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I am a 53%-er – Are you?

It is about responsibility, personal responsibility.

I am a 53% er – Are you?

If you have seen the story about the 53% on the front page of The Blaze , then you know what we’re talking about – and if you are part of the 53%, we welcome your participation.

If you want your voice heard in the community of the 53%ers, you can post a photo/statement online (Facebook, Twitter, your own web page) with the hashtag #iamthe53

Here’s mine

I am one of nine children.

Growing up, I delivered newspapers, shined shoes, carried golf bags, cut lawns, painted houses, worked on traveling carnivals, in restaurants and grocery stores…

I worked while I was in college and every single summer during college.

In virtually every year of my post-college life, I have had a full-time work and a part-time job.

I don’t have a union pension. My life is my responsibility, and not that of the government.

I am the 53%

Comments (38)

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  • krazykat_randi
    Posted on October 16, 2011 at 8:09pm

    My husband and I have worked two jobs most of our lives. Life hasn‘t been easy because my husband has had multiple spinal surgeries and can’t feel his right leg. His doctor says he is disabled and will write the paper work for disability, but he doens’t want it. He keeps working to give us a better life, and he doesn’t want any handouts, or bailouts. Get out of our way, and leave us alone. All the government has done is make our lives so much worse. Those of you at occupy wall street, stop whinning. #iamthe53

    Report Post » krazykat_randi  
    • robh82
      Posted on October 21, 2011 at 11:14am

      I am the 53%! I was born to parents in poverty. I worked my butt off since I was 12 (starting with a paper route) because thats what I saw my parents do. I have never had a credit card nor have I ever had a car note because I only buy what I can pay for in cash. I have always taken pride in every menial job Ive ever had no matter the pay. I joined the army and fought for my country, saving my pay as I went. When I was hit by an RPG in Iraq I was told I would never use my hands again. I could have let that be my excuse to live off my retirement (pension/disability/whatever you want to call it) for the rest of my life. Instead I used the money I saved in the war to start a business (6 years strong!) and I went back to school to obtain a Masters Degree in education. I now have that degree and substitute every day I am needed until I can find a job. For six years now I have worked all day, gone to school in the evening, and studied all night. As a single dad with 50% custody every spare minute I have had has gone to my son. I never lived the bar life, I see my friends on rare occasion, and I will never be rich. Today its still a struggle to turn a profit in my business, but the books are in black ink. We make ends meet on a VERY strict budget, but we are happy and fulfilled. Life has been hard but I will never stop being grateful. I want nothing from anyone but the right to live undisturbed. Life is supposed to be difficult, rich or not. I am part of the 53%.

      Report Post »  
  • SON OF LIBERTY 1964
    Posted on October 16, 2011 at 3:49pm

    I AM A HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE! WENT TO COLLEDGE AT NIGHT WITH OUT LOANS! NEVER OBTAINED A DEGREE. MAKE 90k + A YEAR HAVE THREE 18 YEAR OLDS TRIPLETS TWO IN COLLEDGE ONE FOUND A JOB THAT THE OCCUPY WALL STREET PEOPLE COULDNT. I PAY MORE THAN MY DAD MADE RAISING SIX KIDS IN TAXES!!!! WHEN WILL IT EVER BE ENOUGH?
    I JUST DIVORCED AND PAY 60% OF MY NET TO MY X. PLEASE TELL ME WHEN THE PARASITES LIVING OFF THE HOST WILL PAY ANYTHING I AM THE 53% WHO WORK AND WORK AND WILL NEVER SURRENDER TO THOSE OF YOU WHO WANT MORE TO CONTRIBUTE LESS. I WILL SIMPLY MAKE LESS AND LESS UNTIL YOUR SOCIALIST AGENDA IMPLODES LIKE ITS DOING IN GREECE, SPAIN, FRANCE, AND ALL THE OTHER UTOPIAS YOU WANT TO BE LIKE. I WANT TO BE FREE FROM THOSE WHO WANT MY MONEY

