It annoyed me when politicians began talking about "Wall Street" and "Main Street." Dividing citizens into two -- and only two -- camps seems incredibly questionable to me. The differences and similarities between individuals and groups within our society are far too complex and nuanced to fit easily into those categories. So imagine my frustration at the new trend in the media to divide us again between those who take a shower before work, and those who shower after work.
Seriously? This is really what you want to say and do, news media?
For your information, I live in a solidly middle-class neighborhood in New Jersey. I rent the apartment my family lives in, and I take the train every weekday to work in New York. I work in an office, so I suppose that classifies me in your mind-numbingly idiotic system as one who showers before work. Therefore I must be one of the high-and-mighty to be hated.
The fact is that I am earning a middle-class salary and struggle to keep up with all of my bills and to provide a good life for my family. I am working hard to add to my skill set, knowing that my children will be starting college in several years.
I am a working man who is striving for better things. Those who shower early and those who shower late cannot be evaluated honestly and fairly based on this characteristic or any other single factor. All who work for a living are working. Construction and kitchen-work is no more or less noble than web development or insurance sales. However, thank God for those talented and hard-working individuals who operate businesses that employ others.
Everyone who speaks of the American people in two groups, those who bathe in the morning and those who bathe after work, disgusts me. This way of thinking ignores our fantastic diversity. In the United States, unlike many countries of the world, a person can still climb from "the bottom rung" to the top through hard work, risk-taking and networking. There are a lot of rungs between the bottom and the top, and I doubt there's universal agreement over what constitutes the top rung.
Oh, and in case you were wondering, I generally shower twice a day. Once in the morning, and once in the evening. I'm not good on the environment, I guess, but I'm clean. That is a rant for another day.
My point exactly. There was a time when the local channels was all there was. They didn't care about Wall Street vs. Main Street, they just told you the stories that affected you. Even in the big city, there was a small local station for your 'burb.
ReplyDeleteCable, satellite, and all that have made everything global and as such have lost touch and feel the need to divide and categorize everyone and everything.
Nothing is personal.