Are You Considered an "Essential Worker"?

It really bugs me when I hear those words “essential worker”. So if I am not considered to be an essential worker I must sit at home, on the sidelines so to speak, while others go to work, earn a paycheck and put food on their tables.

This description of workers does nothing but create a division between working people. The designation comes from politicians who, for the most part, thrive on identity politics.

So restaurant employees are not considered essential workers but chicken processing factory workers are considered essential. Both are at different ends of the food chain and both are essential.

Another label that bothers me is “higher education.” So those with a high school education “only” are considered as having a less than a “high education.” Wow does this label ever scream of discrimination, of a desire to separate people into various classes of people with some seemingly “better” than others based on their educational level. How wrong this is, especially when you consider how 4 years of college gives lots of young folks a goofy view of life and over $100,000 of debt.

Let's face it-all jobs are essential and our education level should not define me as a separate or better than you. As they say all the time now, “We are all in this together.” Maybe we should begin to act like.