2 ms·

You were lucky to have a quality library available to you. They aren't really free, and not everyone has the good fortune to grow up in a place that can afford

by gsoltis 15y ago

You were lucky to have a quality library available to you. They aren't really free, and not everyone has the good fortune to grow up in a place that can afford one. You were lucky that your public school education was able to get you into a college. Not everyone has that opportunity, no matter how hard they work in school. You were lucky that you were able to find a crappy retail job to put yourself through college. Some people can't find jobs to do that, and not for lack of looking. Libraries and public schools are excellent examples. While I can't speak for these protesters as I'm not there with them, a lot of the sentiment that people are expressing is a sense of fewer opportunities. Schools and libraries are getting their budgets slashed across the entire country. This due in large part to fiscal policy. Bad policy leads to lower tax revenues leads to cutting teachers and library resources. I don't have the solution, but I can see how it's related to the finance industry as a whole. I agree with you that people should be responsible for making use of the opportunities that they have. Being offered a public education doesn't guarantee you anything, you have to actually take the time to learn from it. But that only works so long as we continue to offer quality public educations. I'm really just tired of people saying "I made it, why can't everyone else?" without considering that their situation may be different.

jstedfast 15y ago
Lucky to have such good libraries available? Are you KIDDING ME!?!? I grew up in relatively poor small towns most of my life, where the town library was lucky if it had more than a thousand books. Certainly had no internet. But you know what? I did the same thing rick888 did and I was at that library all the time learning, trying to make myself better. I took advantage of every opportunity that came my way and I made the most of them. I didn't have wealthy parents with connections like so many of the rich spoiled brats I see around me bitching about how "lucky" I am to have a good job, or moaning about how there's so many fewer opportunities around them. Bullshit. Open your eyes. Stop making excuses. If you want something bad enough, like I (and clearly rick888) did, you will be successful. Do some people have more opportunities because of who their parents are and/or how much money they make? Sure, but so what? That's life. I overcame. Rick888 overcame. So can everyone else. Stop expecting things to just fall in your lap and complaining about how the world "isn't fair" and cast aside your damned entitlement complex. The world doesn't owe you jack. You have to fight for everything you want. That's the reality, and nothing these protesters do will ever change that.

by gsoltis 15y ago

jstedfast 15y ago

Lucky to have such good libraries available? Are you KIDDING ME!?!? I grew up in relatively poor small towns most of my life, where the town library was lucky if it had more than a thousand books. Certainly had no internet. But you know what? I did the same thing rick888 did and I was at that library all the time learning, trying to make myself better. I took advantage of every opportunity that came my way and I made the most of them. I didn't have wealthy parents with connections like so many of the rich spoiled brats I see around me bitching about how "lucky" I am to have a good job, or moaning about how there's so many fewer opportunities around them. Bullshit. Open your eyes. Stop making excuses. If you want something bad enough, like I (and clearly rick888) did, you will be successful. Do some people have more opportunities because of who their parents are and/or how much money they make? Sure, but so what? That's life. I overcame. Rick888 overcame. So can everyone else. Stop expecting things to just fall in your lap and complaining about how the world "isn't fair" and cast aside your damned entitlement complex. The world doesn't owe you jack. You have to fight for everything you want. That's the reality, and nothing these protesters do will ever change that.