|
|
                   |
Good Old Days?
By Kathleen Jones & Erika D. White
For most of us, Social Security, Medicare and other social programs have been around forever. It’s hard to imagine them not being part of our lives. But from time to time, it's a good idea to look back and see how far we have come, and how these programs have improved the quality of life for working Americans. One of the best ways to do this is to talk to our parents and grandparents. And so your newsletter editor and assistant editor decided to do just that. We sat down with our respective mothers to ask them what it was like for them growing up. It's true that each generation recalls its own "good old days." Nostalgia often blurs painful memories, and we look back through the proverbial rose-colored glasses. But were the "good old days" always good? What follows is a little bit of history on a very personal level, as we attempt to demonstrate how social programs have helped this country progress over the decades. Dolores is a white female, age 73, and grew up in Toledo’s Old South End. "I grew up during the Great Depression. When I was young, homeless men used to live down the riverbank. There was one I remember named Shannon. He would go to the Bond Bread Company and buy day-old bread. Then he’d go door to door selling that bread for a nickel a loaf so he’d have enough money to buy food for himself and his friends. "The sheenies used to come around our neighborhood. They were like peddlers. They’d buy bottles, newspapers, rags and tin foil from the families on our street. Then the sheenies would re-sell these goods, kind of like today’s recycling centers. It’s how they earned enough money to live. "My father earned $5 a week. My mother would buy a chicken or roast for Sunday dinner, and use the leftovers for meals through the week. By Friday, we would be down to fried eggs for dinner. We had no pop; that was only for special occasions, as we could not afford it. Just like, we couldn’t afford buns for sandwiches. Buying things like potato chips was unthinkable. "We wore shoes until they wore out. When there was a hole in the sole, we’d cut out a piece of cardboard and put that in our shoe to repair it. "I never saw a dentist until I was about 14 or 15 years old. I had to have a lot of teeth pulled because of that. My first visit to the eye doctor wasn’t until I was in the 7th grade. I was amazed at what I’d been missing! I can’t remember when was the first time I went to the doctor, maybe when I was very young. I didn’t go regularly until after I was married and we had health insurance. "Welfare as we know it today didn’t exist. My grandfather had to sign over his house on Morton Street to get state aid when he was in his 70s. That’s the only way he could get any kind of public assistance. "My mother would have had nothing if it had not been for Social Security. My mother received Social Security’s death benefit when my father died in 1950. This money helped pay his medical bills. When my father died, my mother did not receive any pension from my father’s employers. While he lived, my father earned enough money to take care of his family, but he never made enough to put money away for retirement. The monthly Social Security checks she received were all that stood between her and poverty. "Medicare came into being in my mother’s twilight years. She had many serious health problems that would have gone untreated if it hadn’t been for Medicare. It was because of Medicare that she voted for a Democrat for president for the first time in her life! Social Security helped us again when my mother died in 1973. We were able to use the Social Security death benefit to help pay off her ambulance bill. "As for me, I am on Rail Road Retirement rather than Social Security. We had to pay in much more to Rail Road Retirement than those covered by Social Security. It’s the only pension I get, and that was cut practically in half when my husband died. I have not pension of my own because I quit working shortly after marrying in order to raise my family. Thanks to Medicare, I can afford regular visits to the doctor, and don’t have to wait until something goes wrong. "I’ve disliked and disapproved of some former presidents, but I have never disliked and feared one as much as the current occupant of the White House. I am concerned about where this nation is heading under his administration. I grew up during the Great Depression, lived through World War II, the Korean War and Viet Nam, but never felt as threatened and insecure as I do today. I fear for this country, it’s people, and our way of life if George W. Bush is elected for 4 more years!" Erika White held a similar conversation with her mother. Though Dolores and Bernice come from two different generations and different ethnic backgrounds, it struck us that there were a number of similarities in their stories. Here is what Erika wrote. "Bernice is an African-American female, age 57 ½, who grew up during the 1950-1960’s in Jackson, Tennessee. Her mother died of cancer in her early 50’s, and her mother’s brother also died of cancer at an early age. This was due primarily because many African-Americans at that time, because of discrimination, struggled to find a job that at least paid enough for food for the week. Medical care by a professional was only used in extreme illnesses. "Many women still had babies at home, and mothers administered home remedies for ailments. Bernice told me about her mother using cod liver oil, and that every spring, her mother gave them Sulphur mixed with crème of tartar to help prevent "spring" illnesses such as malaria, and Blackdraugh mixed with baking soda for laxatives. At that time, everyone got chicken pox and mumps because there were no vaccinations. Her mother tried home remedies when she first became ill; by the time she went for surgery it was too late. Her family did not have medical insurance. Bernice recalls that they were given government assistance with food, and that may have helped with some of her mother’s surgery cost. "Her mothered canned food and dried fruits. Bernice recalls her mother made jelly, ice cream, biscuits, cakes, and pudding from scratch. Her family made many of the items I casually go into the store and buy. Another funny thing she told me was that they knew families that had pecan and walnut trees, and some even grew popcorn. At that time, chickens were allowed in the city, so meat was available. Bernice said that the community shared a lot of the resources that were available like fruit, meat, eggs, and nuts. "The only time she recalls going to the doctor was when she was sick; there were no yearly check-ups. The dentist came to the school to clean their teeth once a year. There was a room set up at the school for the dentist to do this. "Bernice said she and her brother were bought two pair of shoes, one for school and one for church. We laughed because she remembers herself and other children putting cardboard in the bottom of their shoes if their parents couldn’t buy new ones. "Most people at that time also did not put money in the bank; they hid their money in piano benches or under mattresses. I found this funny even though she said this has nothing to do with health care!! "Eye exams were given at school also and if there were vision problems it was referred to an eye doctor. "Her father worked at a sawmill and her mom, like most in that era, stayed home. She occasionally did day work, which is cleaning and cooking for other families. Because her father didn’t make much, they received public assistance. Rather than things like Food Stamps, they received cheese, eggs, flour, corn meal, beans, canned beef and pork. Her mother would add potatoes to the canned meat for meals. "She claims the pollution was not as bad back then, so they made snow ice cream. Here are the directions: Get some clean snow and add eggs, sugar and milk. Mix and freeze. Well, I ain’t making that!! "When asked her views on politics, Bernice commented, ‘I have always been a Democratic vote and supported them locally and nationally. As an African-American, we were always taught to vote for Democrats because the Republican Party was for wealthy people. Voting has been a right I take seriously, because I talked to people who could not vote and were afraid to register because of the color of their skin. I remember the Colored and White drinking fountains. Democrats, in my opinion, have tried to make social policies that help the working person, while Republicans destroy those policies and make things worse.’ When I asked if she would be referring directly to George W. Bush, my mother just laughed." When folks in Washington start talking about "reforming" programs such as Medicare and Social Security, be sure to check the facts behind the headlines. Reform is often used as a cover to actually undermine and, ultimately, do away with these programs. Do we really want to turn back the clock? It’s fun to talk about the "good old days" -- to enjoy family stories, and think that life was simpler "back then." But take a moment to think. How would YOU be affected if faced with retirement or disability, and Medicare, Social Security and other programs were either not available, or only a pale shadow of what we have today. A lot of progress has been made in this country over the past seven decades. Would you really want to turn back the clock? Remember, the fate of Social Security, Medicare and other social programs ultimately rests with YOU and ME -- the VOTERS. Don’t let someone else do away with what’s important to the working men and women of this country. If you think these are not important issues, sit down and talk to your family. Their answers may surprise you!
Home Page | Buying Guide | Committees | Contact Us | Editorials
|
