The Price of Responsibility

Tell me why it's my responsibility to bailout people that bought McMansions when they really couldn't afford them. I'm no real estate guru, but I understood the terms of my home loan when I signed it. My first mortgage was a VA loan. This enabled my wife and I to purchase a house with no money down (a benefit of volunteering to serve my country). The rate wasn't great, 7.50%, but we probably would have had a hard time coming up 10-20% down. We refinanced to a 6.00%, 15 year loan when the rates started to drop in the late '90's. As they further dropped, we refinanced to a 10 year loan at 4.25%. Not really wanting to give back the years we had been chiseling off, but realizing the savings at that rate in the long run would be worth it. Yes, we knew that with fewer years on the term, our monthly payments would be significantly higher, but decided that paying our house off as soon as possible was worth biting the bullet. We started off as a two income family without kids. Moved to a single income family as I continued to work after the birth of our first child. I continued to be the sole income earner through the birth of our second child. I was laid off and went part time with my wife going back to work shortly thereafter. I was also laid off from my part time job shortly after that. Through all these changes we somehow managed to meet our obligations. Through refinancing we saved money on interest as well as shortening the term of our loan, all be it only slightly. We haven't purchased a "new" car since before we were married (17 years ago), and the used cars we have we take care of and drive as long as possible before reselling them. Our vacations usually consist of going camping, or taking time off and working on or around our home. No trips to Cancun with refi money, no new cars. So what have we learned is the price of our responsibility? We are now (or should I say our grandchildren) are now on the hook for everyone that didn't understand that the adjustable rate mortgage they used for their $400,000.00 house was going to go from $700.00/ month to $7,0000.00. Were they "taken" by the people that told them with the $50,000.00/ year they earned they could afford a half million dollar house? All the while using the "extra" money they had to buy things and take trips. Now I know this can start to sound whiny and spiked with jealousy, but I don't care. What's the price of responsibility? ONE TRILLION DOLLARS! I had to spell that out because I honestly don't know how many zeros are in a trillion. Wow! By the way, I've got 62 payments left on my house. How 'bout you?