wakproductions
Sharpshooter
When I got out of the Army I started as a laborer on a carpentry crew for $3.50 an hour that was 35 cents over minimum.
If you have a work ethic you will rise to the highest level you are capable of. I still have contractors calling me for advice.
My peter Principle experience was trying to run my own carpentry company.
I am considered one of the best carpenters in NWI, by many. I am not a very good business man.
That is very commendable that you found a career of economic success as a carpenter!
Based on the Federal minimum wage history, I'm going to assume that $3.50/hr you made was sometime around 1980. Inflation adjusted, that's about $10.91 in 2019, which is in line with what many entry level jobs would pay today, maybe even a little under. I think retail stores like Target or Whole Foods are paying $12-15 - but those roles are unlikely to develop skills that translate into a long run career path. And maybe that's the problem. A lot of people starting out today get stuck where they are at. They spend all day in a role that's been optimized for a specialized task in the corporate hierarchy that doesn't offer much room for advancement.
Millennials today are earning 20% less real income than Baby Boomers were at the same age. They are not doing as well as Gen X. It's not surprising considering the US has lost so much of its manufacturing base to China. Many jobs have to compete with remote workers in India. At one of the small companies I previously worked, I was next in line to take over the whole IT development department if my boss quit his job, but that didn't work out because the owners of the business fired all the US staff and replaced us with people in India because it was cheaper for the company. That sort of thing didn't happen in 1980.
Consolidation of companies thanks to a lax FTC allowing mergers has also killed competition in the marketplace. Fewer companies means fewer jobs, higher prices, and lower wages. Many industries are now controlled by a few number of very large companies. It also stomps out people trying to start new businesses. Consider the power that Google has in the power of their algorithm - they can choose winners and losers of anyone selling a product over the internet.
There are still paths to personal financial success and some Millennials do really well, but the environment is a lot tougher these days. All of this has really hurt young people in a more collective sense, and unfortunately a lot of them think socialism is the answer. I actually think OP's eldest son sounded like he had moderate views on gun legislation compared to most on the left. But you can probably bet when it's time to vote in an election, issues like economics and the environment will win the day and he will support Democrat political candidates who coincidentally happen to be anti-gun. Maybe the way to find common ground with the left on gun rights is to also appeal to them on other issues by being sympathetic on the factors driving them to socialism to begin with. Show them why big, intrusive government programs are not the answer to fixing any of their problems.