    Report Post »  
  • loviejoy
    Posted on October 15, 2011 at 11:14pm

    I started working full time when I was 18 and continued until I was 44. I had to quit because of a severe chronic illness. My husband is now retired and is not capable of working any longer because of health reasons. We are living on a smaller retirement than expected and our health care costs have gone up substantially. We try to help others who are in need. We give to our church and support a needy child in Africa. I cook food for people who are too ill to cook. Most of the time I am not able to cook or eat because of my illness. We pay our taxes and we are honest. We love our country and we don’t want to become a socialist one. I am helping in the fight to make Obama a one-term. He’s to blame for starting this class warfare. He’s to blame for all of these ridiculous present demonstrations at Wall Street and across the globe. His political machine is paying for all of this, SEIU, MOVEON.ORG, Unions, George Soros, etc. The list goes on and on. I’m sick and tired of his administration. I am the 53%!!!!!

    Report Post » loviejoy  
  • The Bulletproof Patriot
    Posted on October 14, 2011 at 10:14pm

    This turned out to be more epic than I intended:

    “We are the 53% – go “occupy” a bathtub while we pay your welfare”

    http://www.thebulletproofpatriot.com/blog/2011/10/we-are-the-53-go-occupy-a-bathtub-while-we-pay-your-welfare/

    Report Post »  
  • CaptVideo
    Posted on October 14, 2011 at 4:12pm

    My goals were simple: 1) married 2) with my first home, 3) first child 4) first business by age 40. I achieved all by the time I was 26. I lost it all by age 28 and had to start again…and the funny thing…I didn’t do anything to warrant what happened. No drinking, no drugs, no gambling, no unfaithfulness in my marriage. Nothing. I was told by many that I was the epitome of “bad things can happen to good people.”

    Shortly after I lost it all I became a Born Again Christian. Everything changed. Right and wrong became absolute. The fear went away too. Knowing Jesus Christ will do that to you.

    I went into the insurance business, had a small agency, remarried. Then the 90′s recession hit and the agency closed. I worked two jobs as did my wife. We pieced it together. My wife was Saved as well during that time. Christ carried us through. Things turned around in 1997 and got better and better. Bought a home, both of us prospered at out jobs and in our ministries. We bought a store and then 2008 happened. I lost my job and our store failed. So I picked up a part time job and stated another business. My wife finished closing the store and was able to find a job that she started two weeks ago. Things are looking up again. Our walk with Jesus Christ was tested over the past two years but he carried us through once again. I pity the fools that are marching in NYC, Boston, DC, etc. They are the sheep being led astray. They have no goals and no hope.

    I am a

    Report Post » CaptVideo  
  • DavidOsborne1
    Posted on October 14, 2011 at 12:02pm

    I grew up in a CHRISTIAN home. My father worked hard to take PROVIDE for our family while my MOTHER worked hard as a FULL TIME MOM. The number of kids in our house varied because my parents often answered the call to take in foster children. After graduating high school I got my FIRST JOB, as a police/fire/ems dispatcher for 5 cities in the South Bay, California area. I later joined the U.S. Army and currently still serve “part-time” in the U.S. Army as a U.S. Army Reserve Drill Sergeant while serving as a full time Deputy Sheriff in Leon County, Florida.

    I am the 53%

    Report Post » DavidOsborne1  
  • DavidOsborne1
    Posted on October 14, 2011 at 11:53am

    I grew up in a Christian home. My father worked hard to feed our family while my mother stayed home and took care of us kids. The number of kids in our home varied as my parents often took in foster children, one of whom remained in our home until she got married and now has a family of her own. I worked as a police/fire/ems dispatcher from age 18-21 and later joined the U.S. Army, where I currently serve as a U.S. Army Reserve Drill Sergeant, while also serving as a full time Deputy Sheriff in Leon County, Florida.

