Travis Hornsby's column this week completely missed the mark.
He failed to understand why millions of Americans are frustrated with the 1 percent. The 99 percent are upset because the world has finite resources, and the 1 percent gobble them up and leave nothing for the rest of us.
Here's another take on John Locke's "apple tree" metaphor. Sure, if you pick the apples from the tree, you have done the work and are entitled to said apples. But imagine a small group of people picking more than they can eat and not giving the rest of us an opportunity to pick any.
We were willing to do the work, and there were plenty of apples to go around. Heck, there were even enough apples for some to pick extra, but the small group had to be greedy.
Here's another example. If I'm told my whole life that the American dream is to own a home, and a reputable bank sells me a mortgage for a $250,000 home when I only make $50,000 (Hornsby's example was inflated to fit his argument), whose fault is it that I trusted the bank to not take a stupid risk?
In reality, banks made mountains of cash selling mortgages to people who couldn't afford them. The bank was the sleazy used car salesman, and I was the poor sap who didn't know much about cars but was told by experts that I made the right move.
Mitchell Norton
president of the Alachua County Young Democrats and UF grad student
