A Little Myth-Making?

I’ve heard more than one person (included in that list is Bill Bennett, former Secretary of Education, former Drug Czar) indicate that now that Barack Obama has won the election, that indicates the playing field has now been leveled and that the business about minorities not having the same opportunities as whites can be slid to the back burner.  “Mission Accomplished” as George W. might say.  Obama proved that anyone can accomplish anything. 

I understand the “pull yourself up by the bootstraps” and the “if you work hard enough you can do anything” mentality, but it’s often inaccurate, and at times, downright dangerous.   It seems to me that it backfires.  There are going to be lots of folks who lose their jobs and homes–heck! There already are with unemployment and foreclosure numbers as high as they are–does it mean that they aren’t working hard enough?  Were people who lost everything during the Great Depression not working hard enough?  Is the single parent who has just lost her job after 15 years witht the same company not working hard enough?  What about the kid who goes to a high school that is underfunded, and where learning how to survive is more important than learning how to write a complete sentence?  Upon graduation, if that even happens, I can see a potential employer, complete with arched eyebrow and wagging finger saying, “You haven’t learned the necessary communication skills.  Clearly, you haven’t worked hard enough!” 

Yes.  Barack Obama overcame some of the biggest obstacles possible in order to accomplish what he has.  He’s been resourceful and smart.  He’s worked hard.  So did Clinton and McCain.  Sometimes hard work gets us where we want to be.  Sometimes it doesn’t.  But I think every time we utter the words “you can do anything you want if you just work hard enough,” it suggests that those who didn’t accomplish their goals didn’t work hard enough.

As for the leveled playing field?  I don’t think so.