    I am the 53%

    Report Post » DavidOsborne1  
  • eflan32
    Posted on October 14, 2011 at 11:52am

    I got divorced when my children were 1 and 3, I had no one to help, but went back to school while working fulltime and got a college degree, couldn’t find a job so went to trade school to learn how to be a programmer. I’ve supported my children on my own and the have turned out to be wonderful hard working adults. I’ve never asked nor do I ever want to ask for someone to help me. The only thing I ask is the freedom to pursue my dreams. I am the 53

    Report Post »  
  • rightward leaner
    Posted on October 12, 2011 at 2:17pm

    I am a 44 year old mom of 2 with a full time job and a part time job. I got laid off last year, but found another job before my severance ran out. My husband was also laid off and has been out of work for three years. He’s still looking for work, but gives guitar lessons and does odd jobs to bring in extra cash. We’ve cut back expenses, cut our credit cards and pulled the kids out of extra-curricular programs and camps, but we’re making it work.

    We don’t expect the government to support us or our family – as we’re perfectly capable of doing that ourselves. We pay the mortgage and my MBA loans in full, on time, because we were raised to fullfill our financial obligations. I am the 53%.

    Report Post »  
  • thedressn
    Posted on October 11, 2011 at 6:30pm

    #iamthe53

    Put 20% down on my house in 2006 even though not required. Now I am underwater, even with down payment.
    My neighbor gets a write down on their house, I don’t.
    My children could not go to college because I could not afford to send them. They had to fend for themselves. Any yet, my taxes go to send illegals to school in California.
    I pay taxes to support deadbeats and yet I am literally killing myself working 16 hours a day in my business to make ends meet (maybe 4 days off in the last year).
    If I hear one more person talk about “the working man”, you know the one that has time on the weekend to go to the ballgame?, I will truly lose it. I AM THE “WORKING MAN”, and, yes I am also a corporation!
    And yet, I am the evil one?
    No, I am the 53%.

    Report Post »  
    • Eric Johnston
      Posted on October 14, 2011 at 1:25pm

      If you are not part of the 1% you are not an “evil” one. The issue is the non-distribution of wealth, the fact that you work so hard and still can’t afford the things you should have IS the issue. You don’t even fall into the top 20% of Americans. While you work for what you have, the system the way it is still fails you.

      Report Post »  
  • PatriotTechie
    Posted on October 11, 2011 at 2:45pm

    I am a 45 year old white male. When I was a child my mother was a single parent with 3 kids. She worked day in and day out without fail to provide for us. No handouts. She would waitress at a local restaurant over her two week vacation to buy school clothes for us kids . We went through periods when we ate home made pancakes three meals a day for a week at a time to get us through. I have a friend who has had nothing but a head of lettuce for dinner. Literally! That was our neighborhood.

    We work as hard as needed to get through. I am now a homeowner with a decent full time job in IT. I also work two part time jobs to make ends meet. My daughter is going to MSU full time and working a part time job while taking care of her son. She will make it too.

    We work so the lazy can call us idiots. We are the 53%!

    #iamthe53

    Report Post » PatriotTechie  
    • ColoradoMaverick
      Posted on October 12, 2011 at 9:19pm

      You must have grown up in my neighborhood! I too came from a single mother home, 4 kids. We lived in a 900 sf home. We always ate, my mother worked 7 days a week, but we were dirt poor. We all worked our butts off, none went to college. I put myself through school and paid for it. I moved out when I was 17 and still in high school. I always worked, since 12. Could not play sports because I worked. Bought my mom a new car at 23. My wife and I built our home, our business. We work very very hard, but still find time to volunteer at school. We are very close to our son. We love our country and love to work. Not so keep on paying taxes just to see it wasted. I am a 53er.

      Report Post » ColoradoMaverick  
  • TinaBo1
    Posted on October 11, 2011 at 1:18pm

