Is It Okay For Paramedics & Fast-Food Workers To Make The Same Amount?

The internet can be such an angry place that it's surprising to see a stranger's rant build someone up instead of take them down. On July 23, Jens Rushing wrote a long Facebook post about the recent minimum-wage increase for fast-food workers in New York City. When Rushing, who is a paramedic, writes, "[T]hese burger flippers think they deserve as much as me?" it seems like the essay will be just another social media tirade. But the piece takes an unexpected turn when he answers his own question with, "Good for them." Rushing is happy for these minimum-wage workers because, he argues, everyone deserves a living wage. And, he points out, big businesses are thrilled when employees focus their energies on what the other guy is making rather than on the bigger picture: "They want us fighting over who has the bigger pile of crumbs, so we don't realize they made off with almost the whole damn cake. Why are you angry about fast-food workers making two bucks more an hour when your CEO makes 400 TIMES what you do?" Rushing isn't alone in his support for those who have fought for and continue to fight for a living wage. His post has been shared over 32,000 times, with commenters applauding him for speaking up.