NationStates Jolt Archive

Janet Nester (http://thepost.baker.ohiou.edu/show_news.php?article=E4&date=052305) is a journalism student at Ohio University, and in a letter to the editor of the school paper, she reflects on how a sewage leak in her apartment (which she describes in far too much detail) got her to thinking about the plight of the "working class":

As my roommate and I were sitting out on the porch discussing how horrible a job it would be to clean the city's collection of human excrement off the floor, I got to thinking. While it wasn't pity, as I truly appreciated what they were doing, I honestly felt bad for these men--that is their day-to-day job. I am sure everyone might dismiss the instance, saying "someone has to do it," but it seemed like a perfect example of classism.

There I sat, on the porch of a house my parents are paying rent for, getting a college education with full financial support from them, only to watch those two men slave away to clean up watered-down poop. For all I know, the two men cleaning up could have very well had college degrees, and that could have been a part-time job, although I doubt it. It seems as though the class divisions are getting more divisive, and the future is looking bleak.


Here is another example of some privileged twit thinking that everyone is on the same track as herself. Sure it's a lousy job, but someone needs to clean up after college students.

Hilariously self-centered and self-absorbed, isn't it?

Hilariously self-centered and self-absorbed, isn't it?

Not really. Admittedly, it sounds rather pretentious, but at least she is thinking outside her own little comfort bubble (even if it takes raw sewage to make her do it).

Hmm...thinking about others...I forgot how self-absorbed that is.

The funny thing is that she took it as a "bleak" sign, as if unsavory jobs like that are something new, or that jobs like that have gottan more common. She should look at some of the jobs people did 100 years ago..

If it weren't for "classism" (!?) she'd still be wading through sewage. If she really pitied these men she would have given them money and asked them not to bother.

its rather expected though. everybody bases good and bad based on their own experiances. to the people cleaning the sewage its just another day on the job, some dumb college kid fooked up again, can't flush the right things down the toilet.

to the college kid getting a free ride, they have never had to really worry about their own messes, other people have always sheltered them and so man, that really sux. I pity them so much cause they aren't me.

I've never been rich, but I've been poor, but I do say this, sterotypes are more of a problem then having to clean up after someone else. I have kids, so its kinda everyday for me, but I don't pity myself, nor do I ask anyone to pity me. This is my life, and I make it what it is, and everybody else makes their life how they want to.

Wait, she goes off on how she "feels bad for" these men, because she herself thinks what they are doing is demeaning or something. She herself would hate to do that, and she thinks getting a college degree and a career in business management is the obviously superior route to being a plumber. Is it? I don't know. So she's standing there, looking down with disdain pretending to be concern - hey if she really felt "honestly bad" for them, she might lend a hand herself! But oh no, she's too dainty to wade in the muck, she's getting a college degree and can't be bothered!

And then to top it all off, she says class divisions are becoming more "divisive!"

Yeah I guess they must be, if you're going to sit around on the porch acting all high and mighty, acting like they're helpless, dumb beasts worthy only of pity from the enlightened, educated class because their job choice is different from yours. Do you know if they're happy? Did you bother asking, or even talking to them? This student just blithely assumes they must be miserable, victims who need her to take up the "class" cause for them.

Ahh, liberal elitism in its purest form. She feels guilty about her position so she contemplates openly about the plight of those lower than her but won't give of herself to solve it. The only thing missing is her going to her middle-class neighbor, stealing his money and giving it to the sewage clean up guys. By the way, Myrmidonisia, where did you dig this up?

Biiitch! :mad:

Let's not forget that those guys make quite a bit of money doing what they do. I don't know if she got a plumber or some sort of cleaning serivce (probably both), but they charge an arm and a leg to clean your shit off your floor and to fix your pipes. These men aren't hurting for money, if that's her concern.

Ahh, liberal elitism in its purest form. She feels guilty about her position so she contemplates openly about the plight of those lower than her but won't give of herself to solve it. The only thing missing is her going to her middle-class neighbor, stealing his money and giving it to the sewage clean up guys. By the way, Myrmidonisia, where did you dig this up?
I've got a friend that teaches at Ohio University. He sends me things like this from time to time.

There I sat, on the porch of a house my parents are paying rent for, getting a college education with full financial support from them, only to watch those two men slave away to clean up watered-down poop.

Wonder if she has ever watched a medical drama on TV and thought 'ohmigod, that poor surgeon is having to hack up other peoples' bodies and clean up blood'.

Wonder if she has ever watched a medical drama on TV and thought 'ohmigod, that poor surgeon is having to hack up other peoples; bodies and clean up blood'.

What annoys me most about her attitude to this is her assumption that everyone wants a college education. She's assuming that because those people are less educated than her and have dirty jobs that they're also unhappy and insignificant to society. If that were the case, she should have cleaned it up herself rather than bitch about it.

Let's not forget that those guys make quite a bit of money doing what they do. I don't know if she got a plumber or some sort of cleaning serivce (probably both), but they charge an arm and a leg to clean your shit off your floor and to fix your pipes. These men aren't hurting for money, if that's her concern.
Yep, plumbers around here make more money than I ever will with my degree. And they don't have huge loans waiting to be paid when they start working.

Any particular reason you're bringing this up? It's a poorly written editorial, but nothing more silly than some of the commentors saying how they know what real Americans are.

Has it occured to anyone that she doesnt pity them for being plumbers or other "lowly" bluecollar workers, but the simple fact that they have to wade through and smell shit each day? As in "not what you would use as perfume" stink? That is what she is writing. But no, its more fun to ridicule and question her motives based on assumptions and use her as an example how arrogant and inconsistent liberals are, right? My ass, what a bunch of psychics you must be, impeccable mindreaders of Nationstates. Well, read mine: :upyours:
Besides, her afterthought is correct, social upward mobility is lower than a generation before.

Has it occured to anyone that she doesnt pity them for being plumbers or other "lowly" bluecollar workers, but the simple fact that they have to wade through and smell shit each day?

From my knowledge of sewerae workers it isn't the shite that bothers them, but instead the build ups of congealed fat.

y'alls is assumeing that they is plumbers, not college janitors. They may be janitors.

She should learn some general home matinence so she doesn't have to call someone every time she fcuks up something. People need to learn to take care of themselves.

At least she's trying to think of others. I don't see how she got class devisions becomming more devisive just because she felt sorry for the dudes cleaning her poo.

y'alls is assumeing that they is plumbers, not college janitors. They may be janitors.

...

At least she's trying to think of others. I don't see how she got class devisions becomming more devisive just because she felt sorry for the dudes cleaning her poo.

Aside from the fact that she is acting like a patronising git? Whether they be janitors or plumbers is irrelevant.

The plumbers or janitors thing was because everyone was saying how they make so much money for it because they plumbers, and that may not be accurate.

I don't think she means to be patronizing. She just feels sorry that these guy's life is cleaning poo.

I wouldn't be too hard on her, she's just realizing that whenever she calls "the help" that "help" are people too; just like her except that they have had different opportunities and ended up doing a different kind of job that perhaps they don't like doing (true, maybe it's something they don't mind doing and maybe even like it, but it could be that it wasn't a choice either).

It's good that she started thinking about it. I hope that next she realizes that there's nothing demeaning in manual labor and that it can be fulfilling too. And later, she might even get to think that that person cleaning toilets could be her in different circumstances.

Some people never even get to thinking.