Poverty in America

This is something interesting that I read on the internet. The article is about a study done by Penn State researchers circa 2005. The study shows something interesting about the working poor in America. It is saddening to hear that poverty has gotten worse than in the 1960's. It is more saddening to think that poverty now is probably even worse now that the Great Recession has taken place. Just something to think about.

http://www.povertyinamerica.psu.edu/2005/07/

The Link

Had difficulty with the link for my last entry. I added the link as a comment so just click "comments" on that last post and it should be right there. If you have any difficulty finding the link just inform me.

The Philosophy of Ayn Rand

In AP English, our class has just finished reading The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. Ayn Rand developed a philosophy called objectivism. While I could describe the philosophy for you, Howard Roark, the main character, actually explains the theory quite well in a courtroom speech. In the speech he explains why he dynamited Cordtland homes, a series of homes that he himself designed. When another character, Ellsworth Toohey makes adjustments to the building, Roark objects and takes action, breaking the law in the process. Here is a link to that speech, where Roark gives moral and philosophical justifications for his actions.

1 in 7 Americans Live in Poverty

I am sure that many people in America have turned on the news and have seen headlines that read something to the affect of the title of my blog. America is known as the land of opportunity, but this statistic doesn't really exemplify that statement. Perhaps America is going the opposite direction. Now, how should Americans feel about this issue? Conservatives would say that those are lazy people who don't want to work, while liberals would say that more government programs are needed. I somewhat disagree with both of these answers to that question. Americans should neither neglect the poor, nor should they satisfy their every want. America needs to find creative ways to make the programs it already has work and become more affective. Welfare, for example, is a system that at times does allow people to cheat the system and live solely off welfare checks. Food stamps do allow some people to buy extravagant meals that someone living in poverty doesn't need to live. The new health care bill may cause some people to get away with staying out of work, just to receive great health care benefits. However, not everyone that receives these benefits are lazy and cheat the system. Instead, a majority of them are working poor who need the money to feed their family, or need the health care for a sick child, or the welfare check to help pay for a higher standard of living. Some people, especially from the right, are mad that they themselves work hard, while others slouch around and don't even bother looking for a job.
Today, the American middle-class is dying. More and more people become poor while only a few become wealthy. America ranks poorly in social mobility. In other words, very few people climb the socioeconomic ladder. The view that those who become poor are lazy can be refuted with some simple statistics. For example, eight out of ten people who don't have health care are working poor. I do not, however, want to give readers an earful of statistics. I want to make the point that the poor in our country are fellow citizens whom we cannot leave behind while the top 1% of income earners rake in the cash. Programs in our nation must be made more efficient so that the poor are brought up out of poverty and into the middle-class. Eliminating the programs doesn't help anyone that is poor and underpriveleged. Instead, these programs should be refined to help them positively and move them along in the right direction.
Laws must be made to improve welfare and other programs that give the poor extra income. The government could issue debit-like cards that track a recipient's spending so that taxpayer money is not waisted. Otherwise, the card could be cancelled. The same can be argued for food stamps. Welfare should help and encourage people to find jobs. Our tax system should also be revised so that wealth is redistributed to the working poor and middle-class. THose who don't work might be encouraged to do so if they see the benefits that Americans get from the government if they work. These are just a few creative ways that these programs should be made more effective and efficient.
As a christian, helping the disadvantaged should be a priority on my list. God helps the weak and neglect. There is much to be done to improve the lives of Americans whether they are lazy or not. If Jesus walked the streets of New York City, would he tell all the bums that they are lazy and should get a job? Maybe to some, but he would also sit down and have a conversation with them, and would perhaps help them to get a good footing. Jesus dine with prostitutes, the poor, and the neglect. He did not point fingers and boast about the things he has done. Instead he would show them humbleness, kindness, and charity. Americans should do the same.

Proverbs

14:31 "He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God"
18:1 "An unfriendly man pursues selfish ends; he difies all sound judgment."
19:17 "He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward him for what he has done."
22:7 "The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender."
29:7 "The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern."
29:14 "If a king judges the poor with fairness, his throne will always be secure."

America needs to take a closer look at these verses.

Reflections on September 11, 2001

Even though I am only seventeen years old, I remember the day that 9/11 claimed the lives of many people. I was in third grade, sitting at my desk, when our teacher came in to our classroom looking very disturbed. Rumors went around that something had happened but I had no idea what I was to find out when I went to my grandmother's house. My whole family sat in her living room after I got home from school. The news showed scene after scene of the two planes crashing into the World Trade Centers. Vast explosions came out of the side of the buildings. People inside the buildings jumped out windows in order to avoid a more painful death. When the towers fell clouds of dust filled New York's streets. Living in Newville, Pennsylvania, an extremely rural town, I had no idea what the people of New York were feeling, nor what they really saw happening in front of their eyes. Another thing I remember is the reaction around the world. In particular, the news showed people in Paris stopping along the street to see what was happening on the television, only to find out that America had been attacked by Islamic extremists. The TV showed America's largest city coming to a stand-still.
I am sure that everyone who was old enough to remember that day, will surely look back at that day on every September 11 to come. I am also sure that many people are angry that our nation was attacked by these Islamic extremists. I am too. However, we cannot live in fear, nor can we live in hatred. Perhaps many have heard of the Koran burning that a pastor in Florida heartily encouraged. I am not in favor of such retaliation against the people who believe and follow that religious path. Instead, I would prefer to reflect on the past few years and wonder what the world would be like if this even didn't happen, or if America had taken different paths to solve the problem. Today, is not a day of anger, nor is it a time for a widening of the racial or religious differences that people have across America. Instead, it is a time for us to gather behind our nation in order to solve problems that relate back to September 11 and problems that even don't have anything to do with the event. At that particular moment everyone in America united. Why are we so hesitant to do that in the economic hardships people are presented with today? Fellow Americans cry out for help, yet some of us are so hesitant to offer it. Our President and our Congressmen need our support just as much as they need our understanding. Hopefully, reflecting on 9/11 will help us unite once more against a common enemy.

About This Blog

I created this blog in order to post my ideas about faith, reason, and justice. Hopefully, bloggers who read my blog will feel encouraged to share their own ideas about the subjects I discuss. Discussion may be on politics, ethics, God, or a number of other subjects. Feel free to join in on the discussion with me!