Some of the top one percent (those earning $400,000 or more per year) seem to believe that only they are deserving. They believe that government regulation and policies should favor them and that anyone who has not achieved their level of success is undeserving because they haven’t worked hard enough or are simply just lazy.
I am certain that the top one percent has worked very, very hard and put in countless hours to achieve their success and that should be rewarded. But should they be rewarded at the expense of the remaining 99% made up of the middle and working classes and the poor?
All hard work should provide a livable wage!
I wonder if the top one percent is grateful for their ability, opportunity and support from both family and the nation? I know I am grateful for all that helped me to move from being a tip-earning food service worker, to a working class union-skilled-craftsman to an advanced degree teaching professional. I am thankful for my natural ability, a supportive, stable working class family of origin, and a loving and patient spouse who supported me both financially and emotionally during my last career change that reduced by my income by 50% while I attended college part-time for 8 years. And, I am thankful for my nation and state as my career change began at a subsidized community college and then continued on to two state universities. Another thing I am grateful for is fortuitous timing (a little luck) and the teachers’ union as I was easily able to procure a teaching position shortly after graduating with my Masters’ Degree in teaching that included a fair starting salary with fair annual raises, pension, healthcare and an opportunity to earn tenure. Even so, I’m still nowhere near the one percent, but am very happy and honored to be in the middle, helping special needs children.
At one time, our nation rewarded hard work. However, many low-wage jobs that are essential to our national well-being are undervalued today. Some of those jobs include childcare, elderly care, care for those who are disabled, food service and prep, office cleaners and domestics and customer service workers. As a special education teacher for high school students with autism, I depend on para-professionals to keep my students safe and to help them acquire the skills they need to live at their individual highest level of independence. These caring, dedicated, necessary, highly trained para-professionals are truly undervalued and are not paid a livable wage even though many have some college or college degrees. I am not sure how to change these circumstances, but if government regulation and policies can favor the top one percent, it can also favor undervalued, deserving, hard-working Americans.
Remember, our true greatness as a country can only be measured by the quality of life experienced by all our citizens, not just the few. All are deserving! And those who HAVE, should be grateful and thankful for the support they may have taken for granted.
reilly m gray 