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To give you some insight about the author of this letter,
I am a white, middle-class American citizen, 33 years old, and
male. I was born and raised in the Mahoning Valley. I was in-
stilled with good, old fashioned American values by my parents.
I am married, with one son, and have never committed a crime.
My family has always believed in working to earn a living.
Recently, I was laid off from the third job I have managed to
find in three years, My father was forced into early retirement
after U.S. Steel Corp. closed down the steel mills it operated
here in 1980. My brother, who was also employed by U.S. Steel,
has been unable to find employment due to his lack of skills,
education, and age for nearly three years. He is currently on
the welfare rolls. Another brother, and a younger sister have
been forced to leave the state to find jobs. As you can see the
recession has hurt our family very much.
We are only a few of the thousands displaced by the economy,
who want to work, but cannot find a job that would pay enough to
support our families. One cannot imagine the devastating effect
being unemployed over an extended period of time has on a person's
life without experiencing it first hand. The condition the whole
country is in is tearing at the very fiber that made this country
great. It threatens to destroy the spirit of our most valuable
resource
Our people.
Let me add at this point that I do not put responsibility
for this recession on you, or your economic policies. As you have
stated, it was a long time in the making. I am also confident
your recovery plan will succeed, and the nation will return to
greatness. However, in your own words it will not be a "quick
fix" solution. Therefore, those of us who are balancing on the
very brink of financial disaster will see little benefit from
any strides made in recovery. What I would like to know is, what
hope do offer us? A slow recovery will not help this area at all.
Who will pick up the pieces of the shattered lives, and families,
and who will replace the homes that we worked our whole lives to
own? It is disheartening to think that we have made the great
sacrafices for the good of all, and now, seem to be forgotten,
and have the least to be optimistic about for the future.
We need to see something more positive, something brighter
on the horizon to inspire our faith in the future. Your message
merely fortified our belief that we can only look forward to
more suffering and disillusionment. Please don't tell us like
the cynics do that the American dream is dead. I have believed
in it all of my life, and still do. But lately, it has become
tarnished, and I would like to see it restored, and preserved.
I have faith in your strong leadership, as do many of my fellow
unemployed neighbors, and family members. I pray you will not
abandon us in our greatest hour of need. Please give us some-
thing to be hopeful for. Thank you for your kind consideration.
Respectfully yours;
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"ocrText": "To give you some insight about the author of this letter,\nI am a white, middle-class American citizen, 33 years old, and\nmale. I was born and raised in the Mahoning Valley. I was in-\nstilled with good, old fashioned American values by my parents.\nI am married, with one son, and have never committed a crime.\nMy family has always believed in working to earn a living.\nRecently, I was laid off from the third job I have managed to\nfind in three years, My father was forced into early retirement\nafter U.S. Steel Corp. closed down the steel mills it operated\nhere in 1980. My brother, who was also employed by U.S. Steel,\nhas been unable to find employment due to his lack of skills,\neducation, and age for nearly three years. He is currently on\nthe welfare rolls. Another brother, and a younger sister have\nbeen forced to leave the state to find jobs. As you can see the\nrecession has hurt our family very much.\nWe are only a few of the thousands displaced by the economy,\nwho want to work, but cannot find a job that would pay enough to\nsupport our families. One cannot imagine the devastating effect\nbeing unemployed over an extended period of time has on a person's\nlife without experiencing it first hand. The condition the whole\ncountry is in is tearing at the very fiber that made this country\ngreat. It threatens to destroy the spirit of our most valuable\nresource\nOur people.\nLet me add at this point that I do not put responsibility\nfor this recession on you, or your economic policies. As you have\nstated, it was a long time in the making. I am also confident\nyour recovery plan will succeed, and the nation will return to\ngreatness. However, in your own words it will not be a \"quick\nfix\" solution. Therefore, those of us who are balancing on the\nvery brink of financial disaster will see little benefit from\nany strides made in recovery. What I would like to know is, what\nhope do offer us? A slow recovery will not help this area at all.\nWho will pick up the pieces of the shattered lives, and families,\nand who will replace the homes that we worked our whole lives to\nown? It is disheartening to think that we have made the great\nsacrafices for the good of all, and now, seem to be forgotten,\nand have the least to be optimistic about for the future.\nWe need to see something more positive, something brighter\non the horizon to inspire our faith in the future. Your message\nmerely fortified our belief that we can only look forward to\nmore suffering and disillusionment. Please don't tell us like\nthe cynics do that the American dream is dead. I have believed\nin it all of my life, and still do. But lately, it has become\ntarnished, and I would like to see it restored, and preserved.\nI have faith in your strong leadership, as do many of my fellow\nunemployed neighbors, and family members. I pray you will not\nabandon us in our greatest hour of need. Please give us some-\nthing to be hopeful for. Thank you for your kind consideration.\nRespectfully yours;"
}