“I want an Oompa Loompa now,” Violet said in the 1971 classic Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. This is an entitlement, “the feeling or belief that you deserve to be given something (such as special privileges).” Violet hasn't done anything to deserve the Oompa Loompa yet because her father has an endless checkbook that he feels he's entitled to. There are some other meanings of this word, the right to guaranteed benefits; the fact of having a right to something. Depending on political views, how someone was raised, or simply their outlook on life, they might see the word law differently. I'll talk about how different people view law, the age of law, and some examples of small-scale rights. This will give you an overview of the word law and its meaning in America. I asked several people close to me what they thought when they heard the word law, everyone had a different way of seeing it. My brother, a former military man, said "it's something you earn through service." My father had a more political outlook and thought about welfare, food stamps, Social Security and other government programs. A friend thought of her brother because she felt she was entitled to an inheritance since he was the eldest of the children. My mother thought about celebrities and wealthy people because they expect certain things to affect their status. One question is: are these things rights, entitlements, privileges, or benefits? I believe these are all rights, but the word that confuses people is the word “right.” Rights are rights and rights are rights. If you have the right to bear arms you can own a gun, you have a right by law to have something. Where rights begin to seem derogatory... middle of paper... rich and famous, have stolen jewelry, articles of clothing, money. Each of these rights can be seen as spoiled, dependent, and impulsive laziness. every level of economic status in the United States. How did we get such an inflated sense of entitlement to work? Generation Y also known as The Entitlement Age (those born between 1980 and 1999). In the Journal of Business & Economics Research – April 2009 they describe Generation Y as technologically savvy but appear to lack interpersonal skills. They tend to lack patience and whatever is desired, should happen now; my attitude too. Parents of these children are often blamed for giving them things without putting in effort, telling them they were special, and not instilling a hard work ethic. My hope is that the next generation will rekindle the dormant American “can-do” spirit”..