“Misery Loves Company” is an old American idiom that has sadly become true considering the enormous amount of vitriol, malice and ignorance that is running amok in American political and cultural discourse these days. From politicians to radio shock jocks to ordinary folks, people have no problem with expressing their disdain for their fellow countrymen in mean-spirited, shallow ways and no one is safe from their ire, including children and the dead.

Although the pursuit of happiness for Americans is a Creator given right in the Declaration of Independence, I would bet my last dollar that some Americans are not happy with the state of their lives. Perhaps the 1% that owns everything in America is wallowing in glee, but your average American citizen is suffering economically and mentally and it has manifested itself in several ways. How do I know this? By perusing through the many Internet websites I read on a regular basis and skimming through the comment section. By the angry faces I see walking the streets of Chicago. By the stagnant economy that is decimating communities throughout America. Folks are losing hope for a better future for themselves and their children and they are mad as hell.

But instead of channeling their anger in a constructive manner, they blame others for their problems, usually the poor and minorities because they have a monopoly on food stamps, welfare and Section 8. Perhaps if they did not believe in those rags to rich bullshit stories in which all a person has to do is work hard, be humble and true and eventually your good works would be rewarded with great wealth and honor, they would be okay but unfortunately, living in La-La land is an everyday reality for some people. If that premise was true, there would be millionaires on every block.

But since some folks do not have any more sense than a chicken, they continue to vote against their economic interests, listening to code words such as “Welfare Queens”, “Illegal Immigrants” , “Gay Marriage” and “Muslims”, believing that these individuals are taking over their country, their jobs and everything else their tiny little media fried brains can think of.

In the meanwhile, the rich are laughing all the way to bank, counting their money and eating lobsters and Kobe steaks while sitting back watching misguided Americans go to war against each other based on race, religion and sexual orientation. Our politicians have sold us out to the highest bidder, our infrastructure is crumbling and our educational system is an abysmal mess, turning out students who cannot think critically for themselves or name the Vice-President of the United States. But some folks would rather eat ideology than food and the madness will continue. Americans will continue to be miserable because it easier to sit on your ass and complain than fight for what is right. The right to make a decent living wage and not have to choose between paying your rent or purchasing food for your children, the everyday reality for some Americans.