundation has done a lot of work on HIV/AIDS programs and bringing attention to climate change.
Hiraeth
(4,805 posts)malaise
(269,054 posts)What a letter
Half-Century Man
(5,279 posts)I too say, Thank you President Carter.
redwitch
(14,944 posts)Lovely, decent man. I will always be proud of my first vote.
SandersDem
(592 posts)if there was ever a man who walked this earth deserving of being made a saint, it is this man. My first vote for President and evry year he confirms to me that I cast the right vote back then. His work throughout the world with the Carter Center is the gold standard for former Presidents, sadly no other ex President's work has come close to what Carter has done.
He is a shining example of how politics matter and can either improve lives or damage them forever.
Scurrilous
(38,687 posts)FailureToCommunicate
(14,014 posts)gvstn
(2,805 posts)Not mean enough for Washington but a great man.
I would put Obama in the same camp if it were not for the TPP.
nevergiveup
(4,762 posts)I realize that years following a presidency can not be considered when determining the greatness of a president but if they could, no one, including Lincoln, would come close to this man.
Omaha Steve
(99,660 posts)K&R!
OS
jwirr
(39,215 posts)has not outgrown it and she is hoping to move with her husband and three children into a bigger one. She to is thankful for this program, its volunteers and Jimmy Carter and his wife.
Tommy_Carcetti
(43,182 posts)Bar none.
Enthusiast
(50,983 posts)I'm proud to say that I voted for President Carter twice.
kpete
(71,996 posts)for us all
peace,
kp
lumberjack_jeff
(33,224 posts)Costs about the same.
rhett o rick
(55,981 posts)Education should be free, but I understand how conservatives hate that. They hate educated people that call them on their bullcrap.
Thinkingabout
(30,058 posts)Opportunities and this lady has made the best possible. In two years her him will be paid and she will have shelter in the future, she supported herself, created a SS account for her future, and is thankful for having the opportunity.