Jobs in America

I recently finished Tim Russert's semi-new book, Big Russ and Me. Overall it is a good book, predominantly about his relationship with his father and his son, with some very worthwhile parts about Russert's faith. I have always enjoyed Russert as an interviewer, and this book strengthened my admiration.

There is one passage that stood out from a policy/political standpoint although it is not Russert's intent to have this passage be political, I thought it was worth repeating especially in light of tonight's Presidential Debate topic, "domestic issues"

"All through my childhood, and well beyond it, Big Russ held down two demanding jobs. Bust as hard as he labored and as long as he toiled, we never heard a single complaint about his heavy workload or the sacrifice he was making. He didn't talk about it; he just got it done. And if he had to take a third job to support his wife and four kids, he would had done that, too. He could never understand why people filed for bankruptcy, or why some families remained on welfare for a generation or more. A temporary setback was one thin-- "Hey, it happens" --but welfare as a way of life? Incomprehensible.

"Like so many members of the strong, silent generation of men who grew up during the Great Depression and went off to war, he had learned long ago that life was herd and nothing was handed to you. In fact, Dad considered it a sign of success, and even a blessing, that he was able to hold down two jobs. He could remember a time when a man considered himself fortunate to have even one" (Russert 60)

I think that too often we imagine pictures of a lost golden era of America that we always seem to have just lost. The reality is that things are good now, probably better than they have ever been. People have worked hard, worked long hours, and worked at jobs they didn't like just to get by for a long time. Over the years our definition of "just getting by" has improved, our idea of the "bare minimum" and "poverty" have changed. Russert's dad worked as a garbage man and as a newspaper driver full time to provide the American dream for his family.

Tonight I expect Senator Kerry to lament the fact that some people (although a very small portion of the population) have to work two jobs to make ends meet. I expect that Kerry will blame that on Bush as though nobody had to do that before Bush was President. I expect that he will tell some story about how hard it is for families today (families that have one or two cars, three color televisions and plenty of expensive diversions they refuse to sacrifice).

America is the most productive nation, per capita, ever. The Europeans sometimes complain because the Americans take fewer vacations, because we work more than 30 hours per week, and because we work so damn hard. That is the story of America, America is not great just because of high minded ideals, but America is great because of a lot of hard work, long days and weeks, and because of people who (for over 200 years) would rather work two jobs than fail their families.

Timothy Burger