..at Gig Harbor Starbucks to get my Sunday fix of NY Times, and try to shake off allergic reaction to a blizzard of cat dander ...
..a 50ish (or 40ish made older looking by old man duds and a pencil mustache..) causcasian guy standing talking to another 50ish cauc. who was sitting at a table with a younger asian woman..who said nothing throughout the ensuing conversation..but looked noticeably uncomfortable..
..''..so I was a DIEHARD Bush supporter until this immigration thing..that just DID IT for me!..." ..(he didnt attempt to keep his tones low which folks often will do on such a topic)...he went on with statistics and how some new legislation was affecting businesses, and how a percentage of Pell grants were going to undocumented people, and thereby not to deserving legal residents, to get a university education, that no one was checking anyone's legal status at the financial aid offices...and how he was just done with Bush because of the illegal alien issue..
..I had to wonder about the status of the woman with the seated man, and why the other man had no sensitivity about how this topic might affect her...not that just because she was Asian meant it WOULD affect her, but her obvious discomfort (and silence, staring straight ahead.. while the man railed) spoke volumes...
..i was wondering about the woman: is she is wife? mail order bride afraid to speak up because her green card hasnt come through yet? ..his maid or assistant? is she interviewing for a position with him? ..either she spoke little to no english or..???
..brought me in mind also to my and my former husband's educations; we made it just under the wire in the early 80s before the government did away with most financial aid except for loans.
We were able to finance our educations with minimal amount of borrowing, albeit at public universities. We lived in student housing, used food stamps, rarely had a working car, but we managed..
..I have been wondering, if these grants were available, or if such as they have in Europe and elsewhere, where students qualify by passing an examination or by high enough grades, and could get into university or vocational training at little to no personal expense...what would our national politics be?? Would this current war ever have been able to be waged at all?
...I don't think it would have been able to take place...there simply wouldn't have been the man/womanpower for it to happen, and it couldn't have happened with mercenaries only (even though currently these are a small but significant percentage of the forces there now).
The young men and women today, mostly go in the the service to pay for the educations or to get a trade. If this reason were not so pressing --- our political landscape I believe would be really different...and the question that follows naturally is, does the status quo serve some very well??
..a cynical question, but one does have to wonder...
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