Response #3 My simple and Honest Thoughts Based On The Introduction To “Some Place Like America”

My simple and Honest Thoughts Based On The Introduction To “Some Place Like America”

It seems interesting to me that a book written about our blue-collar working class America starts out with a story about a homeless community. And then I read the line, “Where do you think you are? … “In some place like America” Then I realize it is setting up what is to be a story of the hardship our country has faced over the years after so many once readily available jobs became nonexistent. The year1982 was the beginning of this journey for Michael and Dale when they set out to document the growing disparity in our country as once common jobs became nonexistent or nearly impossible to come by. They began to see in the eyes of Americans a since of fear for they were now left homeless in the land of opportunity.  

One thing I found interesting was the question, “Do we want to reserve life chances for a very few who are wealthy, or do we desire to be a nation of opportunity, offering a level playing field for everyone” What I wander when I read this is, don’t we? Doesn’t America offer to all the very same opportunity? It seems as if Dale is suggesting that there isn’t the opportunity to succeed no matter who you are. It certainly will take others more dedication and hard work than others, but the opportunity, I would argue is always there. I love that a book has been written about those who are most often completely overlooked but I can’t totally get on board with an idea that the rich and wealthy in America are purposefully keeping lower class Americans down. I can’t get on board with the idea that the unemployed and homeless are this way because those in high power positions want them that way, and that seems to be the ideas written here.

I get tired of hearing people talk about the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. The reality is the only way it can actually be that way is if a person wants to rely on an American system to “give” them the life they want. The fact is, and I say again, you will always only be the person you aspire and work to be. There is no obligation for the wealthy in America to take care of those who have little to nothing. You might argue an obligation based on spiritual conviction, but there is nothing about America that deems it a necessary to give hand outs, raise taxes for a certain economic class, or even create jobs. I want to know why we should, as Dale describes it, “…stop relying on the words of supposed experts and should instead listen to the voices of people like those in this book…?” He says that they are the real experts. I would have to say I disagree. The people in this book may be experts on a hard life but, when it comes to knowing what’s going on Wall Street, I’m inclined to believe that the experts are in fact experts.

I don’t mean to be completely callous and cruel for I do know that there are great unfortunate circumstances that people face through no fault of their own. There are no doubt people who have become unemployed after years of hard work that have a hard time figuring out what’s next for them and what to turn to after losing what they have worked their whole lives learning how to do and for those people I do feel bad. Then again I am reminded that even if their jobs were lost do to out sourcing and in order to make some CEO richer there is still nothing illegal about that. Despicable and tasteless yes but illegal or criminal no.