I am grateful for work, for meaningful, remunerative work that is gratifying and enjoyable, if at times difficult and challenging. In my particular occupation I have the double blessing of knowing that I am helping to make a difference in the lives of vulnerable adults while getting paid for my efforts. It isn't a perfect arrangement, by far, and I have already complained about this more than enough on previous pages. That said, being paid a living wage and having safer and more fair working conditions would be a plus. It would also be nice if our understanding of work would change just a little bit. There is something about having to do what I'm doing in order to simply survive that also compromises the quality of care that I offer my clients. It can be a real challenge at times to get away entirely from seeing my clients as my meal ticket, a roof over my head, clothes and transportation, and money in the bank for emergencies and vacations. I do like the idea of a basic guaranteed income for all people on low incomes and I don't buy the nonsense that that would take away the incentive to work. Rather, it would eliminate a lot of the stress that makes it difficult to work well, knowing that one wrong step, or the betrayal of a psychopathic co-worker or boss could at the twinkling of an eye, land you on the street or in a low barrier shelter.
What I particularly take exception to is the notion that wealthy people got to where they are because they worked hard for their money and that others stay poor because they are lazy or lack ambition. I heard this cruel and false generalization repeated to me even last year. Apparently one of the professors in a masters of business administration program from one of our local universities was telling his students, all foreign and haling from poorer countries, that we have poor and homeless people in this country because they don't want to work. I hope he has been reported and disciplined by the university for defamation. I am especially appalled that someone in his position would be allowed to convey this kind of misinformation to newcomers to our country.
The causes of poverty and homelessness are many and diverse, but I will simply tell you this much, as a poor person who has worked hard all his life. Poverty has nothing to do with not having a work ethic and very much to do with bad luck, difficult circumstances and no one there to support or soften your landing for you should you fall. When you hear someone talk about those rich people who have earned their money through hard work, there are still some things that are not being mentioned:
1. Who helped them get to where they are now?
2. What about those of us who have worked hard all our lives and still have nothing? What are we going to get?
3. How many workers, staff and employees did these wealthy entrepreneurs exploit and mistreat by paying them less than a living wage and keeping them in unsafe and unpleasant working conditions?
4. What is the condition of soul of these success stories? What of their integrity and essential humanity did they end up bartering out of existence in exchange for business and material success?
Canadian society operates very much along the capitalist ethic, which is to say that we in this country are ethically bankrupt. We tend to laud and reward the wealthy and successful while ignoring and despising the poor and vulnerable, more often than not who are the human casualties of vicious capitalism: not because they never worked hard, but because we see them, or being poor myself, should I say that they see us, as losers.
This way of thinking has got to change.
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