Dean Kamen, Manual Laborers, and You

[Jack Jones]

In short, I don't know what to tell you. I can see both sides of this comment. Isn't the goal of FIRST to have people look up to engineers and scientists as role models? How can we do that without saying that these professions are somehow better than others. You cannot put someone on a pedestal as a role model without first saying that they are better than others, by saying that you are saying that others are somehow inferior.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I do this to give kids an opportunity that I never had. I do not do it because I want to be a hero or role model; and I do not do it in order to produce the next generation of elitist jerks!