Been kind of an interesting day. Last week I was contacted by MSU's campus minister, Timmy, who asked me to speak at a press conference today. I don't know how he got my phone number, but I was contacted since I write an occasional column for the university newspaper. I agreed to speak if the research I did supported the claims of the conference. The press conference delt with some bills in the House of Representatives and the Senate which aim to cut funding significantly for Financial aid, Medicare, Medicaid and various other things. There wasn't much rhetoric available on the internet concerning these bills but I did find some, so at 10am this morning I went to go speak. A guy named Don Morrison, for the North Dakota Progressive Coalition in Bismarck was the main guy holding the meeting. I had a few minutes to talk to him before the press arived and he seemed ok until everyone started showing up. I have never taken part in one of these things before so seeing the process was a new experience.

     When the press showed up and started setting up cameras, Don started asking some of the few other students who showed up to hold signs. It was silly, because none of these kids even knew what was going on. They were like a bunch of children, gleeful to be in front of a camera. I refused to hold one because I said I wasn't a "human ornament." Then a few minutes before Don began speaking to the press Don came over to me to try and coach me about what to say. Now, I have never really been interviewed on television or by a newspaper before, but I know enough to know that the media are a bunch of motherfuckers who make up their own information, twist facts and say whatever the fuck they want to say. I asked Don what he did and he gave me a short speach about being a worker for social justice, then said he liked working with people like me and giving "people like you a chance to be on television."  What a fucking jerk. I don't like being treated like a 5 year old. He should have held out a lollypop too, saying I could have it if I said what he wanted.

   Don told me to talk about how this would hurt me as a poor college student and about how I was angry that this was for a tax break for the rich. This was another giveaway about how much of a jerk this guy was. I was the only student who had the balls to speak, so why not let me say what I want to say? I just nodded. Then the woman from the Monot Daily News kept directing questions, trying to get me to say the same things, the whole stealing from the poor to give to the rich thing. Things aren't that simple and yet these idiots are playing to the lowest-common-demoninator mindset. When I finally got a chance to speak I didn't say anything about this being a conspiracy against poor people. Instead I said that yes,  it would affect me negatively as a college student but I was a lot more concerned about how it was going to affect less fortunate people, particularly minorities who are disproportionately in the lower economic classes. The cuts in Medicare and Medicaid hurt the elderly people too, who have a hard enough time getting by.( I glanced over and saw Don wince, lol.) Tuition and fees have gone up so much over the last fifteen years already. This budget cut would price even more people out of college and our country will have less people with higher education precisely at the time when manufacturing jobs are being shipped overseas and Americans need more technology and innovation to compete in the world economy, since it can't produce goods as cheaply as other countries with lower labor costs. This cut would also offer less incentive to go to college for lower paying careers, such as teaching. Teachers already make tiny salaries, and this increase would make it even tougher for them to pay back their student loans. ........ ..... ... you get the idea.  

   I didn't wait around for many questions afterward or any pictures. Before I write an article for the University newspaper I want to see how I am quoted, if I am quoted. I think there is very little chance they will include my quote about the cuts hurting minorities disproportionately, for example. Don, along with the newpaper and television people had an agenda before the conference even started. I'm glad this issue got coverage but seriously, the media sucks.