I’ve been unemployed against my will for the past six weeks, yet not compelled to write about it. Unemployment is not inspiring – I’m really just a statistic. I am also one of millions that suffer from “occasional irregularity”, and you don’t see a lot of creative writing focused on that unfortunate topic either. I did receive my first unemployment check ever after over 20 years gainfully employed. Let me tell you – it is a great feeling to use something that I have been paying into yet receiving no benefits. I’m not sure where my family would be without it, and this is from a guy with a spotless work history and a useful graduate and postgraduate degree.

Getting laid off from my company was a lot like being dumped by a crack whore. Sure, maybe I worked too much and didn’t give you as much attention as you needed; Baby, that’s the least of your problems. No severance of course, although they did pay me for the entire day after being let go at 10am. Keeping your sanity during unemployment depends on two things – how bad you need the money, and how badly you need to keep busy. My family needs the money urgently, but I am enjoying working on school and entrepreneurial endeavors with impunity. Danger! Danger!

The UI system has been around since the Great Depression – another one of those controversial programs enacted during that time. Even before I hopped on the unemployment bandwagon I realized that there are many successful government programs in place that you, I or someone we love will rely on at various points in our lives. Therefore, I feel that we Americans must have damn good reason to oppose them. I demand that research and logic primarily be involved – call me crazy. No references to death panels, Jesus, Hitler, or stabbing babies – emotions and religion have played too large a part in our government for the last 8 years. Just because the man is black does not make him a socialist. He’s still wealthy, right?

Furthermore, if there is a hell I hope there is an especially humid level reserved for hypocrites. You know the ones – they vehemently oppose any government program yet gladly collect their social security and disability payments. They seem to be coming out of the woodworks lately. Many of these angry hypocrites are above middle age – why, exactly? This demographic should just shutting their mouths and thanking God every time their check cashes. Leave the protesting for people my age and younger who are going to have to pay the bills when you baby boomers retire.

I’m not saying government health care is the answer;  Just like Social Security, it will have long-term problems (understatement). However, anything is better than what we have in place now. As I’ve mentioned before, would you rather have a beancounter control your healthcare or some suit working aggressively to screw you over? Next time you witness a blowhard slamming his or her fist on a table while shouting down a government option, do us freeloaders a favor: research.

Allow me elaborate.

This information age has generated a lot of static. There are many issues you could lie awake at night worrying about, most of them on shaky ground. The H1N1 virus epidemic, the Amero, Jon and Kate, everything that comes out of Michele Bachman’s mouth – all unworthy if you are short of time. However, your government becoming the bitch of Big Business should be a genuine concern. Is that table-pounding, jowel-shaking octogenarian speaking for you or that suit he played golf with last week? My dream is that every C-SPAN title that tells you a government official’s name and party also has a acronym for his or her biggest donor. For example, Senator Mitch McConnell should be followed by “(R-KY-BI)”, as a Republican from Kentucky clearly in bed with the banking industry. This labeling is probably just a pipe dream, so check out campaignmoney.org and others about campaign financing. This article on the public healthcare reform is very interesting.