Even Democrats are predicting that the November mid-terms will be a bloodbath for many of their candidates. Their programs and policies aren't working. Their decisions are destroying our economy, our freedoms, and our future. Until now, all they needed to stay in office were repeated promises, unchecked by the mainstream media, to give the illusion of caring for you.
Unfortunately for President Biden, his failures are too numerous and visible to avoid. All you need to do is buy gas at your local gas station to know the cost of their policies. If you don't have a car, try buying the food you
need for your family at your local market. Watch illegal aliens stream into the country and be bused to cities across the country. Many are fine people, but by overwhelming our border they will be taking your jobs and requiring healthcare and welfare from local governments. Criminals are having their way in far too many big cities, and woke DAs are refusing to prosecute even repeat offenders. Do you support these policies?
Now, let's get personal. Democrats have worked decades to train far too many Americans that they are "victims" of a biased system designed to keep them down. If you are a racial minority, they claim that there is "white privilege" and "systemic racism" that blocks your way. If you are a woman, they claim that men have conspired to keep you a second-class citizen subject to job and wage discrimination. The list of victim categories could take up the rest of this column. Certainly, there are racist incidents and tough obstacles every group faces, but there are many role models-people like you who have succeeded in spite of such biases. You don't have to remain a victim.
Yes, there are benefits to being a victim. Caring people will elect politicians and give donations to non-profits committed to making your life easier. Why? Because they harbor an underlying belief-you are a victim who
can't succeed without their help. Make you mad to hear that? I hope it does. Democrats say they support you, but they certainly do not believe you are capable of taking responsibility for yourself or your family. To be elected, they need victims and enablers who believe creating government dependency is helping you.
No matter what type of "victim" you call yourself, you also pay a price living out that label. In fact, the label itself puts your focus on the very things that can keep you a victim. Instead of trying to find a job, you must put time into securing support. If you work too much, you will find your subsidies reduced. Such thinking and efforts keep you from learning that you can take responsibility for your own life and succeed.
If you are tired of settling for government crumbs that barely allow you to get by every month, start by talking to yourself differently. No matter what you have faced, you do not have to be defined by that experience. if you are still alive, you are not a lasting victim. You are a resourceful survivor. Be proud of your resilience in taking back your life.
Sandy Ritz said it best, "I believe that we need to reframe 'disaster victims' into 'disaster survivors.' The label of 'victim' connotes constant suffering. Being repeatedly addressed as a victim encourages feelings of
helplessness and despondency. Not to mention shame. The term 'survivor' better describes someone who endures, lives through it, persists, and succeeds. Being a victim is passive--feeling powerless, with little faith or
hope. Being a survivor is active--regaining control of their lives."
Do you want to remain a victim or are you ready to be a survivor who finds a way to succeed?
If Republicans win big in November, they will work to limit government entitlements because they have a different way of "caring" for you. Like most Americans, they know there always needs to be short-term help available locally to help those facing unfortunate challenges. But long-term free
government subsidies can trap you. Conservatives want you to become self-reliant and self-confident in your God-given gifts and ability to live your own American Dream. That's right, this is the country where dreams
still come true for those willing to work hard to achieve it. Think about those you know who have succeeded in spite of the biases they faced. Face the challenge. The best way to fight back against any racism is to succeed
anyway. Learn from those who have done just that. Become one of them.
It won't be easy. When you begin to trade dependence for personal responsibility, it may cost you. Your initial paychecks may not match what you can now get from government support. Progress will be gradual, and each
step will require resolve. You believe you are worth more than minimum wage. Prove it! Pick where you want to work. Let them know you are willing to start where you are needed but that you expect to advance. Let your
performance provide the evidence.
I mentored a single mother through that very challenge. Initially, working part time, she received a small raise that cut her benefits by more than the raise she received. She was disappointed but confidently said, "I'm not
going back!" She stayed the course, and now has her own business training barbers and stylists how to get certified and succeed in their own businesses.
America's amazing founding fathers envisioned a country where all citizens were guaranteed "the pursuit of happiness," not happiness dumped in their laps. Benjamin Franklin reviled the welfare system of King George's England. He wrote, "There [was] no country in the world in which the poor [were] more idle, dissolute, drunken, and insolent." Franklin noted that by offering "a premium for the encouragement of idleness," (the English system created) "an increase in poverty." He preferred the American welfare model, whose purpose was "not making [the poor] easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it." For over two centuries we have maintained a country where citizens were required to earn their American Dream.
Let me ask the question again, "Do you want to remain a dependent victim or are you ready to be a resilient and resourceful survivor who finds a way to succeed?" Most American are ready to applaud and support your efforts to do just that no matter what your race, gender, or age!
Terry Paulson is PhD psychologist, author, and professional speaker on Earned Optimism, Making Change Work, Claiming Your American Dream, and Becoming a Conservative Values Voter. Contact him at
terry@terrypaulson.com