Mike Rowe, host of “Somebody’s Gotta Do It” and “Dirty Jobs” was asked by a Facebook reader to comment on MSNBC host Melissa Harris-Perry being offended by the term “hard worker” and equating it to SLAVERY!
In typical Mike Rowe fashion he began…
“My take Lenny, for what it’s worth, is that there is no longer a limit to what people can be offended by.”
Then went on to explain why “forced labor” (slavery) is not the same as “hard work”:
First of all, slavery is not “hard work;” it’s forced labor. There’s a big difference. Likewise, slaves are not workers; they are by definition, property. They have no freedom, no hope, and no rights. Yes, they work hard, obviously. But there can be no “work ethic” among slaves, because the slave has no choice in the matter.
Workers on the other hand, have free will. They are free to work as hard as they wish. Or not. The choice is theirs. And their decision to work hard, or not, is not a function of compliance or coercion; it’s a reflection of character and ambition.
This business of conflating hard work with forced labor not only minimizes the importance of a decent work ethic, it diminishes the unspeakable horror of slavery. Unfortunately, people do this all the time.
You can read his full response here. Highly recommended and worthwhile reading!
H/T TheBlaze
Photo credit Tom Roche
