Nepotism: Alive and Thriving?

Can the American Dream be reached through hard work and dedication? Is that a real question in this society? My answer is, "no". In this country, you have to possess three things to obtain a successful career and financial stability: power, money, and the right connections. Easily, with money, you can buy the power and connections. However, the right connections will take you further than the other two. Knowing the right people at the right time can be your ticket out of the world of poverty. In fact, if you are related to someone with authority, you are set for life if you choose to follow the same career path as your relative. I consider the latter to be nepotism. Nepotism is a practice that has been in existence for thousands of years. Receiving the crown as king or queen because you were born in the family way is an example. Running and eventually being elected to the United States presidency because one's father was elected beforehand is another example that I'm sure we can relate to (Bush Family). We are taught that our legacy should live on through our efforts and offspring. We are also told that the next generation will be better off if they are able to reap what we have sown. Exactly how fair is it that those who have been handed their future wind up receiving and controlling more than what they're entitled to, while the rest of us struggle to create our own? There have been several recent occurrences that have made me pose this question, and I would like to share them with you.

I would like to begin with the scenario that influenced me to write about this today. This morning while at work, I was approached by a young lady who was looking for my manager's daughter. I had no idea that the daughter was on the premises, so I was thrown off a bit when asked about her whereabouts. I discovered that the daughter was conducting interviews for a business that was not affiliated with the company; this was occurring in one of our vacant offices. I had no idea that this was happening, so the first thought that came to mind was that of me turning the visitor away and explaining that there was no one here by the name that she announced. When I was notified that the visitor was looking for my manager's daughter, I escorted her upstairs to find the daughter. Before I knew it, we received more guests who were looking for the daughter. I'm wondering why my manager thought it was appropriate to allow her daughter to conduct a meeting pertaining to a matter that had nothing to do with the company. I imagined my manager's reply being, "Because I'm the boss, and she's my daughter! And furthermore, this is none of your concern." Then I began to wonder what may have happened if I handled the visitors incorrectly. I would've been professionally persecuted for something very personal. Lastly, I began to ponder what would happen if I chose to conduct meetings about my music career at my corporate gig (How sweet would that be?!). Would my manager allow such an event to occur? The answer would be, "no", and I would receive a pink slip with the quickness.

Of course my thinking didn't stop there. I began to think about all this drama with Beyonce and Jay-Z taking over a hospital floor, so that they could birth their daughter privately. I know, I'm tired of this topic too, but I couldn't help but think of them. They were able to shut down parts of the intensive care unit and prevent a father from seeing his newborn, premature twins simply because they had the funds to do so. Now, they have brought this child into the world while simultaneously manifesting the idea that their baby requires special treatment that others can't receive. They are setting this child up to think that ownership of the world can be sought with the drop of dime in the right man's palm. I don't knock them for doing what they thought was best for their child, but at what cost? Why should a decision like that have such an effect on others? Call me a hater, but the act of nepotism in this case has been initiated so early into this little girl's life that if they aren't careful, they might create a monster. This child may one day feel entitled to everything without putting forth any effort to earn privileges. Then what will they do?

Lastly, I thought about Kim Jong Il's son and successor Kim Jong Un. He has been appointed to the highest position in North Korea after his father's passing, but everyone is uncertain of his leadership style. Why, you ask? HE HASN'T HAD TO PROVE HIS LEADERSHIP SKILLS! Why? HE HASN'T HAD TO ANYTHING BUT EXIST! The world is on pins and needles, waiting for him to show his true colors. If he were voted into the position, it may have been a different understanding because the citizens would have had a chance to familiarize themselves with his character. However, since he was simply an heir to the throne, the citizens'opportunity to become familiar with him was bypassed because of, say it with me, NEPOTISM! The question becomes, "How do we prevent nepotism from affecting us negatively?" I believe that it starts with the parents. Parents, there is nothing wrong with providing your child with a healthy lifetstyle and few perks every once and a while. The problem settles in when children are not taught to earn the things that they desire. Presenting their needs and wants on a silver platter is a set-up for disaster. When you're dead and gone, they will still have to live for themselves. If you are blessed enough to leave a fortune to your child, but they are unaware of how to handle what you've left them, your hard work will be a faded memory, and please believe that your money will be lost. Am I completely against nepotism? No. I just think that too much of it can be a major 'spoiler'.