Above is a link to an article released in today's (June 3, 2014) Chicago SunTimes regarding the racial factors in wealth.
The article begins by asking, "What's in that designer handbag? If you are black or brown, chances are there's not much money," and the question itself irked me. I asked myself, "What’s in that designer handbag? If there isn't much money… why do you have a designer handbag?"
At 24 years old, I work 4 jobs so that I am able to pay my bills and afford some extras. At 24 years old, I can say (with great pride) that I already have some money in my savings. Why is that? Because I don’t own a designer handbag! Saving money is not a racial issue these days, especially after the plans that our president has opened up. Health care, cell phones, food… if you qualify, all of these things can be paid for by “the government” (aka: taxpayers). If all of these things are being paid for, then what is the excuse for NOT saving money? Louis Vuitton handbags are not an essential. Getting your nails done every week is not essential. But if you see these things as necessities, then saving money for your descendants is obviously not essential, no matter what your race.
My grandfather, a white, WWII veteran, retired Chicago Fireman, and retired local building inspector, will too die penniless. A man who sacrificed his life not just in a war, but in his following career, will leave behind nothing for his grandchildren. Is it because of his race? Of course not. It is because he retired at 65 and has lived almost into his 90’s (so far). Living is expensive, and when you’re living off a fixed income, you need every penny you can get, especially in case of an emergency. Do I depend on him leaving mass wealth to me when he goes? No. Nor do I depend on my parents. It is up to me to secure my financial future.
Everyone has to start from scratch to create their wealth… or at least everyone I know. People everywhere are being born and living their lives without trust funds. It is not a rare thing! We all have to start out with nothing. The idea that financial struggle is a racial struggle is narrow-minded. Look around! Opportunities for jobs are few and far between, the cost of living is high… the economy in which we are living is a difficult one! EVERYONE is struggling.
As a third generation immigrant, I did not have family here during the Civil War era, and therefore, did not have ancestors that were “provided wealth” by the “blood sweat and tears” of the Southern blacks nor did I have ancestors that provided that “blood, sweat, and tears.” Therefore, the proposed ideas to redistribute wealth seem a bit one sided. I am not in the proposed group to receive aid nor am I in the group that should be chastised for a practice that ended over a hundred years before my birth, and decades before my ancestors immigrated here. Yet, this concept of redistributed wealth will come out of my paycheck. Why? Because I pay my taxes and I work hard. Adding yet another program that takes money out of paychecks seems cruel when everyone is struggling. As a person who works primarily in ministry, I hope that any aid towards severely financially strained citizens (regardless of race) can be voluntary, done by those who can afford to do so. I hope everyone works hard to achieve their own wealth, that we can get out of this time of financial turmoil, and that we can avoid another redistribution policy. But if there’s a designer handbag redistribution program… I hope the government will count me in regardless of my race.