Monday, December 04, 2006

Thanks, mum and dad

Kay's latest letter - Sydney Morning Herald 4 December 2006

"Society has always found ways to distinguish between people - by colour, class, wealth, birth. The divisions Michael Duffy describes ("Rich, smart and isolated: meet the new aristocrats", December 2-3) are just the latest variant.

Members of any group are there because of accidents of birth. Those born with IQs able to take advantage of the opportunities offered to them are accidental beneficiaries of their birth, just as those of the upper classes were in a previous generation.

So while individuals may consider they have an entitlement to their wealth because of hard work, we would all do well to reflect that our genetic inheritance is not a result of effort. It is good fortune.

Kay Kan
Cheltenham"