Book Review: "Fortitude" By Dan Crenshaw

 

"More and more, we are putting a preference on victimhood, glorifying weakness instead of strength, and outright shaming anyone with more traditional characteristics.”

― Dan Crenshaw, Fortitude: Resilience in the Age of Outrage
FORTITUDE: Lighten up, toughen up, and get to work on what's important (hint: it's not giving into a culture of outrage, playing the victim, and seeking an apology).

This is where I have a problem with this train of thought: Hurray with me the hell with you.

Pull yourself up from the bootstraps. I made it so can you while ignoring the reality of so many Americans struggling to make ends meet in order to continue to have the money flowing into your hands while in the 2nd Congressional district of Texas (respectively).

You have one impressive profile Mr. Dan Crenshaw so allow me to introduce myself.

I'm a recipient of the Points of Light Award (Awarded by President of the USA -George Herbert Walker Bush- 41st President), a dual masters grad, a single mom of three in extreme poverty, a 10 yr job seeker for living wages to support my family. https://www.pointsoflight.org/awards/...
I was left bankrupt, homeless, LT unemployed with three kids my eldest med disabled since birth with vater syndrome (taken off SSI/SSP upon high school graduation last year). He's 'med' disabled for life.

My story was one of 20 selected and told to every member of Congress by Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn) October 8th 2015 through Poverty to Prosperity Program via Erik Stegman in the Center for American Progress "Community Voices: "Why Nutrition Assistance Matters" campaign. https://talkpoverty.org/communityvoices (p.38 in booklet) https://twitter.com/dgatcha1/status/1...
Now, the reason I'm openly giving out personal information is because we are suffering and we cannot continue to pass the buck, utilize the myths, and create division while sowing seeds of hate against the poor, the unemployed, the immigrants, etc.

I'm not your typical welfare recipient. In fact as mentioned earlier I'm very well educated but gave up career to raise my three kids solo for past 20 yrs while my ex spouse resided 5 states away with only weekend visits (Pa-DC). He was working in OBP in the District of Columbia and made good money but upon divorcing he quit his job, took on grant funded positions in Pa, and refused to pay child support to the tune of 15k resulting in my kids and I trying to get gainful employment with a wage earning gap and not being supported for those lost wages.

Now, you might think anyone can get employed after 20 yrs of not working, she just wants handouts, she's lazy.
Allow me to introduce my work ethic. I worked two jobs to put myself through college. Prior to having three kids in an 11 yr union (13 yrs together) I worked as a material handler and merchandise processor making $7.25 hr. w 10 cent raise. I was top producer in two departments and associate of the month which awarded a $25 one time bonus (CTH and GTH) Sadly, a 50 lb trolley fell upon my head from the 2nd floor. I was not assisted, nobody called an ambulance, and thankfully my boss found me and called my parents to come get me and take me to local hospital for treatment.
Since my injuries were not life threatening -suing the company- wasn't an option.

Due to this factory work it resulted in breathing in diesel fumes from loading docks w/o proper ventilation within the facility. I now as a nonsmoker have COPD, 20 yrs chronic bronch. & pneumonia every year, asthma, spinal stenosis, HUS (fatal blood disorder) w severe anemia, raynaud's w zero blood flow in L thumb, vertigo, and heat stroke survivor. To name a few.

Allow me to introduce to another reality check that happened just yesterday here in the Valley With a Heart -Wilkes Barre Pennsylvania-home to corruption galore, kids for cash scandals, and Donald Trump's Campaign stops at the Mohegan Sun Arena.

I had been reading other books outside on my front porch when a man pulled up next door to check on some 'free curb items'. During this process, another neighbor came out to offer this obvious 'junk man' some metal to scrap.
I noticed he had air conditioners in his battered ol pickup truck. I ran barefoot to his truck as he was leaving to ask if he would take my own air conditioners in my cellar as I no longer can lift heavy items.

He said he'd take a look, pulled into driveway, and took all the items including old washers, fencing items, anything to be scrapped for cash.

Why? Because he fell off a ladder, was declined social security disability, and had to make ends meet to survive.
He was one of the lucky ones able to have mobility with a bad back .

This is the America I know and love. People helping people. Not seeking to blame, shame, fault, or condemn for their situations through no fault of their own.

Allow me another scenario to address: I've sought work for the past 10 years. I attended every job fair, I sent out cold calls, emails, handed out biz cards, renewed my resumed at undergrad college, and more.

Sell, sell , sell...You get the idea.

It resulted in one interview. An interview I left in tears from the President of our local United Way.

I was told I came across as a 20 yr volunteer who felt owed a job as an entitlement for her services rendered.
I have given of myself during the hardest of times: bankrupt, homeless, LT unemployed, bankrupt, w/o a job, w/o credit, w/o income.

