"Almighty Dollar"

          It has more importance than just paper, it is not just an art piece, but at one point it had gold behind it, turning it into a solid piece of currency. If time could speak, it would tell the world that this little piece of paper has a virtue, a second meaning, and that everyone who has ever lived with it, has been searching for it. We pray on it, we use our time to get it, and we lose more money in hopes to buy it; the lottery, which odds are, you won’t win.

            We strive for it, but at what costs? There are no costs, because it is the way we live, without it we are nothing, and with it we are still nothing. It is paper, no greater than any other piece of paper, and no more important than the dirt on the ground. But when we add a system behind it, put our belief into it, and follow a code; it is not just paper, but how we live.

            You know it is more than just paper when people fight over it; they rob businesses, people, and anyone with it to stay alive. We are most vulnerable when we have nothing else to live for; this piece of paper has become more important than you, and me. One fifth of the nation’s children under 18 are living in poverty. That could be a friend, a loved one, a child like you see everyday, but never take the time to know.
             It shows up in movies, take platoon for instance, "Everybody know the poor are always being f***** over by the rich. Always have, always will." –Junior. It shows the importance of our military, their sacrifices for their country, how they will take the greatest risk of all for the greater good; even if that means they will be poor and used. They will hold the weight on them. Another war movie that shows its true emotion towards a soldiers life is First Blood, "Back there I could fly a gunship, I could drive a tank, I was in charge of million dollar equipment, back here I can't even hold a job PARKING CARS!" –John Rambo. They get important missions, objectives, equipment has no price tag to them, but in America, life is ultimately cut short to their old ways. They soon have to rely on new tactics, which is no easy thing to anyone, especially a combat soldier.   

Can't we all just get along?

            Our countries super rich, less than 0.001% control more than 150 million people combined. Meaning, 400 people have more money than that many people, an absurd number, what can they do with that amount of money by themselves? Why don’t they make some charitable donations to needy facilities, or families struggling?

            It’s simple question, when you grow up in a tight knit family that has everything it needs to prosper and grow, you don’t realize the people below you fighting for survival. Yes, this might not be true of every super rich person, there are sympathetic and loving people, Bill Gates showed his compassion by giving off most of his money. But these people don’t realize the significance of their wealth because they’ve had it all their life. They don’t see it as a large desire; it’s a normal thing, like having running water in your house, or enough money for groceries. If one person could enlighten their view, not show numbers on a graph, or even pictures on a billboard, but to throw them in the situation where they see it eye to eye.

            I envy that show, “Secret Millionaire.” It is a genius idea and it really does have an impact, even if the difference is small; a difference is a difference, no matter how big or small. They really show the rich what is happening behind closed doors, it enlightens them to a life secret to them, and rarely scene. But in the most basic of ideas, money is the biggest thing we fight for, it is easy to make, but hard to get. If I could wish for one thing, it would be the distribution of wealth, but it wouldn’t make America what it is today; a melting pot of many cultures and nationalities. It is a fighting arena, but when you are at the top, you make the decisions; you get the limitless power that everyone envies, and eventually strives for.