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    • Is America’s work ethic wavering?
    Enterprise

    Is America’s work ethic wavering?

    Idris Bevan Posted on

    “Waiver” is a strange little word that gets thrown around a lot these days. It means to feel or show doubt, indecision, or wavering.

    I thought about America’s work ethic.

    My boyfriend and I had breakfast at the Wellsboro Diner a few weeks ago. This diner is a “nostalgic small railway carriage“, located in downtown Wellsboro. It was built in 1938 and opened in 1939 as Schanacker’s Diner.

    A busy little lady was busy preparing meals behind the bar stools of the establishment, and a colleague nearby was buttering the toast with an old-fashioned butter roll, the likes of which had not been seen for years.

    It was a special place for breakfast, but that morning I saw a young lady scurrying from table to table taking orders; she wore a soft cast on her left leg from foot to knee and was an extremely energetic worker.

    When she came to our table to take our order, she was very polite and efficient and displayed an excellent work ethic.

    This made me think of my own career. When I started as a new correctional officer in 1969, the State of Maryland allowed us 30 sick days; because of abuse, that number was soon reduced to 15 days per year.

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    Today’s workforce also seems to be changing.

    I recently read an article by Don Feder in the Washington Times dated August 26, 2023 about the current work ethic in America.

    Don recalls that then-President Grover Cleveland officially declared Labor Day a federal holiday in 1894. Cleveland recognized that hard work was an essential part of the American dream.

    I can even remember from my own history classes that Franklin Roosevelt’s attack on the Great Depression of the 1930s included creating jobs to lift our nation out of despair.

    Any American who wanted to work back then got a job.

    On January 8, 1964, Lydon Johnson announced in his State of the Union address:unconditional war against poverty in America.” In 1964, according to the Ministry of Health, the poverty rate was 19%.

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    Did Johnson’s war on poverty really work? Many people say his program did not reduce poverty rates at all and made many people even more dependent on state support; other scientists disagree.

    Unlike Roosevelt’s efforts to return America to the working class and solve our country’s economic problems, Johnson’s efforts fell far short of their goals, in my humble opinion, much like his handling of the Vietnam War.

    In his recent article, Feder suggests that work is not seen as part of the American dream today. He states that in 2021, 36% of men ages 18 to 24 still lived at home. “There are job postings everywhere, but fewer and fewer are applying.”

    He went on to say that the number of able-bodied workers looking for work is at a 25-year low. The COVID epidemic, I think, seems to have reinforced that notion, as some people are opting for benefits rather than looking for work.

    Feder even cites the example of a congressman from Pennsylvania (Roni Green) who wanted to shorten the work week from 40 to 32 hours. He added that 41.2 million people currently receive food stamps.

    What does this mean?Concept of work” for our American society today?

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    Is this the example of my waiter and coworkers who go to work at the Wellsboro Diner to earn a living, or is this an example of staying home and not making work a high priority on one’s personal agenda?

    Feder also quoted John Smith’s opinion on work in his column: “For the work of 30 or 40 honest and industrious men should not be used to support 150 lazy idlers..”

    When I look at all the demonstrators taking to the streets to protest for social issues, I often wonder if they even have a job. During Roosevelt’s four terms in office, people were organized and took to the streets to protest for work and good-paying jobs.

    I still wonder today whether, in the event of another great depression, people would demand work and jobs or more social services from the government.

    If people increasingly want to avoid work, what will the future hold for this country’s economic growth?

    The vast majority of immigrants in this country are looking for work and a better standard of living. Why don’t we encourage a work ethic and jobs for them instead of giving them handouts?

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    If someone were elected today with a “make America work again” Slogan?

    You’re smiling too, aren’t you?

    I enjoyed my breakfast and admired the work ethic of all the employees at the Wellsboro Diner.

    You truly make America great!

    Pete Waters lives in Sharpsburg and writes for The Herald-Mail.

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    Idris Bevan
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