    My father worked 12 hour days 6-7 days a week to support his family. I started working when I was 16 years old. At 18 I went into the USN. After serving in the military I had a few odd jobs until I finished school and became a respiratory therapist. I worked 2 full time jobs as I was a single parent. I raised my son alone. I have been working at the same hospital for 22 years now. I now find myself raising my 2 grandsons with the help of my sister. There parents are part of this generation who look at their children as meal tickets. Their children were only born so they wouldn’t have to work. Because they were so unfit 2 (not just one) courts in California gave them to me. I had already been raising them anyhow. One is a special needs child. I dont want them to grow up thinking that they are owed anything. I hope I will instill in them that God loves them unconditionally. That they have what it takes to do what they are gifted to do in this life. In the Constitution you are endowed by your Creator with certain inalienable rights, LIFE, LIBERTY, PERSUIT OF HAPPINESS. You have a responibility to yourself, your family, your church and your community to live a moral life. The government exists to protect those rights. They dont give them to you, you are born with them, they cannot take them away. They can suppress them with tyranny. # I am the 53%

    Report Post » TinaBo1  
  • MarineMomto2
    Posted on October 11, 2011 at 11:31am

    I’ve been a single mom to 3 kids since 1990. I could have chosen the easy path and gone on the government dole. Instead, I‘ve worked two jobs and lived in the upstairs of my parents’ home so that my last child could attend private school. My two boys joined the Marine Corps right out of high school and are doing well and settled in their lives. My daughter works two jobs to make ends meet, but she’s happy and productive. Even though my kids are grown, I still work two jobs to pay off debt and, on good months, have a little left over for savings. Whoever pays the bills has the power, and I intend to remain a free citizen. But we can’t be silent any longer! Let’s keep speaking up and taking responsibility! Oh, and when do WE march???? I am the 53%

    Report Post »  
  • evilito
    Posted on October 11, 2011 at 10:44am

    so you people throw around the fact that you don’t have health insurance, or that you have to work three jobs to make ends meet, as a point of pride? Oy vey…

    If you dolts had been around during the French Revolution, one gets the sense you’d be carrying around placards that read “Let us eat cake!”

    Wake up, you’re being screwed – but your faith to your ideology doesn’t let you see it.

    Report Post »  
  • trinity76
    Posted on October 10, 2011 at 8:52am

    I am the 53%. Yes, we’ve suffered with the downturn of the economy…big time. My husband was out of work for a large part of last year. We’re now in chapter 13 bankruptcy. Been turned down twice for mortgage readjustment because, apparently, we weren’t behind enough to qualify. On our third application now. But we’re still paying taxes, and trying to take responsibility for ourselves instead of blaming others. It’s hard, really hard, but we’re not giving up.

    One of my daughters already has about $17,000 in student loans. She’s transferred from Liberty University to a state school this year. That was a shame, but made sense both economically and in her future career plans. My other daughter ditched public high school for home schooling and got about 18 credits of college out of the way as dual-credit classes. She’s continuing in community college this year, and hopes to get her first two years of school finished by the end of the summer. She’ll only have about $4500 in college loans for her first two years. They both know our ability to help them now is limited. It’s a big adjustment that they are having to deal with now…how dramatically things have changed in our lives and in the economy in general.

    Report Post »  
  • Atokaite
    Posted on October 10, 2011 at 8:08am

    I am a General Depression baby, born in conflict, matured thru WW2, served in Korea, Nam and the Cold War. Survived 2 Aerospace careers and am still doing the Capitalistic Dance of Opportunity.
    It takes a simple pledge to live like this. Duty, Honor, Country.
    end
    Semper Fi
    We WILL Prevail

    Report Post » Atokaite  
  • We the people of the republic
    Posted on October 10, 2011 at 12:51am

    I am one of the 53%
    I struggled with a bad education, the same selfish teachers from the unions were around then as well. I was not their ideal student and some of them made it very diffilcult on me to graduate. I asked to many questions because I did not see the whole truth being taught to us so this was considered not going along with the program.
    I learning a trade welding by working at my fathers business from the age of 13 to 18.
    At 16 I started selling door to door for extra $$
    I work at Burger King part time at the age of 17.
    I moved on and worked with an electricion for 4 yrs from 19 to 23.
    I have started several business over the years with no diploma to aid me and have recieved several tech certification as well as my SBCA 2 level tech for satellite installation.
    I had to close my business in 2005 and have had trouble since finding full time work.
    I do not cry to Uncle Sam for free nothing I just ask they GET THEIR GOVERNMENT OFF OUR FREEDOM! AND LEAVE MY CONSTITUTION ALONE!!
    I see all off these benifits for minorities and I believe it is time to treat all of us a like, it is called equal justice it is the American way! We all deserve to have equal treatment. THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES!
    Stop the diversity it is only DIVIDING US! WE ARE ALL AMERICAN.
    STOP THE RACISM.. WERE THE RED WHITE AND BLUE!
    STOP THE SOCIALISM, STOP THE ANARCHY, STOP THE TREASON THIS ADMINISTRATION AND THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATIONS HAVE BEEN DOING TO US.
    TAKE BACK OUR COUNTRY.
    WE ARE

