Poverty
And
the Hungry Truth
Luke
Frantz
English
102 041W
Leslie
Jewkes
October
17, 2012
Abstract
Within
Poverty you will find many factors that all lead to the same fundamental
problem: the uneven distribution of wealth and the habitual issue of greed.
Throughout the essay problems will be presented, as will numerous underlying
factors that greatly contribute to the current problem of poverty. Finally, it
will conclude with a set of ideas formulated on the basis of fairness and
self-dedication in protecting human rights and equality for all Americans.
While reading this essay it would be best to keep an open mind as some of the
ideas might come across as unusual, and in doing so a deeper understanding into
the heart of poverty will be obtained.
Luke Frantz
English 102 041W
Leslie Jewkes
October 17, 2012
Poverty:
And the Hungry Truth
Life
can often times seem unfair. Some lives are lavished with luxury and handed
down enterprises. A number of people are successful via a combination of hard
work and dedication. But for others, the daily life of simply surviving,
finding food and shelter is the true battle. So with a world full of sufficient
resources and caring people: how can so many go hungry and live without
shelter? Living below poverty level is a natural part of life for many
Americans. What truly constitutes destitution? What are the reasons so many are affected by
this systematic poverty? Finally, how
can we go about solving this epidemic?
We have seen men
and women begging on street corners, often times barring an empty can of gas or
their children. Some even embrace their addiction and project signs with
slogans such as: “dreaming of a cheeseburger” or “I just want some booze,” and
though the humor can be a nice change from the blatantly disheartening, these
people embrace their situation and sadness is still mirrored through the
lingering eyes of depression. But what is the effect of poverty? Jo Goodwin Parker writes “Poverty is an acid that drips
on pride until all pride is worn away. Poverty is a chisel that chips on honor
until honor is worn away.” (Goodwin Parker) It has been said that: “Poverty is
the worst form of violence” (Gandhi). So when life is always taking a financial
or mental toll the strain of having nothing left to give becomes the center of
an identity, rooted in pain and bound in misfortune.
Life can take many
unexpected turns, from the heartbroken to the emotionally disturbed, from the
shattered mind ruined by the atrocities of war to the terminally ill cancer
patient who can no longer afford medical treatment. Even the loss of a loved
one or a child can leave the remnants of such darkening depression the thought
of getting out of bed can be as debilitating as the Hanta Virus. Factors will
always be present, and one can never know the life story of the hurt and
homeless without first understanding that we all at one point or another feel
like giving up. Sadly, many lives are pulled into the vortex of confusion and
abandonment where hope is hard to stumble across and purpose has been photo-shopped
out of the picture.
Existence
can be as natural as breathing to one person and painfully difficult for
another: but why is that the case? Poverty is an issue millions of Americans
are faced with on a daily basis, natural resources are dwindling, jobs are being
lost and depression rates are at an all time high with many statistics claiming
they have roughly tripled in the past two decades. Which would reflect nearly
27 million Americans (Spencer), and nearly twenty five percent of suicides
relating to alcohol (Miller). The picture becomes clearer as to why our country
and its citizens are becoming disillusioned in America’s free enterprise system
and watch as the land of opportunity becomes a playground in which the rich
become richer. “The level of poverty was higher in the mid-1990s than in the
late 60’s, and the poverty is deeper (the poor are poorer) and geographically
concentrated (the poor are more isolated) now than 30 years ago”(Harris). The
poor have a harder time affording the basic necessities, such as food,
clothing, and shelter (Bothof).
Of course, we can brush the issue off
and blame poverty on lack of motivation, “Early childbearing, criminal
activity, drug and alcohol use, and refusal to participate in a labor market
are seen as chosen behaviors which limit the ability of individuals to take
advantage of opportunity”(See), but the depths of the poverty iceberg shows
magnitude beneath the surface. Living below poverty level is a natural part of
life for many Americans. “Family income has fallen by $4,000, but health
insurance premiums are higher, food prices are higher, utility bills are higher,
and gasoline prices have doubled. Today more Americans wake up in poverty than
ever before. (Romney) So with life expenses on the rise, and household incomes
dwindling, where does one find extra income to sustain comfortable living?
Debt and
the rising costs of housing and essentials (i.e. food and clothing) alike can
leave little to no room for activities outside the home. This, in turn, affects
our economy by causing businesses related to leisure and entertainment to
struggle. Money is being saved for
utilities and groceries rather than being spent elsewhere. The domino effect of
this is employees of these businesses begin to lose hours, money is no longer
being attained by the stores owners, and food distributors have to raise costs
to keep up with demand. Often, food
quality will go down to keep costs the same, so with families not having money
to spend on activities outside the home it makes it difficult for business to
stay afloat with little money circulating through the country. It works the
same in nature. Our economy is an eco system and when one factor gets removed
or goes extinct, the ripples will be felt throughout the entire system.
