Op-Ed: Montana Stories Show Why Social Security is Earned, Not Given

This August marks the 91st anniversary of Social Security and for generations of Americans -- and more than 258,600 Montanans today -- it has provided financial security and independence after a lifetime of work.

Recently, AARP Montana asked Montanans a simple question: What was your first job, and how old were you when you started working? The responses offered a powerful reminder of something often lost in today’s political debates: Social Security is not a handout. It is earned.

The people who responded described lives defined by hard work. Many started working long before they were old eno...