I’m not wrapped too tight, and I watch movies such as Martin Scorcese’s riveting “Casino.” Brilliant, dazzling as it was, it meant little to me when characters spoke of “juiced-in cowboys,” which meant any of many forms of nepotism. With no hard feelings at all, no judgments made, I don’t care about people’s gaming habits.

I’m angry at having had to compete for a career in the humanities field. It appears that the cultural establishment, public, private and government, funding agencies all, is loaded with juiced-in cowboys. Nepotism is consequential to people on the losing end of it.

When some dim rounder is given a position in the city/corporate/nonprofit sector (it’s a big ’n) some poor cowpoke ain’t got no job. Some juiced-in cowboy does, and he/she don’t care doodly squat about that sad, dirt-poor piece a trash that don’t get cool jobs in the establishment. This un-juiced-in cowboy didn’t. Add that the negative effects of nepotism are cumulative, as the wrong people hire more of the wrong people, going forward till the reaper drops by.

Nepotism induces a downward trajectory in competence. Ride tall and hire ethically.

Bruce Reisner

Perry South

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