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Apparently, you've never been in a situation where what you have is what you've got and there's nothing in store for you anytime soon. Not "anyone" can be a clerk behind the counter; it takes someone willing to deal with people as people, enthrall them, woo them, and get them to come back. A good store clerk will resolve conflicts first in spite of store policy and argue on behalf of the customer if they know the customer deserves what she's asking for. Having been a clerk behind a counter for a number of years, I can solidly attest to the fact that it's a difficult and simultaneously rewarding job, if you like people and- perhaps most importasntly- are not in a situation where relying on that job and that job alone will keep you housed and fed and nothing more.
A behind-the-counter clerk job is not something one can live on. Exist, yes, but live, no.
Similarly, not everyone can perform physical labor. I'm currently a postal worker in a distribution plant, and I can also say with utter certainty that constantly bending, lifting, reaching, and stretching can at times be literally backbreaking labor. There are many people in the plant I work in that are on permenant light duty as a result of physical limitations which occurred both on and off the job. One woman I know, who was injured on the job to the point she cannot easily lift a gallon of milk any longer, was denied worker's comp benefits for months and almost lost her home. In the end, she received a back pay check of over $22,000. She's also on full comp pay, being permenantly disabled as a result of back injuries sustained on the job one night while I was working with her as her lone partner on the same machine.
Don't you dare say, "anyone can do it". It's simply untrue.
"Who would want to make loading trucks and stocking shelves a life-long career. These are entry level jobs for the kids. If one wants to earn better wages and increase their standards of living then it should be their own responsibility to get more education and earn a better job OR create their own job by starting their own businesses."
No one would want to, but many are forced to. The longer these people remain in these dead-end jobs, the more money they generally make. However, the more money they make, the less likely it becomes that they will be eligible for financial aid in any meaningful amount. What results from this is a self-perpetuating closed circle of opportunity; that is, I could go to school if I had enough money, but I need to keep my job; out of pocket alone I can't pay for school, but my income is increasing the longer I stay. I can't keep my job and go to school, because I go to work at 11pm and the classes I need are in the morning.
One thing that would solve this is an open and complete funding of secondary education for all. $87 billion would go a long, long way toward achieving that, as well as bumping up our gradeschools. In that respect, our President has truly left us and our children behind.
Capital is required in this society to open a business. What keeps people in dire straits from doing so is the undeniable fact that if the business fails they'll be left even further in the hole than they already are. One cannot just "open a business", sir; that is an action which requires careful planning, some personal investment, and the willingness to have no sleep, no fun, no life. When one goes to work day after day simply to pay for the rent and the food, it's near impossible to anything but that.
Finally, I was certain this strike was about benefits, not pay. Perhaps you';d like to compensate lost bennies with increased pay? No? Well, then, you're greedy and We the People have the power to take you down a notch or two.
Sucks when peons gather together against the powerful, don't it?
Bwaha!
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