Letter to the Editor: The value of hard work

Dear Editor: 

Credit to the Patriot for printing such a wide range of political views. The article by John Jacho about young people calling for systematic change was a doozy. 

Simply put, I disagree. At the same time, I support John's right to have an opinion even though it differs from mine. While I could pour over Google to drum up statistics and fill up the paper with dramatic catch phrases, I want to keep it simple. I have a job to go to this morning, even if it is online these days.

My point is this: I am a minority. Only because my skin is brown and my last name is Lopez. However, I was raised to work hard and If I wanted something in life, I had to work for it and earn it. 

I tell people my four-year degree was accomplished on the 6-year plan. Community college came first and then a transfer to Cal State Long Beach. I made many mistakes along the way but I got the degree and I have stayed in the same industry for the last 30 years. 

Hard work? Yes! Did I get a raw deal at times because of my appearance? Probably. Yet my best asset did not come from some governmental order based on my ethnicity. It came from my parents. Their hard work ethic and focus on character gave me what I needed to accomplish whatever gain I have in this life.

People are not perfect and they never will be. America however is made of people and this is still the land that I love. If you want to raise awareness, go right ahead. It is your God given, constitutionally granted right. Just know that challenges will always exist regardless of your skin color. 

As for overcoming challenges, one shameless snippet from the movie “A League Of Their Own”:

Jimmy: “Sneaking out like this…quitting…you’ll regret it for the rest of your life. Baseball is what gets inside you. It’s what lights you up. You can’t deny that”.

Dottie: “It just got too hard”

Jimmy: “It’s supposed to be hard. If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it. The hard is what makes it great.”

Mark Lopez
Downey