People Like Us _ Film Review

The quote said by Lawrence Mead, I believe to be false and misleading. What he tried to say is that people of the lower class remain lower class because they are too lazy to move elsewhere in life.  In the Video People like us, that we saw, Showed three different distinct groups of social class. Each of these groups had a different story and view about their class.  The first reason I think that this is not true is that When you are in the lower class it is not as easy to “grasp the golden coin” even though you can see it there. A man said that in the video and I think that it is so true, even the ugh the opportunity may seem like its dangling in front of your face it’s not as easy to grasp it. If you come from a poor family, you don’t have the same “resources” as someone in the upper middle class does. You don’t have the money to get a car and go all around for a job. It is just different! Secondly In the lower class there is a true sense of “invisibility”. For example, The Co-op grocery store being built in a neighborhood populated with many lower class poor citizens. It too so many struggling voices to fight for this market to not be put up because of its costly products, and still they were over ruled. I think it made them ask themselves, can anyone even see us?? Thirdly, when you are upper middle class “you are griping opportunities” constantly you are getting the chance to meet more people do more things, build stronger network and connections. You have better “resources”. Life in a sense is “moving at a faster pace”, than someone in the lower class, walking at burger king walking 10 miles to work every day as we saw in the film. Another point I would like to make is that we were taught from many years ago to separate from the poor lower class.  Name calling and segregation such as “poor white trash.” It is impossible for them to climb up the latter when everyone at the top won’t even lend them a hand up it. Finally my last point is that Lower class people realize that at some point they need to be realistic in their goals. If they want to get a great job, and get a college degree, but all they can get is a minimum wage job, and they don’t even have a car, it’s time to step back and find a plan that will at least get you your essentials. For an upper class person born into money or job that gives them their freedoms, opportunities are endless.  It’s time to realize that there is a huge separation between class, and the people that are a part of a class that are struggling through life, it is not because they are too lazy to get out of it, it’s because society’s class barrios are keeping them in a tight leash.

I enjoyed the film a lot. A lot of things made people laugh, but of course a lot of it was very shocking and sad. We had a good discussion in class. Shelia told some pretty interesting stories like she always does!! And class without a teacher went pretty smoothly.