Born On Third Base––Chapter 1

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In the first chapter of his book, Chuck Collins starts to talk about the 1%––the 1% which owns most of the wealth in this country. Society has very mixed feelings about this wealthy minority. He points out that we admire, hate and want to be part of that group at the same time. At this point, he admits that his very family is part of this controversial group of people.

He states that he grew up with many privileges. His grandfather was the founder of Oscar Mayer food corporation. Therefore, his family could rely on the substantial wealth which they inherited to them. Growing up he was able to rely on an endowment which was underwritten in his name. As a privileged child, he went to prep school where he slowly realized that he was living in a bubble. As a result, he decided to explore the "other side" right after high school. He decided to do some simple jobs within a worker-town which was experiencing trouble during the recession fo the 70s. The years after, he went to college where he studied economics and history. During his studies, his wealth doubled, even if he was withdrawing money for the tuition.

This development made him think a lot about social inequality and about his role in the world. After long considerations, he decided to give away his money at an age of 26. At the time the endowment accounted for about $500,000. Today these assets would be worth 7 million US dollars, but he does not regret his decision at all.

This first chapter of the book prepares you for what is going to follow, by showing where the author comes from. It made me think about my own situation; I am was born on third base as well, even if I don't have access to the same amount of wealth as Collins. I am enjoying an awesome education, which some of my friends could not even dream of. I am thankful for the opportunities I have, and I realize the injustice which underlies it, but at the same time I see the sacrifices my family is making for me.

Reading this recalled a memory in me: As a child, I used to get into fights with my siblings a lot, mainly because I felt treated unfairly. My mother would always tell me, "The world is an unfair place and it will always be. If you accept it, your life is going to be easier." Even if my mom said it to keep me from fighting with my siblings, there might be a deeper meaning to it. At this point in my life, I don't know what to think about it yet: it is true that the world is inherently unjust, but can we really do nothing about it?

This is the logo of the prep school Chuck Collins went to. He notices that what the archer is doing –– shooting an arrow straight up in the sky –– is actually something really stupid to do. 

Comments

  1. Lorenzo Montini22 March 2019 at 23:25

    It's always fascinating to understand how some rich people decide to get rid of their wealth, I don't know if I would be brave enough to do it! And yes, I feel the same as you do regarding our privileged status. The image at the end is really funny!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Unknown23 March 2019 at 15:06

    I don't think I would be able to give away that much money! In theory, it seems like the right thing to do, but I just don't think I could bring myself to do it. The 1% is a tricky subject as many of the people who have accumulated their own wealth are often very deserving of it because they've worked so hard. It's a different story if you're just inheriting it though.

    -Brendan

    ReplyDelete
  3. AW34024 March 2019 at 23:27

    I really appreciate that I got to read your summary of this chapter, as while reading mine I knew nothing about the author's background. It makes so much more sense now knowing that he comes from a privileged background and has his own experience in seeing multiple sides of life. If nothing else, understanding his background makes the chapter I had to read seem less of a complaint and more of an actual debate.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Katie Francel25 March 2019 at 11:54

    I really enjoy your personal connection at the end of your summary. It helps to tie all the information together and makes it relevant in a real life situation. Great Job!
    -KT

    ReplyDelete
  5. Alastair Odhiambo25 March 2019 at 13:33

    When you talk about being born on third base as well, it brings to light how most of us here have access to an education and lifestyle that many don't get to have.

    ReplyDelete

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