Penn Action and the Strengthen Social Security Campaign have been working to get calls into our Senators in support of the Sanders/Reid Protect Social Security Amendment. Click here to find out how to call if you haven’t already. While calls are flooding D.C., we’re also asking you to tell us why you made your call. Why do you want to protect Social Security?
I called because my grandfather died when my mom was only eleven years old and her younger brother was three. Social Security survivor benefits helped keep my mom’s family afloat during that difficult time. Social Security survivor benefits are part of the reason my grandmother could keep her home and my mom and her brothers were able to go to college, helping to secure their families’ place in America’s middle class. I owe a lot to Social Security, which is why I made the call to protect it from extremists who want to give our benefits to billionaires and Wall Street.
Why did you make the call? Do you benefit from Social Security? Do you know someone who does? Or do you simply appreciate and want to protect the most successful social program in the history of the country? Please put your reason for defending Social Security in the comments section below.
Thanks, Vicki. The money we pay in is ours and shouldn’t be looted. Thanks for reminding us!
that is our money that we paid into that is not to be touched for any reason except what it was designed for security. let the politicians work to fix the state of affairs they got us into not steal social security. support american companies dont give monies to send jobs overseas.we need to support our system or we wont have one. we need to educate our children and not just on computers. we need to revamp welfare and train people to support themselves more on a supplemental basis.there is alot to do besides line politicians pockets.
I know a lot of people who worked hard and paid into the social security program. I also worked hard and paid my fair share in order to receive social security when I retired. This is the money that I put into this program as well as money that other people put in. Why do they want to take what is rightfully mine? I know that this is not the right thing to do. My hard work and others hard work should not be bullied and taken away from us. If I didn’t have my social security, I don’t know how I would survive. Don’t they have enough money to live on themselves? Why take mine away?
Thank you to everyone who left a comment here and who called Sen. Casey this week. Your stories are inspirational and remind us all that Social Security is a life line for America’s working families. Thanks again for sharing your experience with the program and your desire to save it.
My father died when I was 16 years old. I had five siblings. Social security kept my family together at that difficult time. My husband has ALS. Social Security helps to support him. This is a critical program for America and must be continued. It is self-sustaining and will not contribute to the deficit. The government over the course of time has taken money from it to use for other purposes.
My mother lived for 28 years after my father died. She lived an independent life due to Social Security and the pension from his 35 years of work. That would not be possible if these
ruthless right wingers have their way.
As a HIGH TECH educated person, I went through tubes, transistors, ICs, Hybrids, then to computer programming and Assembly Language, Basic, Cobal, Pascal, C,C+, HTML, Java, and finally ended up too old for the industries at age 58. From age 58 to age 62 the system ‘ate’ up my retirement savings paying the bills and buying medical insurance. The Social Security at age 62, although at a 25% discount saved me from living under a turnpike bridge. I am doing ok today at age 69 and frankly need the COLA as food, gasoline, clothing, and utilities are going up at a 15 to 40% rate, and eventually will eat up any remaining retirement savings…. thanks..
I worked for 45 years paying my bit into Social Security. Now I rely on the contract I made with America for my retirement. What kind of country would take from its citizens for 45 years then betray its commitment to them?
i have a disability which i received will i was on the job.Social security is all i have now!!!!!!!!
I called because my father became very ill while I was in high school. He went on Social Security Disability because he was no longer able to work his job at the steel mill (this was back when America actually made things besides weapons). Thanks to Social Security I was able to be part of the first generation in my family to attend college. I am grateful for those Social Security benefits, which is why I made the call -to protect them from those who would steal said benefits from the lower & middle classes & give the money to billionaires, banksters & corporations.
I made my call because I am tired of Social Security being constantly threatened and being demonized! It is one of the most successful social programs that we have in this country. It is a program that provides a little financial protection for workers when they reach retirement age or for health or disability reasons. It provides financial assistance to families/children after the loss of a parent or both parents.
I am also tired of Social Security being labeled an “entitlement” program. Workers contribute to this program! They are not free-loading off of the government when they receive benefits!
Lastly, Social Security has nothing to do with the deficit. It is solvent to, at least, 2037. Therefore, we need to do everything we can to improve it while keeping it in the hands of the government where it is protected and management cost is low.
Social Security is what the name says. Security for me my family and american people. It has helped my wife when she was struck with cancer, my old mother who lives in an old age home. Only the government can handle social security. Private co. will mess it up.
Simply to have a income till i die–I’m 54 with no job and no retirement–been working since i was 14
I believe that SOCIAL SECURITY is what our government does right for its citizens. For those of us who have worked a little or a lot it is very often the very thing that gets us by. With out it many would become homeless or poverty stricken.
My mother was able to collect my fathers SSA funds when he passed. She worked along side him in their own business but never had any input into SSA until she left after 25 years and got her own job and SSA. She would have been destitute without survivors benefits.
My partner of 20 years has some very limiting disabilities but was refused SSDI and at 62 her benefits keeps us going.
I dont see myself as being able to work until I am 67.5 years. Years of work as a nurse have limited my backs ability to keep on going. After finally finding a job in the nursing profession that gave me fair benefit opportunities, I realize my pension will never ever cut it and I will need my SSA benefit to manage once I am 62.
I called because my father died in a car accident when I was ten years old. Social Security helped my mom raise myself, my sister who was nine and my brother wo was six. Mom worked, but we wouldn’t have been able to make ends meet without it.
Years later when my sister lost her husband to cancer, Social Security helped her support my five year old niece. We can’t let this working program fall to cover the losses incurred by politicians who only care about corporate support.