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Is Anybody Listening?

Many have already heard about the kids from Pomona California Village Academy High School, many have probably caught their little eight minute video that has launched them into the National Spotlight and Political Debate on what this Country is now going through. But this isn’t new it’s just affecting many more kids and families now, with more added each day. Kids can’t learn and achieve any dreams they might have if their families are struggling and their living those struggles daily.

Last night on the PBS News Hour they showed a report on these kids and their videoed thoughts and feelings, that report is directly below.

Correspondent John Larson

Produced by: Karen Foshay; Edited by: Alberto Arce, Michael Bloecher, “Lil” Joe Whiting

Published On: March 19, 2009 4:41 PM

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It was a class project born out of a discussion of the American Dream. Five months later, it made it into a speech given by President Obama. “it” is an eight minute video titled, “Is Anybody Listening.” It’s the first person accounts of students struggling with foreclosures, hunger and the threat of becoming homeless.

The video feels like a twenty-first century version of a Dorothea Lange portrait. One student told us his American dream is modest – to have a refrigerator full of food. The goal of making the video was to get the attention of the nation’s leaders, specifically the President. It took a few months, but just last week, the video made it to the White House and President Obama told the students in a speech he is listening and promised to fight for their right to the American Dream. Although there is no assurance the President’s promise will change the lives of these Pomona kids, they are hopeful and for now are declaring “mission accomplished.”

If you are interested in helping the teenagers in the video, please contact Rick Motz at Village Academy High School, (909) 397-4900×2600.

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We live in an economic ideology called capitalism. We are taught that if we work hard, and in any job, develop the skills needed we can prosper and advance. Capitalism is supposed to be a system of sharing the profits of the work that goes into the making of or the services rendered. A bottom up economy, hard work, quality products and services, the bottom line grows and all should share in the benefits of that growth, from the top down.

These kids are no different than kids before them or that will come. All are endowed with gifts, each unique. Some will want and need the further education afforded in our universities and colleges, others will want to put there gifts to the test in many area’s of employment, hobbies, and lives. All will continue to learn the lessons of life by living and growing. Most will find they have even more gifts as they mature. Most will want, and should get, the respect for what they do in their lives and in what they do in their working lives.

In just 8 minutes, the students from Village Academy High in Pomona articulated the struggles of millions of Americans. They did it by making a video called, “Is Anybody Listening?” and you’ll be surprised to find out who is.

Is Anybody Listening – Where It All Began

Some how we’ve allowed that system to corrupt itself, businesses buying out smaller businesses to make huge corporations thus taking competition away by shutting down some as they absorbed others discarding the workers as they expanded, the money changers and business executives started reaping huge wages, benefits and business perks worried more about the money side and the investor than in quality product and customer service. This has left those producing he work with falling starter wages and stagnation in growth wages no matter how much is givin to their jobs as prices of commodities have risen.

The kids from Village Academy High in Pomona get the chance to meet President Obama.

Obama Visit

We once had a growing economy, workers had to fight for some of their share, and continue fighting, but it did grow, their was a sharing in the success on all levels.

How do I know, I grew up in it and than joined it. Workers would get raises on their quality of work, where most worked became their second families, their would be pretty much regular raises, I’ve known small investors, who did so on long term investing in companies, that reaped more wealth from those investment, than what they’re meager wages produced, able to leave huge sums to their children. I watched as small businesses grew into larger and larger corporation, not through buyouts but quality work and service.

As our new President says, and many understand, a strong economy is bottom up not top down, if there really is that much money at the top for the money changers and business executives than that’s where it’s frozen, as the workers have become commodities to be brought in or discarded according to number figures on paper, everything is tossed aside for a bottom line percentage.