Entitlement Essay

“I want an Oompa Loompa now” said Violet in the 1971 classic Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. This is entitlement, “the feeling or belief that you deserve to be given something (such as special privileges)” Violet did nothing to deserve the Oompa Loompa yet because her daddy has an endless checkbook she feels entitled. There are a few other meanings to this word, the right to guaranteed benefits; the fact of having a right to something. Depending on political views, how someone is raised or simply their outlook on life, they may view the word entitlement differently.

I will be be talking about the ways different people view entitlement, The Entitlement Age, and some examples of small scale of entitlement. This will give you an overview of the word entitlement and it’s meaning in America.

I asked several people close to me what they thought of when they hear the word entitlement, each one had brought up different way of looking at it. My brother who is prior military said “it is something earned through service.” My dad had a more political view and thought of Welfare, Food stamps, Social Security and other government programs. A friend thought of her brother because he felt he was entitled to an inheritance since he was the oldest of the children. My mom thought of celebrities and wealthily people because the expect certain things do to their status.

One question is, are these things entitlements, rights, privileges, or benefits. I believe that these are all entitlements but the word that confuses people is the word “right”. Rights are entitlements and entitlements are rights. If you have the right to bear arms you can own a gun, you are entitled by the law to have something. Where entitlement starts to sound derogator...

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...rich and famous, they stole jewelry, articles of clothing, money.

Each of these entitlements laziness spoiled, dependent, and impulsive can be seen in every level of economic status across the United Sates.

How did we get such an over inflated sense of work entitlement? Generation Y also know as The Entitlement Age (those born between 1980 and 1999). In the Journal of Business & Economics Research – April, 2009 they describe Generation Y as technologically savvy but seem to lack interpersonal skills.Tend to lack patience and whatever is wanted, should occur now; also the why me attitude. Often it is blamed on the parents of these children for giving them things without working for it, telling them they were special, and not instilling the ethic of hard work. It is my hope that further generations will re-kindle the dormant american sprit of the can do attitude.