by Mandy Stussman ’14

Without the tired muscles of workers going about their days, trying to make a living, our country would fall to pieces. Automotive service technicians, child care providers, emergency medical technicians; the list goes on and on. The devoted labor of the American workforce is what sustains our country.

During his State of the Union address on February 12, President Obama proposed raising the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $9 an hour sparking a lively debate throughout the nation. An increase in the minimum wage is exactly what the country needs to begin to close the growing gap between wealthy and poor. Raising the minimum wage would increase the quality of life for those working hard but making little, and makes sense in an economy of rapid inflation and increasing prices of goods. This raise could provide well-earned relief for low income families. Additionally, half of minimum-wage employees are under 25, many of whom are teenagers entering the workforce for the first time in their lives. The hard-working youth that carry this country warrant the extra income.

The minimum wage has not been raised in four years. Whether it benefits students working their way through school or parents working to provide for their children, the increase in the minimum wage is just, deserved and well overdue.