Colin wrote:
> Some people are born with learning difficulties,
> some with lower iq's, some are disabled, some ar
> born into severely dysfunctional families. If these
> familes are aslo poor, the offsrping will not have
> access to the help they will need in order to
> function properly and in most cases will be left
> behind in the low paid jobs, if they can work at
all.
Colin, you are SO right on the mark! I've been
thinking about these things almost non-stop since
yesterday. Some people will claim that the people you
describe are subscribing to the program of
victimization. But there ARE victims of less
fortunate circumstances, many more than wed care to
admit. And they need the help of those of us who
never have been victims, or who have managed to come
out of our own circumstances with some wisdom about
how to make things better.
> If we did not have the people willing to do the jobs
> the well off consider beneath them, society would be
> up shit creek, literally.
I'm reminded of so many white men who bitch about
Hispanics or Asians or blacks taking jobs from them,
which often turn out to be jobs the white men never
wanted in the first place.
Not too long ago one of my bosses was complaining
about all the "morons" in customer service these days.
I reminded him that we need "morons," or who would
wait on us at places like McDonald's? I didn't mean
"morons" in the literal sense, of course, nor do I
mean to slam people who work in the fast-food
industry. But we go to places like that expecting the
same service we receive at a fine restaurant, and get
pissed off when the staff is (mentally and physically)
slow. However, you can't get "good" people to work in
those jobs for minimum wage, or for long. "You get
what you pay for."
Marcel, you wrote to me privately that minimum wage
jobs are supposed to be a "stepping stone" from
adolescence and not a career. That's not always the
case. MANY people will do no better because they
CAN'T. Remember my recent tale of the dim-bulb
renter-from-hell? She was 26 years old and had worked
at the same Burger King for 6 years as counter help
and was PROUD of her job. She wasnt ever going to
rise to even Assistant Manager; she just didnt have
the smarts.
So if you're less gifted, you should grovel at the
bottom of the heap all of your life? I'm not saying
counter help should earn $20 an hour, but there has to
be a better alternative than the way things are now.
> Teachers and nurses, are also absolutely vital to us
> yet they too are low paid.
Oh god, don't even get me started. I work at an
education reform think tank, and one of the things we
argue about is teacher pay. In this land of
standards-based reform, I believe in merit pay, but I
also believe teachers have NEVER been paid what
they're worth. (Im in the minority with that
notion.) Public schools want teachers to have a
Master's degree at minimum, yet they want to pay them
only $30-$40K a year. Give me a break. After going
to all the trouble and expense of earning a Master's
degree, I sure as hell wouldn't want to make that
little AND risk my life teaching in an urban school,
either! (Thank goodness that different methods of
teacher certification are now being explored.)
This country has depended upon "a sense of calling" to
fulfill certain professions for far too long. This
also applies to the military, another group who has
been forever underpaid. We take advantage of people
who feeling a sense of calling or duty to teach, heal,
protect. Then they get burned out and we act
surprised and/or offended. How dare they?
> they, should try a little gratitude for their good
> fortune and luck. And that DOES apply to those who
> feel they earned it by working themselves thru
school
> into their good well apid careers. The should thank
> God that they had the abiltiy to do it!
>
> Gratitude goes a long way to creating happiness and
> a compassionate understanding of others. Do people
> really think they are well off because they are
> worth more? How pathetic. How sad. What self deciet.
> What arrogance.
Very true words, Colin. Thank you for putting it so
well.
Lori
in DC
.
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