Financial Success in America
Bob Sanders
English 100 T/TH 10:30-12:35
Journal #3
9/17/13
Attaining financial success in America is not easy; it is a struggle that many Americans hope to achieve one day. There can be certain setbacks for some individuals who hope to achieve this position, but are held back possibly due to their race or class. Although it is said that everyone has equal individual opportunity in America, this is not so true for some factors we cannot control. Being born into a specific household that may be upper class or lower class is something beyond our control, yet controls us as we continue to strive. Furthermore, it is interesting how we cannot tell the class that one is in just by looking at their appearance, since people in America do not dress less fancy if they fall in a lower class. What I had not realized before is that the lower class has it much harder than I had previously thought, especially because minimum wage does not cut it for most of us. Even though a person can be fully employed at a place that earns minimum wage, it is still very difficult to get by, especially if you have a whole family to feed. Minimum wage makes it difficult for even one person to live off, let alone a whole family. Bills add up fast, and this puts many people in a situation in which they lose hope. For a waiter or waitress to succeed would be very difficult, especially since minimum wage is just not enough for people to meet their needs. It is being increasingly common for employers to lower the hours for their workers, and in order for one to succeed in a position like this is close to impossible. I believe that if many of these underpaid, minimum wage workers cannot afford food sometimes, and would rather skip a meal than spend money of a meal, they are considered to be in poverty. Yet, it is amazing how they are still not classified as being in poverty. This makes me wonder of what the government actually thinks what poverty is, maybe skipping two meals instead of one?
English 100 T/TH 10:30-12:35
Journal #3
9/17/13
Attaining financial success in America is not easy; it is a struggle that many Americans hope to achieve one day. There can be certain setbacks for some individuals who hope to achieve this position, but are held back possibly due to their race or class. Although it is said that everyone has equal individual opportunity in America, this is not so true for some factors we cannot control. Being born into a specific household that may be upper class or lower class is something beyond our control, yet controls us as we continue to strive. Furthermore, it is interesting how we cannot tell the class that one is in just by looking at their appearance, since people in America do not dress less fancy if they fall in a lower class. What I had not realized before is that the lower class has it much harder than I had previously thought, especially because minimum wage does not cut it for most of us. Even though a person can be fully employed at a place that earns minimum wage, it is still very difficult to get by, especially if you have a whole family to feed. Minimum wage makes it difficult for even one person to live off, let alone a whole family. Bills add up fast, and this puts many people in a situation in which they lose hope. For a waiter or waitress to succeed would be very difficult, especially since minimum wage is just not enough for people to meet their needs. It is being increasingly common for employers to lower the hours for their workers, and in order for one to succeed in a position like this is close to impossible. I believe that if many of these underpaid, minimum wage workers cannot afford food sometimes, and would rather skip a meal than spend money of a meal, they are considered to be in poverty. Yet, it is amazing how they are still not classified as being in poverty. This makes me wonder of what the government actually thinks what poverty is, maybe skipping two meals instead of one?