    Report Post » We the people of the republic  
  • LivingInGodsGrace
    Posted on October 10, 2011 at 12:02am

    I came to this country at 4, but I don’t remember. I changed languages and forgot all that. By the time I was 7, my mother, a stranger alone here, left her 4 children with the man she met & married in the military in her native country. He swept her off her feet, took her to a foreign land called America, where her fairy tale turned into a nightmare of verbal abuse. As the oldest girl left behind, I was the focus of his attention…not in a good way. Mom didn’t know. She thought we were safe with someone who had money enough to take care of us. The grace of God saved me in 5th grade and sent us to our aunt’s house, where we met Him. Then she came back and we were a “family” again. It didn’t last….but God is faithful. He saved my life then, protected me in college during a date rape, and sat with me when I cleaned toilets to survive. I worked 2 jobs for my college ed, then was told I wasn’t adopted legally so I was a foreign student so my college ended in 2 years. I didn’t cry. I didn’t demand “America educate me.” I got a job, then another. Worked hard, trained myself in computer skills, got a better job. Got laid of, collected unemployment then they paid me too much, so gave it back. I didn’t cry. I didn’t demand “America owes me.” Got another job, worked hard, got married, not a perfect life. We worked hard, raised our 2 girls, my husband retired early because we lived within our means. I am the 53%. Long story short, God saved my life, He can save

    Report Post »  
  • HUGGINGMYBABIES
    Posted on October 9, 2011 at 9:53pm

    I am a 53%-ER. I am one of nine children whose father worked as a brick mason and managed to feed and clothe us all with no debt and a paycheck for only nine months of the year. I went to work babysitting at the age of 12 and have only had a period of 5 years where I did not have a job, but staed at home with my three young kids. I was the single mother of three not long ago and when the choice between food ro lights came up, I always did the food so my kdsi would not go hungry. I did not take child support, food stamps or housing and utility subsidies. I did it on my own. I eventually qualified for some large scholarships based on my field of interest and my grades and put myself through college. I was not able to graduate, because I needed to work buti did land a good job in my field and worked my way up the corporate ladder very fast. My new husband and I pay cash for all we do. The only debt I have is my school loans and both our cars are paid in full. We pay more like 38% of our combined income in taxes. We also pay the taxes on the child support that he pays his ex wife so that is a conservative amount. We love modestly within our means. We do not own a home, because we just dnt feel the need to. We both work very hard and instill that work ethic into our children. You get what you work for……not always what you feel you deserve.
    I am the 53% and I’m pretty tired of it all……

    Report Post » HUGGINGMYBABIES  
  • merrillflint
    Posted on October 9, 2011 at 3:32am

    I don’t have everything I want, but everything I do have, little though it may be, I have earned with my labor. I am the 53% .

    Report Post »  
  • Patty
    Posted on October 9, 2011 at 1:44am

    I grew up on the wrong side of the tracks in Nor. CA, both my parents worked and I being the oldest got all the other kids up and ready and off to school even while I was still in elementary school. My mother and siblings and I picked fruit all summer to buy school clothes in the fall and she worked afternoons. I was the first in my family to graduate high school and go on to college. I graduated and had a great job, married my high school sweetheart and had 3 great kids. We decided to live on one income and I gave it all up to stay home, raise my babies and homeschool them. I do my own taxes, pay everything we owe and do my best to keep every penny that is rightfully ours. I am the 53%.

