Of course I act entitled, it's because I am.

I feel like the word entitlement is being thrown around a lot as this bad word. People keep thinking they are entitled to stuff, and this is bad somehow.

Entitlement (noun): the fact of having a right to something. <-that is the whole dictionary definition of this terrible terrible word. Having a right to something.

So when you are at the mall and you see that sixteen year old say to their mom, "no, I NEED the Hollister jeans mom!" and she says, "Don't act so entitled." That is normal, the teenager is acting as though he has a right to $75 jeans that he will wear once. This is not a right, he has no right to those jeans.

When you go to the factory that those jeans are being made in and the workers are sick with deadly diseases from the chemical they spray on them to make them look "worn in", and they say, "We really deserve better working conditions." (they don't actually say it like that, but you get the point) THAT is entitlement, AND it is GOOD.  Those workers are ENTITLED to not die because of their job. They are ENTITLED to get paid enough to live and eat and support their families.

When Republicans complain about the left wing sense of entitlement, I feel no sense of shame or need to back down. I AM entitled. I am entitled to a roof. To a good meal (maybe a few). To healthcare that is actually affordable. To a job, and to not get fired from said job because of (insert dumb discriminatory reason here). And to get paid the same as my male counterparts (or more because, lets be honest, I'm the best). I do not think these things make me spoiled or bratty or lazy. I think they make me human.

But here's the thing, I also think that people who aren't me deserve the same stuff. (I know, this gets crazy so I hope you can follow). I think that other people (poor people, non-white people, queer people, homeless people, people with disabilities, etc) ALSO DESERVE BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS AND DIGNITY. There is no, "I'm sorry person, but you are (discriminated person) which means you are lazy and therefore do not deserve my help."  Nope, that is not ok. ALL people have a right to (at the very very minimum) food, shelter, and medicine.

I think less people should be on food stamps. But the solution isn't to take everyone off them and then have a bunch of people in poverty instead. You know what, "those people", you know the ones that use food stamps, they ARE entitled, and they should be. They have a right to feed their families. The ones in the homeless shelter, the ones you won't give a buck to because he's probably going to buy beer with it, they are also entitled, they have a right to a roof, even if that roof is a homeless shelter. How is taking away those things that are helping to sustain them going to help? Maybe the welfare system needs a little bit of reform, maybe we need to put more effort in to job assistance. Maybe we should have showers in the homeless shelters, and suits to rent for job interviews. Maybe we should raise the minimum wage so that when somebody finally does find a job they can actually live on said job, and rent an apartment with that money. $7.40/hr even at full time WILL NOT be enough to live on. That person will remain homeless and probably lose their job.

And why is the idea of helping out your fellow man when he is at his lowest such an "Anti-American" idea?

Please keep telling me that my friends and I are entitled. I will keep saying, thanks for noticing. Please keep calling "those welfare people" entitled. The more entitled people we have in this world, the more change might actually happen.