NW 23rd Avenue Class Warfare-Observed
Late this afternoon I am eating at Jo Bar on NW 23rd at Irving.
At one of the outside tables, an impeccably dressed 40sh woman - quite possibly from the affluent West Hills just above 23rd- is finishing a pricey tropical drink with her daughter.
Twenty feet to the south, a man of about the same age is rifling through a trash receptacle, looking for recylable items, perhaps even tossed-away food from Papa Haydn.
The man and the woman exchange glances for a second.
She takes her pocket book and moves it as close to Jo Bar’s outer wall as she possibly can, holding on to it for dear life.
I don’t blame her for doing this. But maybe it is the old sociology major in me or the buzz from the wine I was drinking. I thought about how the choices she has made in her life - got her to a position of presumed affluence, and what choices he might have made to get him where he is. Living out of garbage cans.
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Yeah, I bet he wishes he could go back and be born into/marry into privilege.
And there my friends, right in that comment by Neil, is why folks with money often look down upon or aren’t willing to share it. True, some were given their money in one way or another. But some have earned it. And nothing will piss off someone who’s earned their money any faster than by summarily discounting all of their life’s effort with one assinine statement such as that one.
Argh, that should’ve been “look down upon the poor”… missed a word there.
Yes, because after all, no one EVER achieved a position in the upper classes by virtue of their own efforts.
I enjoyed that comment Aaron.
I despise the assumption that wealth is handed to people.
Some yes, but the majority keep and or earn their wealth thru action, invention, risk (big risk), effort, perseverence, and intellectual capacity.
I haven’t been handed a penny of my success. Every single cent has been earned by my own blood (sometimes literally), sweat (lots), and smarts. To descredit my effort with such assiduous comment is a personal offense to me.
…but alas, in regards to the entry. It is very interesting to notice such things. My first thought is usually, don’t worry, the bums here are rather harmless.
…but then I think, “she has a good mind to do that because even though the bums are harmless, and even though people in this area are generally nice and honest, if he grabbed and ran with it no one would have the balls to stop him in these parts.”
My point was that it’s not just “choices” that determines a person’s lot in life. There are thousands currently homeless because of Katrina. I suppose that’s because of “their choices”, yes? An astounding number of Portlanders are no more than one or two paychecks from being on the streets.
Yes, choices. Like choosing to live below sea level in an area known to be periodically hit by hurricanes. Or perhaps if the roles were reversed the choice to live between several active volcanos. Further the choices made earlier in life, to not get an education, to have children, to buy that expensive house of sports car all have an impact. No able bodied adult would be on the street if they chose to work. Look at the Mexicans on 7th and E Burnside or at every home depot. They will work hard and do what it takes to keep their family fed and housed without begging.
Of course exceptions should be made for the young or handy capped but the number of “homeless by choice” take the resources away from those that truly can not fend for themselves.
i don’t begrudge anyone earning their own wealth. good for them. but having worked hard to achieve a certain position does not absolve one from exhibiting compassion, living responsibly, or participating in the social contract that forms a healthy world. too often people say “well i earned it” as an excuse for their own excesses and their complete lack of social conscience. working hard and earning money does not buy the right to be a dick.