Amatullah's Letter

I am 19 years old. I’m a freshman in college. I’m only $3,800 in student debt because I’ve only just started borrowing. I currently have a really great job only because I really enjoy working here, and my boss is a great guy. Sadly I only make $150 a week. I work at a gym but the gym is new and it’s privately owned so we don’t have many clients. I’ve tried countless times to get a better paying job but I haven’t been successful. My only choices are to work at a minimum wage job for 40-50 hours a week or become a stripper. These are the only logical solutions to making more money (not exactly the second one but you get my drift). I remember when I was 15, I had no problem finding a good paying job. Now good paying jobs are rarer than a $2 bill. There are people paid millions of dollars for things like saying a couple of lines in a commercial, a settlement from a frivolous lawsuit or even winning the lottery. All the while school teachers, police officers and firefighters are risking their lives for next to nothing and on top of that getting laid off every other day. I’m studying early childhood development but I’m afraid by the time I graduate I won’t be able to secure a job as a kindergarten teacher. I feel hopeless and I’m afraid for mine and my daughter’s future. All we really want from our government is a better opportunity to better ourselves and our children, we want better pay for our teachers, firefighters and police officers so we can continue to serve our community and maintain a healthy lifestyle for us and our children. Stop laying off teachers and police officers and hiring actors and football players. There is a serious job shortage for people we really need! We are the 99% . . .

Josh's Letter

I am a twenty-one year old college student. I am an immigrant and not a U.S. citizen. However, I want the Americans to be aware of President Obama’s terrible health care reform. I don’t care about other things, but implanting the Verichip into people is a big mistake. I first heard about this from my friend last year. He also told me that Georgia became the first state to enforce the implants of the Verichip. Thankfully, the Senate passed the bill prohibiting forced implants of the Verichip in Georgia. I understand it has been used for medical purpose and animals. Despite its usefulness, this microchip violates human rights! If you implant it into your body, you could be tracked and mind-controlled. Do you want to live like a machine or robot controlled by others? I guess you don’t. Therefore, you have to watch out and not receive that dangerous microchip. I am worried if the government would enforce the dangerous act. If they enforce it, I will have to get out of this country as soon as possible. The government needs to cancel this plan and exclude it from health care plan! President Obama, please don’t enforce it! Please don’t violate human rights and freedom!

Xiao's Letter

Undocumented immigrants in this country are getting benefits from our government which we individual taxpayers finance.  I myself am an immigrant, I have had chances to see some illegal immigrants around me.  They are the same people just like me who come here to look for a better life, and better opportunities. There is nothing wrong with their wish to pursue their dreams. In fact, this country was built for everyone to pursue their happiness, and we welcome and encourage immigrants with great abilities all around the world to come here to pursue their dreams and help to build a great nation.  However, Illegal immigrants have put this country in danger.  Without the proper records of documentations of people who come here illegally and when they involve in the civil crimes, law enforcement agencies will have great difficulties to track them down and bring them to justice. Illegal immigrants also get great benefits from those people who pay taxes, and they don’t pay taxes because they work here illegally.  When they have children here, our government has to provide child support for them: I think our government should have done more to secure our back doors and have them come here in the front door. We welcome them and wish them best when they come here legally.

Kaenan's Letter

I am a freshman in college. I have a single mother taking care of me and my sister. Fortunately, The Pell Gant pays for me to go to college, but my sister is another story. She goes to an expensive private school with a tuition that keeps rising. I had to sacrifice where I wanted to really go to college because we couldn’t afford two student loans. After graduating college I want to go to cosmetology school, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to afford it. Through my mom’s low wage job and my sister’s student loans we can barely afford to pay all our bills in the house. Even though we are living with limitations I am grateful that I am able to get a higher education without taking out loans. However, with the college tuition increase more and more people are either dropping out or not going to college at all.

I am the 99%.