Ponderings

I have been thinking about all the hoopla surrounding Occupy Wall Street.  I was thinking about the 1% carpeting the protesters in McDonald's applications.  I have seen postings about how #OWS is just a bunch of whining babies.  And I keep getting more and more offended.

My first thought:  If these people had jobs, good jobs,  would they be out protesting?  Obviously the "Job Creators" are not creating jobs.  If they were creating jobs, the people would not be out protesting.  And not just any jobs, but jobs people can take pride in.

Secondly:  Are McDonald's applications being used because the only jobs that are available are at McDonald's?  If minimum wage jobs are the only thing that economy can produce, then we are really in some trouble.  If our economy can only produce low-pay, no insurance jobs, we are definitely on the downward slide.  When I hear people say, "I work two jobs I hate because I don't want to whine," it saddens me.  Is this all we have to look to?

Thirdly:  If this is what the 1% think we desire, they are sorely mistaken.  We want fulfillment from our jobs just like they want fulfillment from theirs.  I know I would be willing to work at a lower paying job if I could feel that I am DOING something.  Handing overpriced lattes to affluent soccer moms is not my idea of fulfillment.

Fourthly:  If the 1% think we can afford medical insurance on part-time pay, they are WAY out of touch with the world.  Or that we want to work two part-time jobs to make ends meet.  We like to have healthcare just like they want healthcare.  And working part-time for McDonald's isn't going to do it.

Fifthly:  We like to have vacations too.  We are even happy just to have some time at the lake, we don't need to go to Rio or the Riviera.  We are happy to have a tent or a hotel, we don't need a luxury spa resort.  We just want to have a good time at our working class vacation spots with our family and not have to worry that the vacation will push the budget over the edge.  Who can enjoy a vacation when every expense must be fretted over.

Sixthly:  I have ten years of college!  What a waste to be putting that education to work making sure the "upside-down caramel macciato" is exactly 170 degrees.  I can, and have, worked minimum wage jobs, but I would hope that in the greatest country on earth I could find a job that allowed some of the "American Dream."

Showering the #OWS people with McDonald's applications may have seemed like a funny idea to some people, but it just goes to show how out of touch some people are.  People want jobs with dignity and that have worth; give these jobs to people and they will work them.  People would not care that the richest people have their toys if we knew we had the basics and a little extra to make life pleasant.  Yes, I could work at McDonald's, but I would get very tired of it very soon and I would probably end up throwing a McHeart Attack into someones face out of frustration.

Is this all we have to offer as "The Greatest Country?"  If so, how pathetic.