We live in a capitalist society in which we require money to do just about anything, including obtaining and protecting our natural rights. With your person, which is your property, one can use their own labor to obtain more property. In this case, money is the property you obtain. Because we also live in a political society, we look trust our federal government to aid in the protection of these rights as well. That is why, in the early 1900’s there was the implementation of a minimum wage to protect women and minors, to ensure that they are getting adequate compensation for the labor they put in. This helped bridge the gap between men and women. However, it wasn’t until 1939 that a minimum wage was set for men, women, and children, now providing equal treatment of all members of society. The minimum wage was intended to cover the cost of living.
Since the last time the minimum wage was raised, in 2002, the cost of living has still gone up, leaving the minimum wage an inadequate amount to sustain oneself. With inadequate labor compensation, one becomes unable to afford, for example, their home, or even just the means to keep their jobs (clothes, transportation, etc.), and eventually food to survive. Our natural rights of Life, Liberty, and Property rely on the acquisition of money through labor to sustain them. When one is unable to obtain adequate wage for their labor, they are unable to retain property, but more importantly, unable to sustain life. When the government no longer keeps up with the ever-rising costs of living, they threaten these rights, resulting in a government no longer working for the best interest of its people. A government working to protect its people’s rights, property and life, would at least try to raise the minimum wage to that more in line with the current cost of living.
It is important that the minimum wage to be raised only to what is required to live because any higher could potentially infringe on the natural rights of (small) business owners. As the wage increases, the business owners’ properties become threatened, as they may not be able to afford their employees’ higher wages and what is needed to maintain the business (the building, materials, etc.). If the government allows the rights of business owners to be subject to losing property, they are no longer working to protect their right either. Therefore, it would be in the best interest of the government to protect individuals, both employee and employer, and their right to property by raising the minimum wage to match the current cost of living.