Robin Hood is Not My Hero

Since when did being rich become a crime?

I am not rich (I often joke that I can’t even afford to spell it). Deep down, I wish I had more money (not necessarily enough to “be rich,” but enough to be free of debt, able to save as we want, put enough aside for my kids to go to college, etc.). I even secretly dream that one day someone rich would walk up and say “hey, I had an extra $100,000 laying around and don’t need it… you want it?”. However, I am not angry with those who are well off, nor do I think it’s unfair that they are.

Do I think our economic system is a little off? Maybe. Or at least it seems backwards (though logically and financially I understand why)...

• I find it odd that great actors, athletes and musicians (as well as mediocre "musicians") make obscene amounts of money.
• I find it odd that the backbone of our society (teachers, blue collar workers, social workers, pastors/religious leaders, etc.) make so little.
• I find it odd that scheming is actually a lucrative venture (though right now many of those in the financial world are seeing the fruit of those decisions).

But, again, I am not angered by those who do have more than me. I try not to be envious. I certainly do not wish ill will or harm to their prosperity. However, this feeling is not mutual. Just today I was listening to a local radio program and a caller called in and blasted certain wealthy people for living comfortably in their mansions while many people around them are losing their jobs or taking pay cuts. Maybe it’s the down economy (but I think it is more than that because this type of attitude or way of thinking is an undercurrent in even good economies), but I think many in America look at the rich and think it’s not fair they have it so well and think the wealth ought to be evenly distributed. This is why, I think, people love the story of Robin Hood so much – he robbed the rich and gave to the poor. Side Note: While I love the adventure of Robin Hood, even as a kid I found the logic of the myth faulty: since when did it become ok to steal? Even if the rich people in the story stole the money first or got it through unethical ventures, I found it hard to justify stealing money from them. There is more to this conversation politically (namely, whether or not it’s the governments job to play Robin Hood and redistribute the wealth), but I will not address it simply because I am discussing the prevailing attitude/heart of lower and middle class America right now, not the evil economic conspiracy of American government.

Don’t get me wrong – I think it is a tragedy what many families are going through. Even the “rich” executives are not free from the pain of this economy (even if they “brought it on themselves”) as evidenced by the CFO of Freddie Mac, David Kellerman, taking his own life last month. Despite these woes I do not think blaming the rich is beneficial, nor is looking down on their success. After all, we Little People made them and the backwards system we live in. We spend $10 a movie ticket. We pay $100 for jerseys or tennis shoes. We spend billions of dollars annually to be entertained. No point blaming it or those who’ve prospered from it.

Parents: Use this conversation as a way of addressing our economic system with kids/teens. Discuss how we as Americans seem to classify those who are valuable in our society simply because of their celebrity or financial status. Talk of the Biblical joy we have that no matter what our finances or situation, there is hope in God. Talk also of the importance of focusing on the eternal, not the temporal - after all, money does no one any good after death (teach them the value and importance of "storing up our treasure in heaven").

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