    Report Post » Patty  
  • Jenny Lind
    Posted on October 8, 2011 at 5:57pm

    My husband ad I were 53% people for 42 years, 6 months and one day. Then he passed away and I paid taxes one more year. After that I have been to poor to have to pay. I consisder myself a 53%er for all the years we paid taxes, never complained, and raised a family, helped them to get going in the world, then took care of my elderly parents. We never begrudged a dime of taxes, we knew what we were paying for-my husband was Navy for 26 years, it was impotant for him to help protect our country. We were doing our part, taxes and serving. Since his death I have taken a hard look at what is being left to our family, and I know if things don’t change back to moral values and hard work, and to saving our constitution, his life and mine are wasted. No, I can’t sit on the sidelines, the 53% have to push back and push back hard to get this wonderfull country back on track. Tithing to God and taxes to pay for freedom, I am for it.

    Report Post »  
  • paintbrushbright
    Posted on October 8, 2011 at 12:46am

    You will not find these Wall Street protesters outside of big city limits. They are a small minority of the American population. The media makes them look bigger than what they are. The president’s recent comment on their disorganized behavior tells them it’s OK by him. When people start dying he should be held responsible. His praising community organizing methods is reckless and can have lawless results. When he does nothing about the problem, he is part of the problem.

    Report Post » paintbrushbright  
    • Waterlyly
      Posted on October 8, 2011 at 10:36am

      We live in a mid-size city, not a small town but definitely not a big city, (population less than 500,000 even counting the surrounding commuter towns). We have the occupy protesters here.

      Report Post » Waterlyly  
  • DrFrost
    Posted on October 7, 2011 at 2:53pm

    You’re a genius Mike.

    I was born in the lower middle class. Both of my parents worked to make ends meet.

    Growing up I worked hard in school during the week and on the weekends I worked with my stepfather roofing, sheet rocking and doing any other odd jobs he could find. This was what he referred to as his “weekend job.”

    In college I didn’t work during the semesters, concentrating on keeping a 4.0 GPA instead, but I had a summer job every summer. My first summer that was roofing. The next two summers I worked at a mine. From thereafter I had summer jobs in my field of study: engineering.

    I worked hard and was fortunate to get a job when I graduated. I’ve now been working in this field for over 20 years. In my career I was laid off once, chose to leave for a better job once, and had to leave once because the business I worked for was basically shutting down.

    I make a good living but it took a lot of hard work to get here and I’ve been very blessed. I believe in the free market and personal responsibility because the alternatives have proven over and over that they do not work.

    I am the 53%.

    Report Post »  
  • aryehlove
    Posted on October 7, 2011 at 1:39pm

    I am 24 years old. I graduated college at 20 and have been working since.

    In June 2009 I moved out on my own. In July 2009 I was laid off. I collected unemployment for 6 weeks then accepted a job that paid me less than I made before. I started using credit cards to pay bills and other expenses. I racked up over $12,000 of credit card debt in a year.

    I tried finding a better paying job but could not, so I started an MBA program in January. I am 2 semesters in (out of 5) and already have about $20,000 of student loan debt.

    I should be protesting at Wall Street this week.

    I am not, here is why:
    Instead of blaming banks and credit card companies for my debt I closed all my accounts and consolidated my credit card debt (with a private company)to get lower interest rates. I now use no credit cards, but have cut back on my spending to balance my budget.

    I started working my butt off at my current job. Last week I received my 2nd promotion and raise in 8 months. I am working on a 4.0 GPA in my MBA program. I plan on paying back my student loans once I graduate and not taking on more debt UNTIL I CAN AFFORD IT.

    I pay 9% of my income to federal taxes and another 11% to other taxes and governments. I am the 53%

    Report Post »  
    • ColoradoMaverick
      Posted on October 12, 2011 at 9:26pm

      Have faith! You will get through this and be stronger for it. One thing that being poor does is it builds character. Money does not. Stick to your plan, you sound very smart and very determined. Everything you end up earning will be that much sweeter! God Bless.

      Report Post » ColoradoMaverick  
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