“Life ain’t fair,” my mom once explained to me at a young age. I believe that I was contesting my coaches decision to throw me, yet again, in the outfield during my brief stint in the tee-ball leagues. I just wanted to man a base where all the action was rather than rot in the outfield surrounded by knee-high dandelions. But I was smaller, clumsier, and lacking the mechanics that might make me a kindergarten tee-ball all-star, so my coach assigned me the only spot where the kids could never hit to: deep left field.

I moved on from tee-ball, but this advice has always stuck with me because, frankly, nothing in this world is fair. I always found it suspect, however, that this advice came from my mom, a woman who has been schooling America’s urban youth for her entire adult life. Shouldn’t a school teacher bestow lessons of sharing, caring for thy neighbor, and all that jazz? These were the things I learned in school growing up, but out in the “real world” I’ve found these lessons in the classroom often fall short when contrasted against the power of the almighty dollar.

Back when I graduated from college (2003), it was generally assumed by the student body that as long as you earned a solid degree and hadn’t spent a significant amount of time in jail, any college grad could earn a decent living in our economy. And worst case scenario, if that didn’t work out, just go back to school to earn a higher degree and separate yourself.  The problem with this model has become self evident in the last decade. Our country is not suffering from an education deficit, it’s suffering from jobs that technology is rendering meaningless.  Our market system has evolved to a point where we assign the highest value to companies that employ  only few people and these same companies produce no tangible products.   These days, the only jobs that are safe are at the CEO level where even if you royally screw up you still get awarded multi-million dollar compensation packages and a well-tailored nondisclosure agreement.

Indeed life ain’t fair. I’m sure no one understands this better than a recent college graduate who is unemployed and staring at a suffocating debt load. But they weren’t taught this in school nor likely by their parents who probably encouraged them to attain the highest degree their wits could earn because that’s always been the American way. Well, frankly, the American way is transforming. No longer can Americans live the way they may be accustomed to because the American economic landscape is simply unrecognizable from the beast it was two decades ago and  one might find the outlook increasingly bleak looking toward younger generations that now have to compete in a global economy. That’s a problem and we need to fix it.

-Jeff
@jeffreyharley

Scott’s Response:

My big brother and I have taken uniquely different paths along life’s journey. Our journey’s do have one thing  in common however, and that overlap is tee-ball. The overlap, in itself, is extremely weak, because where he had memories of picking grass in the outfield, I have fond memories of cracking homeruns. See, I was the “big kid” in kindergarten, comparable to Shrek, and my dad would throw me $5 every time I’d jack one out of the park. I never got the “life ain’t fair” lesson in tee-ball, but I definitely have heard it numerous times from our mom.

I do not aim to contest the all-popular saying “life ain’t fair”, because for many people and in many instances it ain’t, but I do challenge its application among many peers of my generation, who expect a successful and comfortable life to unfold before them. I will start off by saying that I have had a fortunate life. Growing up in upper-middle class Michigan, I have had every opportunity in the world to pursue outlets not feasible for many. This is a direct result of my parents, and their before parents them, marginally improving their family’s quality of life. You could say that my life’s opportunities are exactly a result of the American dream.

I am in college now and am surrounded by many students who, like my brother has said, are going to graduate with a mound of debt that will be burden for quite some time.  Do I feel sorry for them and tell them “life ain’t fair”? Depends on the student and the situation.

The real problem is what the public has made college out to be. No longer is it a place where stuffy, prep-school kids go to carry on their family legacy, but rather it is the “end game” for most of middle-income America.There is a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction of simply getting into school. It’s like the students have already fulfilled their goal in life to get into school, and now it’s their time to kick back and enjoy the fruits. How many times have those of you who have gone to college heard from your parents “have some fun”? A lot of times students will take this advice from their parents and run with it to the fullest extent. Parties, bars, beer bongs, and more parties tend to the usual memories from college life these days and what is so easily forgotten is that the good times cost money. Lots of money.

I find it hilarious when these same students expect a job to fall into their lap. We live in a world today that is connected by technology, easy transportation, and information that makes up the term Globalization. The world is expanding, or at least the supply side of human capital is. Asian, South American, and even some African countries are growing at rates that aren’t possible by developed countries like America. With this development and accumulation of wealth, these same countries are sending more and more of their children stateside to gain an education. Do you think that these students have the disillusion that college is the end game? No chance.

