Letters to the Editor Week of 1/27/20

Jealousy?
To the editor: Like Jim Hightower, I too have been a writer, public speaker, and radio commentator. In addition, my career has included teacher, trainer, service technician, and not-so-wealthy business owner.
In a recent guest editorial in The Press, Mr. Hightower took it upon himself to unleash his anger about America's wealthy, citing the likes of Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, and "right wing" Rupert Murdoch. Perhaps jealously has reared its ugly head.
Although I admire Hightower's passion and zeal, I believe he has overlooked why these businessmen are wealthy. If one would research their history, one might find they were born to families who - most likely - had already earned a high level of wealth. If I too had been born the son of a lawyer, dentist, or media mogul it might have had some influence on my upbringing too, but sadly I was not.
Also loathed in Mr. Hightower's rant - if Rupert Murdock chose to give billions of dollars to his children it was entirely his choice, not Hightower's. I thought about calling Uncle Murdock myself and claim to be his long-lost nephew, but I suspect he has already had enough of those calls.
These wealthy men chose to make something of their financial advantage. They took it upon themselves to become informed, educated, experts, focused, invest, take risks, and start their own business. Their abundant wealth is a product of their continued efforts.
So, if you were not born to a wealthy family and want to be worth millions or billions, quit grousing and complaining. This is America and you are free to become whatever you want to be. Work harder, work smarter, become more educated, invest more, research more, focus more, take risks, start a business. Who knows, even you could be the next Gates, Zuckerberg, Murdoch, or wealthy writer, radio commentator, public speaker.
Michael Hall
Oregon