Our Social Systems Are Under Attack

My mom had an abortion – a late-term pregnancy with hydrocephalus and spina bifida that was dangerous and unviable. Had she lived in a state restricting access to healthcare, it might have driven my parents bankrupt, prevented me from being born, or even killed her.

My parents split when I was about two years old. And on my mom’s nights, I would often end up at the bars, restaurants, and trains where she would play guitar and sing. And what I saw was that she always brought light to people’s lives. She was not just a musician. She would listen to you and tell you stories, and play your favorite song. And six-year-old me would be smartly tasked with the job of running around with a tip jar, saying, “Will you give my mom some money?” And I was good at my job, but though she never got rich, she did get to live her dream.

I often think about my parents’ struggles: the effect prolonged periods of unemployment had on [my mom], the schools and small businesses where she did find work, the grace of the Red Church and the thrift store owners where we shopped for clothes and for fun, or the COBRA health insurance she had as a state park employee that gave her a few precious extra years of life.

Even hard-working people – especially hard-working people – rely on social systems that work, and right now, those systems are under attack. We have folks who are branding those people as people who do not want to give back to society, who are not working hard. But the truth is, there are many households where two parents are working full-time jobs, and they are unable to meaningfully get ahead.

Making sure that people have access to nutritious food, affordable healthcare, and community services is not just good for them. It’s good for our entire society.