Lets discuss the term Essential Worker- It freaks me out. Schindler's List jews crying "I'm essen

[demtenjeep]

essential worker -begging for his life before Schindler rescued him.

I really wish we were using different terms.

[TwilightZone]

1. The term is quite common.

In areas that get a lot of snow, for example, it's used frequently during storms. Schools, military installations, corporations, and so on -- only essential employees need to report, etc. It's included in a lot of disaster plans.

[CatWoman]

2. and that ratfucker Goeth still killed some of them

[milestogo]

3. Yes I remember the scene where he argued that the one-armed man was an essential worker

and the Nazis shot him right after that.

[demtenjeep]

4. that is what plays in my mind

every time they say essential worker

[Totally Tunsie]

5. It always makes me wonder if "non-essential" means disposable.

"Only essential employees should report." So, if you don't show up, does that mean you're not needed and are on the chopping block? Probably not, but ya' never know.

[demtenjeep]

6. right?

it just feels icky

[BlueSpot]

8. Kind of the opposite

In a pandemic, heath care workers are essential. Their own health is put at risk to continue working. Same with the other folks being called heroes, from delivery services to grocery store workers and garbage haulers (though I don't think garbage haulers have been called heroes - maybe they should stay home for a couple of weeks and see if that changes). There are some jobs that don't need to be performed in times of emergency. Those people get to stay home where it is safe.

Non-essential is far from disposable. More like in the "most likely to survive" category. If the job wasn't necessary, it wouldn't exist. That's how capitalism works. But necessary in normal times can be counterproductive in emergencies. I'm talking about waitresses and shoe salesmen and so forth in the current situation. Keeping everything open would make things worse. Once this crisis passes, the pent up demand will make the folks who have been stuck at home and not working even more important. Because they are the people who make our lives normal. People will be hitting the stores and restaurants hard when this has passed. Because they want life to be normal again.

Maybe the terms should be different. But since weather and terrorism and pandemics and whatever else I'm not thinking of at the moment all have different requirements, a generic term is probably best.

[Totally Tunsie]

9. That's a very pleasant and optomistic view of "non-essential"!

I hadn't thought of the term in that respect. However, I have to agree with demtenjeep in the answer above yours, that it just "feels icky". LOL

[CatWoman]

7. K; R