I Can not Afford by Jim Pryts

I Can Not Afford

I am the American middle class,

And, it is due to my hard work that America exists at all

I cannot afford to get sick

I cannot afford to buy gasoline

I cannot afford to buy food

I cannot afford to buy a house

I cannot afford to send my kids to college

I cannot afford to pay my rent

I cannot afford to fix my car

I cannot afford to buy a new one

I cannot afford to take a day off work

I cannot afford a hobby

I cannot afford to vacation in Europe

I cannot afford to retire when I grow old

Yet,

I am told that I am lucky to live in the good old USA

I am told that our health care system is the best in the world

I am told that the American Dream is attainable through hard work

I am told that the oil companies are not evil

I am told that the wealthy people’s tax breaks will trickle down to me

I am told that our educational system is second to none

I am told that bankers, mortgage companies, and business executives are basically honest

I am told that my leaders are working to make my life better

I am told to pay my taxes

I am told that my social security and medicare will be taken from me because it is broke, and that this is a good thing

I am told to be patient

I am running out of patience

Thomas Jefferson said “What country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance?”

I cannot afford to sit idly by, and let the country that I have built be destroyed by greed, and incompetence.

I am the American middle class, and it’s up to me save the United States of America.

I cannot afford not to.

- Jim Pryts -

Back to the Top