It tickled me to read a letter in the June Kingston Community News, on the Opinion page. It was titled, “Yes, Jacque, and capitalism does work well.” David Brown of Hansville was remarking on my column, “Who is looking out for the little guy anyway?”

I do appreciate other opinions and it’s always rewarding to hear from a reader.

I still find it hard to accept all the cream floating to the top and the 40 percent of middle income evaporating. Just check out how much the conglomerates are pulling in today. The stock market knocked the middle income down, then the conglomerates turned around and blamed them for their errors.

I don’t know which generation David is from, but my family came through the Depression Era.

I was a child then. After WWII, my generation fought to get a piece of the pie. Unions came about because of the little guy fighting the bureaucracy to have decent wages and living conditions. We came out of the war and became the middle class.

It’s a terrible thing to have to admit that war makes jobs. For the first time, the ordinary folk had work in factories, munitions, building military planes like Boeing where my mother worked on the first B-29 wings. The companies had huge contracts and money flowed in. The guy and the gal in the street who weren’t in the service found out what it was to have a dollar left over in their pockets after payday.

It took a while but things did pick up for wages and benefits to come along. The little guy was no longer going to bow to the wealthy company owners for crumbs. Now, they are fighting once again to keep what they have gained.  More power to those people I say.

I guess I’ll put my political outlook to bed for a bit and concentrate on a family wedding in July, to be outdoors on the acres, and our Redeemer Sunshine Ladies Rummage Sale, which is July 20-21 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. And 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

I have worked the sale every year and will be in the middle of it as usual. It is wonderful to see all the great items that are donated. Anything that is left over after a sale is donated to the Women’s Abuse Center, the men’s center and other charity rummage sales. The funds raised go for community needs such as the food banks. The sale is held yearly at Redeemer United Methodist Church, 9900 Shorty Campbell Road, Kingston. Watch for the signs.

Speaking of community needs, the Kingston Food Bank in the VFW Hall on First Street really needs help in finding a new place to move to before March 2013.

There must be some way to help Barb Fulton, the director, find another spot. One thing I do know is this community cares about people, although I did hear through the grapevine one of our well-known business owners stated he doesn’t help charities. Hmm! So, in the months ahead if anyone comes up with a solution it will be more than appreciated by not only Barb, but also the needy families it helps.

I asked Barb’s mother, Vi Weaver, now passed on, why she kept the little food bank going when there was another large one that received all kinds of donation help. If you knew Vi, then you can imagine her looking up at you straight in the eye, saying “Pride.”  Sometimes, all one has left is pride so they go quietly out of their known area, not wanting others to know how badly off they may be.

That I do understand in remembering my stubborn Scots mother and her fierce pride. “We will make do and thank God for it.” This she often said — and so we did.

— Jacque Thornton is a long-time columnist for the Kingston Community News. Contact her at jacque jt@centurytel.net.