College can
be a great place to further an education, interact with peers and harness a
better understanding of ones place in the world; but what about the financial
aspect? With tuition on the rise and jobs being outsourced instead of brought
in, the cost and burden of paying off debt has left collection agencies in a
great position, but not so much the college graduate. It has been estimated
that “America’s student loan debt is growing at a rate of $2,853.88 per second.
At this pace, it will surpass $1 trillion in 2012” (Cohn). A simple solution to
the growing number of individuals undergoing the issue of tuition related debt
is loan forgiveness provided to those who give back to the community through services
and volunteering. Those in positions of power would be well advised to lead by
example and show that through education and social awareness the world can be
what we only dreamed it could. This too would encourage college attendance.
“In 2011, about 15.9 percent of
the U.S. population had income below the poverty level, an increase from 15.3
percent in 2010. The number of people in poverty increased from 46.2 million to
48.5 million during the same time period.” (Bishaw) These frightening
statistics reflect the truth that the problem is not going anywhere, and that
year-by-year it only gets worse, which makes “it is easy to understand the
growing insecurity that so many Americans feel. Even the employed know that
their jobs are at risk, and with the high level of unemployment and the low
level of social protection, their lives could suddenly take a turn for the
worst.” (Stiglitz)
Families all throughout the
community are facing the truth that they can no longer afford to live under
their current means. When the bills pile up and the money is not coming in,
what options are left? Do you sell all your possessions and do what you can to
salvage the situation? Or do you embrace the chaos and allow life to run its
course: even if that means losing your home? Thousands of families across the
state are being challenged with this predicament, and the reality that many children
are without clothing or food is fact.
The
challenging feats of the uneducated and the wandering minds of the hopelessly ignorant
leave a blinded glare to the goodness life can behold “In the 36 month period from January 2004 to December 2006, 28.9 percent of
the U.S. population were in poverty for at least 2 months” (Bishaw) Abusive families, drug addiction,
psychological illness, and the inability to function in a capitalistic profit
driven economy lead many to stray away from the herd.
Unemployment
rates remain stagnant. Bishaw states that: “since the beginning of this year, the rate has held in
a narrow range of 8.1 to 8.3 percent. The number of unemployed persons, at 12.5 million, was little changed in
August.” (Bishaw) “One could accept low growth rates more easily were they not
connected with high unemployment. For the affected people, unemployment is not
only a material burden; it also injures their dignity. It weighs heavily on
their minds, disturbs their emotional balance and their personal relationships.”
(Sarkar) “Poverty is spreading at record
levels across many groups, from underemployed workers and suburban families to
the poorest poor. More discouraged workers are giving up on the job market,
leaving them vulnerable as unemployment aid begins to run out.” (Yen)
Lack
of money will always be a major cause of misfortune and “we surely don’t want to admit
that our dependency on money is flawed, because that would imply that the fault
is our own and god forbid we take responsibility for our lives. So we blame the
money.” (Kymatica) Though taking responsibility for ones actions can be a
struggle, and budgeting a catastrophic ordeal; government issues, business
outsourcing, and massive layoffs nation wide do not help the matter. “A close
examination of poverty reveals that it is about much more than money alone.
Poverty results from a number of factors that include political, social, and
economic dynamics” (Poverty). “The collapse of the good jobs has happened
during the last quarter century, and, not surprisingly, wages for such jobs
have gone down and disparity between wages at the top and those in the middle
has increased. The polarization of the labor force has meant that while more of
the money is going to the top, more of the people are going to the bottom.”
(Stiglitz) So while money is being sucked away from those at the bottom of the
financial ladder who struggle to pay bills, the free enterprise system allows the
elitists who dictate prices to earn substantially more.
The uneven distribution of wealth
and the poverty stricken who feel they have no other choice but to rely on
government assistance (e.g. welfare, food stamps and Medicaid) forces reliance
and trust in an institution that seems to reward those in peril with “free”
money and food, rather than the opportunity to work and create a sustainable
life. This government reliance can instill a false understanding that money is
free and one most not work for a living. This egoic sense of self and
entitlement inflates the mind in believing it “deserves this, and doesn’t need
to give back.” This disturbing frame of reference can be seen throughout the
country and the reasons for this still evade the vast majority.
As
stubborn humans, it often takes difficult, life altering circumstances to
gather a perspective that re-wires an alternate world-view. Often people learn
by means of opposites; most do not understand the importance of a job until the
lack of a job is immanent; or the vitality of providing for ones family is not
known until put in a position where the family can no longer be provided for.
