Letter to the editor by Jules Hathaway
I think I can safely say that most of us are looking forward to Thanksgiving vacation. Whether we’ll be using the extra free time to catch up on assignments, relax and recreate or get in a little of both, that long weekend feels like a lighthouse spotted in the distance while boating through the tempest-tossed waters of the second half of the semester.
Many of us are excited about finally seeing family. I’m counting the days until my grown-up kids come to town. A lot of undergrads are telling me about the parents, siblings, extended family members and pets who they’re really missing.
And let’s not forget that big Thanksgiving dinner. Whether we’ll be feasting on a traditional menu featuring a turkey roasted to golden perfection or foods reflecting other traditions, there’s something really soul satisfying about sitting down to that very special meal surrounded by loved ones.
Let’s not take it for granted. Those of us fortunate enough to be able to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner with the family are incredibly privileged. Thousands of Americans are separated from their loved ones because they have to work.
I’m not saying that everyone should get the day off. Some workers are truly essential. We need doctors, nurses, dieticians and other professionals in hospitals and other medical facilities, such as rehabs and assisted care facilities. You need first responders like firefighters and ambulance crews to deal with emergencies. Airplanes can’t get off the ground without pilots and crews.
But there are far too many people who can’t get the paid holiday they deserve because of the wants, not needs, of a capitalist society. Retail workers are the first who come to mind. Their required presence to keep stores open is rationalized by the idea that people might run out of bread, milk or something else they can’t live without. But Thanksgiving does not drop on us out of the blue like a hurricane. We plan for it for weeks in advance. How hard would it be to take a kitchen inventory the day before? And if we don’t, people shouldn’t have to lose out on precious moments with their families due to our lack of foresight.
How many retail workers miss out due to that abomination known as Black Friday? How did we buy into the idea that rushing to stores in the middle of the night, if not camping out in the parking lots, for the chance to battle other bargain hunters to acquire goods that we have a month to shop for is a good thing?
How about restaurant workers? Isn’t it a supreme irony when they aren’t able to prepare a special meal for their family because they have to cook for or serve strangers to bolster corporate profit? Do we really need to go out? There are organizations staffed by volunteers that provide the big meal for people who can’t prepare it themselves.
I think you get the drift. This Thanksgiving, if you are fortunate enough to have the special meal with your loved ones, acknowledge your privilege and ask yourself what we can do so other families won’t miss out.
