Summary Of I Can T Afford To Get Sick

I Can’t Afford to Get Sick: Response.

The text, a transcript from the speech, “I Can’t Afford to Get Sick”, given by Leslie Feinberg, describes the rampant injustices in the healthcare system in treating transgender individuals, then expands to highlight the wrongdoings of America’s capitalist system and the polarization of wealth between the rich and the poor. The text calls attention to the experiences of the country’s poor and the healthcare system, and the immorality of a system that prioritizes profits over people’s wellbeing. The text begins with the author’s own experience, then expands to the broader issue of capitalistic greed in many of America’s institutions; this is especially present in many of America’s marginalized communities.

In the text, Feinberg states, “Paying the rent and buying food has always been a struggle for me. As a visibly transgender person I have always had low-wage jobs, if any. I had no savings or pension fund to dip into”. Feinberg illustrates how her experience as a member of the transgender community has impacted their ability to find employment. Additionally, in a country with essentially no safety net in case of emergency or illness, these circumstances create extremely risky situations for those living paycheck to paycheck. These factors create an environment in which economic mobility for those in many marginalized communities is nearly impossible as they’re unable to pursue any sort of opportunity. The systemic discrimination that creates a lack of economic mobility also leads to the exploitation of labor for many of America’s marginalized communities. These individuals often work menial jobs, such as Feinberg’s experience in working purely low-wage jobs. Individuals that have no social safety net, and have no other job are preferred for lower wage, menial jobs due to typically lower levels of education, discrimination in hiring, and fear of retaliation. Someone in the LGBT or black community won’t typically have the status to be able to organize and bring attention to a labor issue. This leads to a culture in

Specifically, education has a major impact on future salary, and economic status. Those with higher education have a very strong correlation with making more as well; despite America considering itself a nation for equal opportunity, this is a major determinant of future income and is unaccounted for. Rising costs of higher education in the US has led to a worsening of this issue, as America’s poor find it impossible to find footing in getting an education to bolster their marketable skills. In a system fueled by capitalistic greed, education is viewed as a commodity, rather than the right of every individual. This leads to education systems, and many private colleges charging exorbitant tuition and private schools whose price ranges are out of reach for many Americans who are simply unable to provide the same level of education for themselves or their children. As such, this leads to a perpetual state of intergenerational