I went seeking employment hoping to better myself and instead had the rug pulled out from underneath me with more blame, shame, and fault.
Volunteering was and is my life. I've given of my time not for applause but for a cause.

Yet, this is how white men view women in crisis.

We are seen as weak, non privileged, and ignored.
Allow me to introduce you to another idea: I volunteered for food at this food bank and was granted permission to take home food for my kids in exchange for my unpaid work. Here's my President explaining our stories concerning food insecurity and the myths perpetuated my those who simply don't understand. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HakCA...

You see, I'm all for ending injustices and I'm also for fairness, empathy, compassion, unity, and love.
I don't want to have our own military sent out against us. I don't want armed groups at my polling places. I'm tired of living in fear, anxiety, and depression.

I'm a survivor, thriver, warrior of a malignant narcissist. I know about PTSD, anxiety, trauma, fight or flight, threats, intimidation, brain washing, gaslighting ,mirroring, projection, stockholm syndrome, hoovering, and toxicity to name just a few.
My momma always said you can't bullshit a bullshitter and my friend while I respect your opinions I've lived the life of hard knocks.
Self pity, shame, victimhood, oppression-these are your words!
Blaming left, progressives, media as creating fake news, this is what you addressed!

You want to cut out frivolous spending, address border and port security, while addressing fiscal responsibility policies.
Sounds great - however writing a book requires not just addressing your opinions but in listening to others and not silencing their voices of reason.

When I was going through my divorce I was told to 'suck it up buttercup we all have problems', 'you deserved the abuse', 'how could you not know he was this way when you married him'.

I was told I was not seen as 'credible nor believable' with every legal document available to counter my testimony.
I was told to 'sit next to my abuser' in court.

We cannot continue down this path of not listening simply because it doesn't fit our agenda, our vision of society, our version of America and these United States.
One union, under God, with Liberty and Justice for ALL!
We cannot be ruled by the minority over the majority.
We cannot insist that one way is the only way.
We need serious help.

You mentioned the VETS -my father was a navy vet-cold war- he too was ignored by his country.
So I'll leave this article here: Michael Gatcha, who served in the U.S. Navy during the Cold War from 1961-1966, received The National Defense Service Medal and The Navy Good Conduct Medal.
Medal received: 4/17/2020 https://www.citizensvoice.com/news/ne...

Is this what you deem appropriate?

Or how about we discuss the fact that you mentioned, "Be accountable for everything you do."

Yet, with all due respect why don't we have a President, Congress, Senate members, and politicians who are being held accountable?

Why is it ok to use the White House to keep selling the Kool-Aid on the American taxpayers dollars?
Why is it ok to use our own military against us?
Why is it ok to continue to use threats, fear, intimidation, pay to play schemes, hush money, and more to silence those who speak truths?
Why is it ok to say work harder and stop the excuses when you know the reality is there's nothing out there for us to earn a living wage as jobs are not plentiful and wages are stagnant?
Why are we not using U6 rather than continue using U3 as an accurate representation of the unemployed? https://twitter.com/dgatcha1/status/1...
Why are we denying what we are seeing with our own eyes?
Why?

Because we live in a nation of see no evil, hear no evil, in which the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
We are a nation seeking to pass the buck not on those creating the problems but upon those seeking to change the current flow in accuracy.

With all due respect to your service, your duties, your intellect - I am someone who survived a malignant narcissist and I pray for our country daily.

Our democracy is under attack.

While DT may be doing fine in your opinion -that's not the majority vote.
We will VOTE, we will not allow voter suppression, we will end gerry mandering, we will have our voices heard Nov. 3rd.

Politics has no place in our food distribution either so please pass the message. https://www.citizensvoice.com/news/tr...

I'll close with the fact I'm also a former 'minister of hospitality' until the collection basket was ripped from my hands by three male ushers during Sunday Mass at St. Ignatius of Loyola Kingston, Pennsylvania.
Why?
Because they didn't want a woman representing them.
We, as you noted live out of fear, fear of the unknown, fear of women getting ahead of us, fear of the glass ceiling breaking.
Upon contacting the head of the Congregation I was told the men needed time to come around to this line of thinking.

Can you imagine this: Men needing time to step aside and let a woman do their job?

As a founder of The Lost Self Life After Narcissism on FB I council others on how to heal from abuse.
I can tell you that ignoring the abuse, enabling the abuse, denouncing the abuse, doesn't make the abuse go away. It allows it to perpetuate, grow, and foster and seeing our country going down the wrong path as believing this behavior is the new norm is irreprehensible and outrageous.
DT and his enablers are not above the law, they are not superior, they are simply egotistical individuals who need constant attention, adulation, praise, and loyalty.

That loyalty is rewarded with paybacks and that's why he's able to continue on this downward projectory but the people will see through the smoke and fog and I pray they all VOTE!

Thank you and God Bless the USA