Is it fair that that students today live in a world with increased competition? I would argue yes, it is fair. Is it fair that many students are graduating with debt upwards towards $100,000? Depends on how they spent their time in college and how they plan on using their skill-set in the future. All I know is that there are opportunities and possibilities in the world I live in that were not possible in my parents’ generation, and certainly not in my grandparents’ generation. Was it fair when many men of my grandpa’s generation got drafted into WWII? Was it fair when many men in my dad’s generation got drafted into Vietnam? Fairness is only in the eyes of the beholder.

-Scott

@oudsemascott 

All across America, courtrooms come alive with stories of mayhem and murder; love and loss; fame and fortune. In a city like Chicago, those same stories may also include the added backdrop of public corruption, gang warfare and nagging organized crime that provide rich  material to a community of writers. In days gone by, back when print was king, media outlets also hired courtroom sketch-artists to fan out over courthouses to bring readers illustrated images of the players involved in the brokering of justice.

But this past January, perhaps in a sign of things to come, the Illinois Supreme Court opened the door to allowing recording cameras in Illinois courtrooms on an “experimental basis.” This ruling could have profound consequences for Chicago-based courtroom sketch-artists such as L.D. Chukman – who in his many years as a courtroom sketch-artist has compiled a prolific portfolio documenting some of Chicago’s most notorious trials.

I recently met Chukman in the elevator of Chicago’s Dirksen Federal Courthouse after he had just finished covering the sentencing hearing of Augustin Zambrano, the highest-ranking leader of the notorious Latin Kings street gang. (Mr. Zambrano was sentenced to 60 years in prison.)

I was naturally fascinated by Chukman’s work because in his years as a courtroom sketch-artist, he has seen more trials than the vast majority of lawyers and has retained an impeccable memory  linked to many of his custom illustrations.  I was able to arrange a time to sit down with Chukman to record his thoughts on his vanishing trade, the legal industry as a whole and some of the trials that have  effected him on a personal level. While the Illinois Supreme Court’s recent ruling has generally been warmly welcomed by the masses, there are individuals such as Chukman that stand to lose ground as a direct result of the ruling. In reality, Chukman’s story is not all that different from millions of Americans who have lost their jobs to technological advances paired with an increasingly fractured news world. Listen to the interview to hear Chukman’s story that will leave readers shocked.  And visit Chukman’s website  to find out where you can see more of Chukman’s courtroom art from throughout his remarkable career.

The architecture begins with a Gallery section to display images in exceptionally high resolution, a Blog section filled with informative written content, and a Screen Test section stocked with homegrown talent and all its brought to you in the comfort of your own cubicle home.  In addition, the robust new homepage features several interactive elements that invite readers to view original content with a simple click of the mouse. I especially encourage everyone to make use of the Gallery feature by double clicking on any picture to immediately see a full screen high resolution display. The Gallery will soon be powered by a 36MP camera sensor allowing readers to enjoy an image clarity previously reserved for museums and art galleries.

A year ago I brashly announced that UE would move toward incorporating more video to bring visual storytelling to the street level here in Chicago. The transition was incremental and began with a bunch of weird videos, but eventually UE found its stride, and today UE’s videos are the highest viewed content.

I also incorporated UE’s social media presence to consolidate content in one place with room for smooth commentary via your favorite social media outlet.  Please take a moment to visit the homepage and subscribe to UE’s occasional online newsletter that entitles subscribers to free wares, a few jokes (good ones), and a launch party. 

As a final measure, I would like to warmly invite you to submit story ideas, video features and photojournalism pieces to help supplement content. Up to this point, I’ve been the sole producer, photographer, videographer, writer and editor behind this website but UE is beginning to create ripples beyond the shores of Lake Michigan and I’m looking to expand with your help, so keep the ideas coming.

None of this would have been possible without you, the reader, who continues to visit UE for trusted content on Chicago culture.  Thank you for visiting the website and please enjoy the new UrbanEyez.com.

j. harley

Watch UE’s other exclusive videos with Willis Earl Beal. Want to share or embed the video? here’s the link on youtube.