If you live in a major city and the time to glance around and be present for a moment, you may realize that we are in the midst of a humanitarian crisis -- homelessness. This issue seems to be especially prevalent in my hometown, San Francisco. Downtown San Francisco is the visual representation of the wage gap within our country. The streets are shared by thousands of tourists, businessmen, and unfortunately, many homeless people. This realization has made it difficult for me to walk down one of the most beautiful streets in the city because it is aggravating to realize that these people who are simply trying to earn the money to buy a meal are being shunned and disrespected by hundreds of privileged people who know nothing about their story or situation. Not only are these people suffering the natural struggles of being on the streets such as the harsh weather and not having the necessities of life, but they are also constantly being scrutinized. San Francisco is home to both extremes of the economic spectrum and the downtown area shows how fundamentally wrong it is, the extent to which inequality exists today.
Simply put, our socioeconomic status helps determine the type of opportunities and education that we receive which is what leads to the significant wage gap in our country today. This cycle is reinforced due to the fact that in order to remain on top, the most wealthy people in our country typically try to promote inequality either explicitly, or subconsciously through using their unique powers to influence the political and economic processes. This creates a cycle, making the rich, richer, and the poor, poorer. I am, of course, speaking in very general terms. Clearly, it is possible for people of lower socioeconomic status to break the cycle and make an incredible contribution to society, but it will definitely take more work as they will need to fight the biases and inequalities which constrain them from their time of birth. Also, this blog is not meant to blame those who are privileged either, as it is impossible to control the situation in which you are born into. I am, although, encouraging those who are more privileged to stand up and fight for those whose voices may be muffled by society. Whether this be done through talking to political leaders, sharing the stories of underprivileged peoples online, giving food to the homeless, or simply showing respect to everyone regardless of their situation, I believe that as people who are more privileged, it is our responsibility to love and care for our fellow man. In order to change our current situation, we must make quality education more accessible, especially in areas which are poverty-stricken. Through actions like these, we may begin to break the cycle of inequality in our country and slow down the collateral damage. Like Jean Jacque Rousseau writes in his Discourse: “Let us unite” and let us “protect the weak from oppression.”