Second Class Citizen



Roy Wood, a radio celebrity know for his "radio pranks" occasionally gets his comeuppance...sorta like Brer Rabbit when he gets to big for his britches.

A couple of years ago, Roy decided to have some fun at "Barbara's" expense. The premise was this...

Roy: "I'm from the Social Security Administration, and due to the rise in gas prices, and Katerina, we're gonna have to cut your Social Security check by 250. oo a month". Barbara's response was, " Oh, no ya'll ain't."

The whole piece is about 5 minutes long, and hilarious the first time, and the more you listen to it, the more profound it gets. I think that's why it's so popular still. Though Barbara loses her cool, her position irrefutable.

As the fun started, Roy Wood says she was not a "good" American, because she won't allow her SS check to be cut. She responded that she was not a "good American, or bad American, just a person living in America, and them Katerina folks could get 'em a job, and gas prices were not her concern; everybody don't have to have a car." They could walk to work like she does. So, Barbara had no car, she had a job, and was on Social Security for whatever reason.

She obviously was living on a 'fixed" income, and to mess with it would create hardships. Barbara felt she was making sacrifices, and dammit, everyone else else was gonna' have to sacrifice, too. Roy Wood be damned. He could "hobo his ---- up to where she lived and she'd her best to @$&%$ him up, if he messed with her check.

I think Roy was baiting someone who might be construed as a "second class" citizen into defending her citizenship. In my mind, she passed the test. I think Roy Wood opened a can of worms that he was unable to defend. Barbara knew her ground and her rights. I wouldn't want to meet her with a knife in her hand in a dark alley!

The question to me is, is Barbara a "second class citizen"? She has enough to make ends meet, with her Social Security check. Probably doesn't take a vacation, go out to eat much.

Are executives getting big bonuses from banks that taxpayers bailed out considered second class citizens? I hardly think many Americans have a high estimation of the CEO' s and underlings involved in the destruction of the banking system...but are they second class? They have millions of dollars of personal assets, but they 're bums. I'd much rather hang with Barbara and eat catfish, thank you.

What is a second class citizen? Are they low income people like Barbara that are singled out as second class because they are on public assitance. Hell, I'm on public assistance, and I paid for every quarter of it! I ain't second class to nobody, I don't think.

It seems people with opposing views to mainstream politics second class citizens? Are kids that make 880 on the SAT second class citizens? Are people who got sold a mortgage they couldn't afford second class? Are people who drive trucks second class citizens. How bout plumbers? DOT workers?

You see where I'm going with this. Labels are for boxes, canned goods, file folders, and other inanimate. Some labels says "Best if used by" ... that don't mean it's bad, that's for you to decide. If your hungry, it don't matter. It's your privelge to throw it away if you have the money to replace it. If you're hungry, you use it. Ain't nothing second class about that.

I remember a quote from Brother Dave Gardner, a Southern humorist, who reminded us that Abraham Lincoln didn't think much of any of us. Lincoln said, (paraphrased)... "The Lord loved the common man, because he made so many of them." Brother Dave's take was "if you think someone's common, go up and tell em so, and see how fast they punch you in the nose."

Damn, that's two rants in a row...I got too much "brain time". I'm going to the shop and do something mindless...light duty at the hart ware tomorrow...yeah.

I'll send you the Roy Wood Jr piece for an email addressed to patandjan@windstream.net.