Corruption

August, 1931, the mucking crew at the site of the Hoover Dam were fired if they did not accept the wage reduction. They were only making four dollars a day in the first place. Now, the bosses were saying they didn't need the mucking work done since they had trucks to do the labor, so they'd keep everyone on the job but pay them less.

The muckers said, we deserve to be paid as we were, and, like everybody else working on the dam. Besides, muckers pay was the lowest of all already.

The bosses said, you're fired. There's too many other workers lined up ready to take the job. See ya.

The strike ensued. The workers were fired. Then hired back if they had been good workers. For a only a little less than what they had made previously. But again, yes once again, they had a job. They were forced to be happy with these conditions, for there were no other conditions.

What do we do when we feel our backs are to the wall? Kicking and screaming are reasons for ridicule. Doing nothing is a quick way to starvation. These men did what they felt they had to do at that time. It was the best they could, despite the fact it seemed the only thing they could do.

Tying the "best" to the "only" is an existence that must be temporary, for it makes a man weary, resentful, and worst of all, hopeless. Unless of course, the conditions seem to slowly get better...exactly what happened August, 1931.