THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 10, 1996 TAG: 9610100007
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: 24 lines
The American liberal press seems to need the Hatfields and McCoys. And if the McCoys aren't out there, they create them.
Your angry Business News series, ``Who killed the American Dream?'' seeks to detail why I should be jealous of the top 1 percent of wealth in the USA. Of course, as with all straw-man articles, you don't name anyone. Do I even know any of these top 1 percenters?
Should I be jealous at every person who wins the lottery? Should I be mad at some guy who kills himself with 18-hour work days - just so his family can be in the top 1 percent? Should I be mad at Bill Gates because he worked very hard to be at the right place at the right time? Should I be mad at the farmer who sells his property to a mall developer for a million dollars? Should I resent Bill Cosby, Frank Thomas and Whitney Houston?
Quit trying to create class envy where there isn't any.
FRANK WESTMEYER
Norfolk, Sept. 24, 1996 by CNB