Aid the jobless

I came across a quote that seems applicable to the proposal from our state’s Republican leaders to reduce the already pathetic subsidy to our unemployed. It is William Jennings Bryan’s famous quote, “You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold.”

To take bread out of the mouths of poor men, women and children in order to “reduce the deficit” seems to me one of the cruelest aspects of Republican thinking.

Today’s unemployed are not slackers. They are caught in a major economic shift where the rich get richer and the poor get unemployed. A job loss robs families of health, happiness and in many cases, home. To all those who vote Republican, I ask that you use your influence on your legislators to call them to their senses and prevent this outrage against common decency and the claims of universal brotherhood.

Karyn Joyner

Burlington