Propaganda Debunking Group - Hamburgers and the Minimum Wage

[SheilaT]

5. Good point.

And that world view does not take into account to what extent people's life circumstances may change, and may put them where they can only get a minimum wage job.

I was a stay at home mom for twenty-five years, then my marriage came to an end. I needed to find employment, and I could essentially only make minimum wage. This is NOT a feel-sorry-for-SheilaT story, just an example of how that can happen. I am no where near as badly off as many people, and for me a minimum wage job was a huge help.

I can say that for many years now I've been telling young people that it is perfectly all right to major in what they love, even if it is philosophy or anthropology, just don't lose sight of the fact that you need to make a living once you graduate college. My younger son is a good example. He graduated, cum laude I must brag, from the University of Tulsa, a pretty decent school, with a psychology degree, and in only four years. He earns his living delivering pizza. And those first four words are the most important ones. He really likes doing pizza delivery. He has reasonable control over his time leaving him free to do things that matter to him, such as play Ultimate Frisbee. And he doesn't ask either of his parents for money, because he knows we'd tell him to get a better job. The important things are that he's self-sufficient and he's happy with what he's doing. Can hardly ask for more than that. So what if he'll never be as wealthy as a hedge fund manager or a neurosurgeon?

Too many people stay in jobs they hate, that are destroying their souls, because they can't think of an alternative. Our system tends to trap people, and it's a genuine shame.