More than this, many supporters of the living wage don’t like the self-righteous attitude of the living wage campaign. Though they are fighting a worthy cause, the protesters are increasingly giving off the attitude that they are martyring themselves for the sake of the world, and they are snippy and rude to anybody who is not as committed as they are. They have lost perspective and have such grandiose views of their current situation that sometimes it seems as if the issue has become more about them than about those they are trying to help, even if this is not the case.

Here they are sitting their way into glory for “social justice” (a complicated term that the protesters have started using casually), emulating the famous protests of the late 1960s. But the current protests bear almost no resemblance to the old ones in which real social upheaval caused real tensions that led to real clashes.

This attitude is driving supporters away from this good cause as well as masking some of the most important arguments for the living wage. If the protesters simply knew more about the issue before taken such strong action, it would help them since, ultimately, they are correct. After researching on the National Low Income Housing Coalition (a website I was directed to by the PSLM), I found information that confirmed that, not only is $10.25 reasonable as a living wage (even for a single person living in a cheap area), but it may even be a bit too low.

To the living wage campaign, this is your answer. You asked how people could agree with your issue while despising your attitude. I hope I have helped you understand. And I hope you change soon before you alienate many of those who would like to help.

Joshua I. Weiner ’03 is a government concentrator in Leverett House. His column appears on alternate Wednesdays.