Is emptying bed pans in a hospital menial work? What would happen if bed pans didn't get emptied? Let people stop emptying bed pans for a month and there would be bigger problems than if sociologists stopped working for a year.
~ Thomas Sowell, Why Liberal Ideas are Counterproductive for the Poor
This is true. I am not demeaning [all] sociologists; but it seems unfair for people to assume that housekeepers/"menial employees" are somehow involved in a job that's not worth their time. Such an attitude ignores the dedication and strength of character learned from such a job, and the potent fact that a paycheck is involved. The job providing this paycheck needn't last long - but a job that allows you to be doing something other than relying on the government is worth having. Such jobs are easily available in America. We could gain a great deal if people would realise that having a job beneath their talents is far above no job at all.
Headgirl,
ReplyDeleteYou have written about an issue that is quite inflammatory here in Texas. It is also one that I have gradually begun to change my mind about.
I completely agree with your statement that, "We could gain a great deal if people would realise that having a job beneath their talents is far above no job at all." I have found this attitude of wanting to start at the top more prevalent with younger folk, than with older, oddly enough.
However, I must respectfully disagree with your statement, "Such jobs are easily available in America." Here in Texas, such jobs are taken by illegal immigrants eager for the American money and given by people and corporations eager to have such cheap labor.
Teenagers used to be able to mow lawns and bus tables as their first jobs. But, around here anyway, these jobs are NOT available to teenagers. The only people you see doing these jobs are immigrants. The teenagers all seem to want dress-up jobs in cool surroundings. Now, I don't know whether the teens turned up their noses at hot work first or as a result of losing those jobs to immigrants. But that is the situation as I see it here.