Taken from the essay “Day in the Life of Joe Middle-Class
Republican”
by John Gray and published in the Huffington Post.
The May 25, 2011 byline belongs to Sandy Goodman.
Some liberty in editing has been taken in the writing below.
With his first swallow of water, he takes his daily medication. His medications are safe because some liberal fought to ensure their safety.
All but $10 of his medications are paid for by his employer's medical plan because some liberal union fought for paid medical insurance - now Joe gets it too.
He prepares his morning breakfast of bacon and eggs. Joe's bacon is safe to eat because some liberal fought for laws to regulate the meat packing industry.
In the morning shower, Joe reaches for his shampoo. His bottle is properly labeled with each ingredient and their total contents because some liberal fought for his right to know what he was putting on his body.
Joe dresses, walks outside and takes a deep breath. The air he breathes is clean because some liberal fought for the laws to stop industries from polluting our air.
He walks to the subway station for his government-subsidized ride to work. It saves him considerable money in parking, fuel costs and auto maintenance because some liberal fought for affordable public transportation.
Joe arrives at work. He has a good job with excellent pay, medical benefits, retirement, paid holidays and vacation because some liberal union members fought and died for these working standards. Joe's employer pays these benefits to avoid his nonunion employees from unionizing or to prevent his union employees from filing a grievance against his company.
If Joe is hurt on the job or becomes unemployed, he is protected by worker compensation or unemployment insurance because some liberals didn't think he should lose his home or live in abject poverty because of his temporary misfortune.
At noon Joe makes a bank deposit. Joe's deposit is federally insured by the FDIC because some liberal wanted to protect Joe's money from unscrupulous bankers who ruined the banking system leading to the Great Depression.
Joe has to pay his Fannie Mae-underwritten mortgage and his below-market federal student loan because some liberal decided that Joe and the government would be better off if he was educated and earned more money during his lifetime.
Joe is home from work. He plans to visit his father this evening at his farm home in the country.
He gets in his car for the drive. His car is among the safest in the world because some liberal fought for car safety standards.
He arrives at his boyhood home. His was the third generation to live in the house financed by Farmers' Home Administration because bankers didn't want to make rural loans. The house didn't have electricity until some liberal demanded rural electrification.
He is happy to see his father, who is now retired. His father lives on Social Security and a union pension because some liberal made sure he could take care of himself allowing Joe greater freedom and spendable income.
Joe gets back in his car for the ride home. He turns on the radio. Joe hears President Clinton proclaim; “The era of big government is over.” Without one ounce of thought given to each and every protection and benefit Joe enjoys throughout his day, Joe cheers wildly and says; Yeah - We don't need those big-government liberals ruining our lives!
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