Hazard Pay?
Question of the moment: Why do we invest so little into the people who enrich our lives?
Thought behind question: Why do we pay teachers, police, firemen so little, but ask so much from them in return?
Pardon my ramble, but this is just spilling out of my head at the moment.
This is one of those questions that’s asked several hundred times and possibly several thousand times in this country alone. So I ask myself why for such a so called advanced nation of educated people, why do we pay people that risk their lives for people they don’t even know, run into deadly situations involving fire and other hazardous circumstances, and strive to educate the future of our nation an amount you can barely live on, and never mind raise a family.
Yet, we pay actors and sports players’ ridiculous amounts of money and all they do is basically entertain us. Yes, they both have skills and are dedicated, but in all honesty their contribution to society seems to be kind of lacking when you compare them to someone who would risk for someone. Or say a teacher who takes a vested interest in the teaching of the youth and future of our country and the comparison of that dedication and focus versus say two hours of fiction at the local theater.
Now I know that not all athletes make money in the realm of let’s say a lottery winner, but for those that do I just wonder why. I know that it’s an extremely demanding career, and chances are your body will never be the same once you “retire”, if you have a choice in said “retirement”. I would think in comparison that it’s safe to say that your average football player makes much more than your local police, fireman, or teacher. While a bad day at work for a player might be a dislocated joint, and in comparison a bad day for the police could be being shot for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I believe that actors are somewhat different in circumstances since not all actors are lucky enough to get that “big break” in the way of a well written show, movie, or television series. For those that just happen to “make it” it seems that they are set for life, and then some. Sometimes making more money in one movie then your entire family makes in their life time would usually make you think you need a better job. A bad day on the set is forgetting a line, or a prop failure, versus a fireman having to deal with the collapse of a building as they try to save lives of people still inside.
I suppose when you look at the “cause and affect” you have to blame the “patron of the art” so to say. Sports fans and movie goers have continued to find the money to go watch, buy merchandise, and other forms of financial tribute related to their favored actor or sports team. So, yes, I’m blaming you for this situation! Yes, how could you let things get this out of hand? What were you thinking? Were you even thinking of did the allure of a good game or movie just dulled your senses to the obvious? Sigh, *whew* I feel better, don’t you? 
Yes, I’m to blame too … to some degree cause I also enjoy the fine experience of good movie or show on television. I just wish I knew of some way to make it seem just somewhat fairer to those that deserve more for what they do. I really wish that for those owners of sports franchises would give a percentage back to the city/state that they call home. Yes, the place that pays for your tickets and merchandise deserve a kickback for filling your pockets and the pockets of your star players. Hell, they might even do this, but you never hear much about it, and you know that such an event would not be buried in some media source. Perhaps the same should be done for when a movie hits a city for some on-site location filming the city officials should ensure that a nice chunk goes to the real stars of the city – the ones in uniform and in the classrooms making sure the city is going to be there tomorrow.
