October 2nd, 2004
Dear Trevor...

NIPPIES doesn't get a lot of Guest Book entries, although we do get many visitors. This is largely due to the fact that we write about a variety of topics.

Usually, the Guest Book entries are pleasant ones. However, we were surprised to find one the other day from "Trevor". Trevor was very insulting. He said the site was a "joke", and that we should allow the "real journalists" do the writing and reporting of news. He also commented on a typo in our Guest Book section, which we have since fixed.

This is our response to Trevor. There simply wasn't enough room in our Guest Book....

Dear Trevor,

Whatever on earth makes you think that we at NIPPIES consider ourselves to be a journalist of any import? On the very top of our page, it says "not important person". We meant that when we wrote it. We know that, in the scheme of things, we are not important to anyone except our immediate family.

To be technical, a "journalist" is anyone who keeps a journal. This web site is written more in a magazine form- when we have the time. But it can also be considered somewhat of a journal, we suppose. Therefore, we are "real journalists". However, we never take ourselves very seriously. And we never thought anyone would be nominating us for a Pulitzer Prize, Trevor.

That said, we do take offense to the "joke" part. We write about some very serious topics, Trevor. And we write the truth as we see it from our reluctant participation in the rat race. Believe me, Trevor, we are not out there leading the pack. Every month is a struggle to keep from being trampled....

What we really are, and all we ever considered ourselves to be, is a voice. It's important, Trevor, for the little people to have voices. Of course, we cannot, and do not try to, represent every person who is one of the "little people" of this world. There are so many more of us than there are of the big shots. And we are all different. But we all have something in common: we don't have lobbyists out there who are wining and dining our politicians the way the AMA, the ABA, the pharmaceutical industry, and every other powerful organization or corporation does. No, Trevor, we don't have the money for that. But we do have to live with the consequences of what those powerful lobbyists achieve. We, the little people, are workers whose sweat, blood and tears makes the fortunes of the rich and powerful grow.

So, when we can, we speak out. We act. And we write.

We write on behalf of those who struggle monthly to pay for their own health insurance. In the case of many self-employed, that means doling out 1/3 to 1/2 or MORE of all income- BEFORE taxes.

We write on behalf of those who have been injured by a negligent or just plain bad doctor. We know many physicians are good people who are dedicated professionals. But there are also a lot of bad ones, Trevor. And we also know that many are focused far too much on their bottom lines.

We write on behalf of those who dream of owning their own business and achieving the quickly disappearing "American Dream". Disappearing because those days when an unskilled worker could put a little aside to open their own business are now just a memory for most Americans.

We write on behalf of those working poor who don't stand a chance of owning a home because they can't even earn enough, with wages being what they are these days, to pay the rent AND put food on the table, much less save for a down payment.

We write on behalf of little children who are bullied. We write on behalf of those who are waiting for a cure for their rare diseases but have little hope because the pharmaceutical companies are too busy researching more profitable drugs such as the Viagras, the Vioxxs, and what have you.

Writing and speaking out is important. But more importantly, Trevor, we put our actions where our mouth is. We don't just write about society's ills...we try to help correct them.

Right now, Trevor, we are working on other web sites which promote ideals we believe in. We believe in keeping jobs in America, we believe in a living wage, and we believe in helping the small businessman compete with the Wal-Marts. Right now we have two web sites devoted to those causes. They are totally non-profit, Trevor. As a matter of fact, these web sites cost US money each month, Trevor.

We also ran, and devoted a great deal of time and some money to, a web site devoted to keeping Catholic education alive. Funny how the Catholic Church has money to remodel old convents to turn them into profit-making federally funded housing, but can't fork the money out to keep their Catholic schools opened. How they have money to pay out millions in priest sex abuse scandals, but they can't afford to remodel schools that are in need of remodeling, and leave the fundraising to already overtaxed parents.

Much of our day is spent trying to help an old classmate - a struggling artist who spent her best days taking care of her ailing and aged mother - to keep a roof over her head. Her mother died, Trevor, and now she has no income. We haul water to her house daily, Trevor, in our old 92 jalopy because her water has been shut off. She also has no phone, no car, and no heat. And, if she doesn't cough up enough to pay for her electricity, she will soon have no lights. With the cold weather coming, we assume that heat will, too, become a problem. So, when we helped her get a $6.00 per hour job at a mini-market, we also took on the responsibility of getting her back and forth to that job until she can get ahead enough to pay for bus fare.

Sometimes we write, on another web site, about the atrocities committed by our local government officials. We live in a county where corruption is rampant: judges (one judge in particular), mayors, council members, board of supervisors, one particular chief of police, who not only seems to run the town council, but who seems to THINK he owns all the private property in the little township, etc.

We have school boards around here who hand out favors like others do candy at Halloween...but only to their family members and political cronies. It's been an open secret for decades that you have to pay for your teaching job in at least ONE school district not far from where we type.

And, Trevor, sorry to tell you this, but even the newspapers where the "real journalists" work are, er, well, let's just say their publishers are not exactly examples of journalistic integrity. One was caught not allocating newspaper carrier tips to the newspaper carriers. Oops! A "computer glitch", they said. But this powerful publishing empire took nothing more than a little slap on the hand for their "mistake". The other paper? Just as bad. They pick and choose which corrupt politician to put on the hot seat.

Sheesh.

It isn't easy. But we just keep on keepin' on.

No Trevor. This site is no joke. It is very serious in many ways. And we know it has been anemic of late. Articles have become fewer and farther between. We apologize for that. But we have been very busy, like the rest of the "have nots" in America, trying to keep our heads above water, and to educate others about what the rich and powerful are up to.

We are just trying to survive, and to help others do the same.

So, Trevor, thank you for your entry into our Guest Book. We are sorry that we offended you in some way, if that is the reason for your hostility. And we suspect it is. But we will keep on writing and keep on voicing our opinion, even if it is done in what you consider to be an inferior fashion. Because that is the beauty of living in America.

Have a great day, Trevor. And thanks for writing.

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