Arizona Shootings vs. Dead 99ers

Jan. 13, 2011 - PRLog -- It's a tragedy about the shootings in Arizona, as violence usually is, but why does it dominate a 24/7 news cycle when 99ers are dying at a faster rate? Is it just because most 99er's deaths were self-inflicted? How many people died because of the ineptness of our political leaders in governing our banks, the wars, the domestic work force, and our economy...or died because of inaction by members of congress to help the 99ers?

While yes, it's a tragedy what happened in Arizona, but isn't what's being allowed to continue to happen also a tragedy? Maybe even more so because, unlike the shootings in Arizona, those 99ers deaths could have been avoided. But instead, they were called names and blamed for there own situation.

Jobs are still going overseas as a false debate rages on about a Tier Five - the rumors persist among the unemployed, but an additional tier has never materialized...and probably never will. Isn't that a tragedy as well? Isn't the economic downfall of America and it's middle-class a tragedy? And if the rich were waging a class war, wouldn't the 99ers be the first causalities of that war? Isn't it a tragedy for them as well?

But I have heard so little pooh-pooh about those people, the 99ers - usually the older workers who didn't "drop out of the work force" (as reported by the government), but had been mercilessly shoved out. I think that's a REAL tragedy. War vets, single moms, college grads - professionals and laborers alike. All tossed to the curb like empty beer cans.

Isn't the over-saturation in the news about the Arizona shootings, and the now-political debate about gun control again, just an excuse to further ignore the REAL tragedy in this country...the 6 million plus and growing middle-aged jobless people with no income at all - because congress refused to add a Tier Five with the old lame excuse of the budget as being a priority for the country? Shouldn't people's lives be the first priority?

All over the world, in every city, every minute of the day people are being murdered. An elected leader is thought by the media that because their life is more valuable to the country, that it's somehow more newsworthy than say, my life. I don't agree. I believe my life is much MORE important because it's my life!

No gun law would have saved those poor people in Arizona. Like any law, they will be broken. Littering is illegal but people dump their trash out the car window all the time. Congress passes laws that only WE should obey, but laws won't stop Al Qaeda any more than one madman with a handgun in Arizona. Laws only a benefit "the law", so that after the evil act, police will know what to charge the person with - and the judge will know how to sentence the offender (i.e. jail time or a fine).

If laws were really meant about governing a "civilized" society, a Tier Five would have been passed months ago for the 99ers.

Both the Republicans and Democrats are still acting like idiots concerning the unemployed. One side is blaming the other for the Arizona shooting as if either side could have been blamed for one crazed man's actions. Debate the gun law anther time, but help those who can still be saved...like the 99ers. Why ignore the obvious?

It's just like the BP oil spill...the 99ers were ignored then too. It's almost as though the news media were trying to find anything and everything to report on EXCEPT for the 99ers. Why is that?

Maybe if only 100,000 out of the 6 million 99ers shot each other (instead of just desperately shooting themselves to avoid being homeless), it would THEN make the mainstream news cycle. Would it THEN be considered tragic enough for the media to report, 24 hours a days, 7 days a week?

# # #

The Tier Five Times reports on the latest unemployment news such as the jobless numbers and unemployment benefits for "99ers" - those who have exhausted all unemployment insurance benefits.