There’s something quite ironic about the state of the economy these days, and it has a lot to do with the folks running the show. The average age in Congress, contrary to some beliefs, has actually decreased slightly, with the 119th Congress being marginally younger than the previous one. The median age of voting members in the House of Representatives is now 57.5 years, down from 57.9, and the Senate median age is 64.7, down from 65.3. Despite some older members, Congress isn’t dominated by septuagenarians as the median ages indicate a younger demographic.
But let’s shift focus. Young people today face significant challenges, especially in terms of living costs. The chances of buying a home or starting a family seem challenging. However, the claim that it was common for over half of 30-year-olds to be both married and own a home seems historically inaccurate. Historically, home ownership rates for 30-year-olds were around 40-45%, and current rates are approximately 35-40%, not less than 10%, contrary to some exaggerated narratives.
Enter the shiny spokespeople of rationalization, who suggest folks should pack up and move if they can’t afford to live where they grew up. The age-old concept of hitting the road to seek fortune elsewhere is paraded around like it’s a golden nugget of wisdom. Advocates make it sound like the Americans’ birthright is a cousin of the nomadic lifestyle, and if you’re struggling, the solution is simple: just uproot and migrate.
Yet, this scripted advice misses a crucial point. There’s real value in growing up and growing old in the place your ancestors tilled the soil. There’s nothing outlandish about wanting to live among familiar faces and shared histories. The notion that people are inherently entitled to live where their grandparents rest in peace isn’t exactly unreasonable. Community ties, heritage, and values sprout from the roots laid down in one’s hometown, not from a relentless cross-country trek in search of greener pastures.
The suggestion that folks should simply move if they’re unhappy with their hometown’s prospects reeks of an underlying derision. It’s a view that shrinks from addressing deeper systemic problems and tends to dance dangerously close with ideals that champion open borders and globalism. A belief that doesn’t just shrug at the challenges of younger folks but merely speeds past them in a blur of dismissive rhetoric.