Life is full of lessons and although being homeless or poverty stricken can be
a traumatic experience, it can also help to humble the stubborn heart and force
those involved to change their current situation.
People learn a lot about the little things taken
for granted when placed in a situation where those things are no longer present,
as well as motivation to cultivate something meaningful with their remaining
time. Although using misfortunes of others to further better oneself, it never
hurts to examine life through the experience of another. It would be wise to “stop panicking because the world
is telling you something, it is telling you exactly what is wrong with you and
how to fix it.” (Kymatica) Americans blame society but Americans are society,
and until responsibility is taken from all sides a solution will be difficult
to come across.
A
solution to the crises of poverty is as difficult to solve as an astrophysics equation.
There is no standard way of defining
poverty. What is necessary to satisfy basic needs varies across time and place,
depending on the level of economic development, societal norms, and values”(Caner). With all the variables and
infinite circumstances each case brings a unique problem that in turn requires
a unique solution. One key point for this issue is requiring beneficiaries of
social services to give back by participating in the community. Providing
simple services such as highway cleanup, volunteering, or any other activity
that benefits society is advantageous not only to that society, but it also
gives those providing the services a sense of satisfaction. It can even help to
motivate those with a “free money and food” mentality that purpose can be found
within the problem, and great joy can be harnessed in returning it to others.
Caps
on government spending, along with limitations on profit made by CEOs and other
government agencies; with private business owners extending all extra proceeds to
charity or another chosen organizations would in turn negate the uneven
distribution of wealth. This being something of a strange theory would require
public support and humbleness from numerous public figures, plus government
backing. Yet, with proper understanding of the pain associated with poverty:
both mentally and physically the truth becomes apparent that suffering on such
basic levels should not be occurring and following the same outdated methods
that got us in the current predicament should be revised and if found obsolete
need to be done away with.
Community
shelters and housing facilities have been established in an effort to help
those in their times of need; so with resolution being sought and a developing
goal in sight a plan is becoming more clear. Bill hicks once quoted: “It's kind
of an interesting theory, and all we have to do is make one decisive act
and we can rid the world of all our enemies at once. Here's what we do.
You know all that money we spend on nuclear weapons and defense every
year? Trillions-of-dollars. Instead, if we spent that money feeding
and clothing the poor of the world, which it would pay for many times over,
not one human being excluded … not one ... we could as one race
explore inner and outer space together in peace, forever.”
(American)
Within this
current problem or poverty there lies a solution that all will benefit from,
but the solution will not come without a price. We must be willing to sacrifice
our time, resources and provide for others; we have to be willing to admit the
hard truth our current system is outdated and needs revision. The world is
sufficient in providing for all people- not just those in positions of power and
influence. We must take responsibility in helping those in need and stand up
for what it right.
Works
Cited
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Story. Dir.
Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas. Perf. Bill Hicks. 2009. DVD.
Bothof, Abbe E.
"Questions on Poverty." Personal interview. 7 Oct. 2012.
Caner, Asena, and Edward
Wolff. "Asset Poverty in the United States, 1984-1999." M.E.
Sharpe Journals 47.1 (2004): 5-52. Print.
Cohn, Scott. "The Debt
That Won't Go Away." CNBC.com. CNBC, 20 Dec. 2012. Web. 27 Sept. 2012.
<http://www.cnbc.com/id/40680905>.
Gandhi. Dir. Richard Attenborough.
By John Briley. Perf. Ben Kingsley, Candice Bergen, Edward Fox, John Gielgud,
Trevor Howard, John Mills, Martin Sheen, and Rohini Hattangady.
Columbia-E.M.I.-Warner Distributors, 1982.
Goodwin Parker, Jo. What
Is Poverty? Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma, 1971. Print.
Bishaw, Alemayehu. Poverty: 2010 and 2011. Rep.
N.p.: U.S. Department of Commerce, 2011. Print.
Harris, Fred R., and Lynn A. Curtis. "Locked in the
Poorhouse: Cities, Race, and Poverty in United States." Contemporary Sociology 29.No. 3 (2003): 500-01. Print.
Kymatica. Dir. Ben Stewart. Perf. Ben
Stewart. Independent, March 6, 2009. DVD.
Miller, NS, JC Mahler, and MS
Gold. "Suicide Risk Associated with Drug and Alcohol Dependence." National
Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine,
1991. Web. 11 Oct. 2012.
Poverty. Http://www.socialworkers.org.
National Association of Social Workers, 2012. Web. 08 Oct. 2012.
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