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Perspective: My humble opinion about wealthy folk

Maria Kray
/
PIxabay

One disturbing phenomenon in American culture has extended to the world at large. It's the belief that people who have big fortunes also have the authority and knowledge to rule and decide over any other area in society, even if it's not their expertise.

Wealthy folk in the past didn't concern themselves with anything other than making more money. Then came the mega-millionaires and the billionaires, who have too much wealth and time, and very little to do with either. Perhaps following the example of past philanthropists like Andrew Carnegie, perhaps wishing to leave something with their name on — like our former president — these wealthy citizens are firmly convinced that their money gives them knowledge. Worse yet, the media fosters this belief because it draws attention and ratings.

We should put an end to this notion. Maybe if someone has a heart attack in their presence, they could show their expertise in healing. Can they change a tire in the middle of a blizzard and do a good job? Who will drive a car they repaired?

Let's convince a network to create a reality show in which rich people do tasks like scrubbing windows and fixing potholes. I'd be willing to vote for the one who does it because that, to me, shows willingness to solve problems instead of pontificating from their mansions.

I am Francisco Solares-Larrave, and this is my perspective.

A Guatemalan native, he arrived in the United States in the late eighties on a Fulbright Scholarship to do graduate studies in comparative literature at the University of Illinois in Champaign Urbana. He has been teaching Spanish language, literature and culture at NIU since August 2000, and his main research interests are 19th-century Spanish American literature.