Shaping Perceptions

It's this sort of reporting that makes anyone that has never had to take unemployment benefits think that those that have are lazy and honestly don't care about getting a new job.



Again, here's a topic discussed by two people that have likely never had to deal with the realities of being unemployed and having to find a way to make ends meet with what you get through unemployment insurance - something that we all pay into every pay period through state taxes.

Not only am I seriously doubting Kelly's claim that she knows someone that is refusing to take work because they make more in unemployment compensation, but William's statement that unemployment insurance creates a culture of laziness and unwillingness is completely unfounded and wildly inaccurate.

One can't but laugh at Kelly's statement regarding her "acquaintance", considering the fact that I don't know many people that would pass up an entry level position at Barnes and Noble that paid - presumably after taxes - $400 per week. Then again, I'm going with the notion that Kelly doesn't associate with many people below her own pay grade. And I'm fairly secure in the notion that Fox pays their more inflammatory employees more than others.

It's amazing, to many, that Fox and their easily lead automatons are more than willing to call those that have to rely on unemployment assistance lazy, unmotivated, and irresponsible. Having had to rely on these benefits myself recently, I can assure you that they are in no way an incentive to stay unemployed. Depending on the job that you lost, your bi-weekly benefit check would likely not cover anything more than the basics: rent, at least half your bills - dependent on where you live and what you have, and might allow you a modest allowance for groceries. Anything outside that is pretty much out of the question.

I'd like to see Megyn Kelly and Juan Williams spend 6 months on unemployment just to see how they fare. Of course, this would only require them to lower themselves just slightly, as they belong to a station of people that are paid far too much for their very limited skills. But, such is life in conservative America in 2010.