Dear Editor,

The faces of two small children pressed against the car window watching the approach of a small cart of groceries from the Manna House pantry in Rincon.  Their excitement and activity in the car was symbolic of reality of the difficult times in our society.

At the supermarket, unlike in the past, a significant number of customers were using EBT cards.  In Statesboro, the number of people submitting online applications for jobs, any job, was alarming.  One electric company employee told me that the number of electric bills that are paid or partly paid by local churches and assisting sources is at an all-time high.

In our area and across the country, people are struggling.  It is very real and much worse than we can see or hear about on the news.  People who find themselves having to apply for help, and for many it is the first time in their lives, still have their pride. But pride is the first casualty.  A huge number of seniors are desperate for employment, supporting their families and sometimes their children or grandchildren. Employers are not hiring this talented population.  Young people just out of school have to compete for positions on the fast-food employment lists.

Meanwhile in Washington D.C., Democrats are doing what they do best, sidestepping the Law and changing the definition of “….to the Republic for which it stands..”.  No need to list the Democratic chaos of the past few years, just turn the TV on or realize how many of our county residents do not have medical coverage of any kind, and the AHCRA (Obama Care) will increase those numbers by a staggering percentage.

What is equally as alarming as the direction of our nation at the hands of the Democrats, at least in Washington, is the attitude of the Republicans in D.C., with their constant references to unemployment, food stamps and Medicare as “hand-outs.”

Both parties have become infuriating in one way or another and all are playing to the press, while so many of our neighbors are paying with stress, depression and uncertainty.

I think of the excitement of those children at the Manna House but my smile fades when I think their likely memories later in life could be when it wasn’t Christmas that brought excitement to their childhood, but how mom and dad got the groceries.

At a time when we need leadership across the board, we’re being thrown overboard.  It may be time to replace everyone.

N. Frank Winters