Attributing poverty to individual failures cannot explain the mountainous gap between the rich and poor in this country. Instead, the author argues, Americans must realize that structural constraints cause there to be “winners” and “losers.” In the end, we all pay the price for poverty in the U.S.
about the author
Mark R. Rank is in the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washing- ton University in St. Louis. He is the author of One Nation, Underprivileged: Why American Poverty Affects Us All.
Feature
Rethinking American Poverty
Comments
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Ron
Hey, I was a victim of welfare as a young man. My twin brother and I lived with our mother and half sister, yes half sister one of 5 half sisters and 4 half brothers. We came from a _ ucked up situation. My entire family were raised in poverty, to make a long story short, all of us kids went out and did well in raising our standard of living. Now what the hell, these people today sit around piss and moan and do nothing to help themselves. All ten of us kids were responsible legal USA citizens and paid our taxes voted and supported this once great country. (That changed when liberals began infiltrating and destroying our way of life). We live in a time where people refuse to work, there are jobs out there but these employers are looking for people who have a past record of being responsible and accountable . The old saying “don’t shit in your nest when you move on, you may have to return to that nest. Poverty is prevalent more likely in 3rd world economy’s where there are not many opportunities available. In this country we have professional welfare family’s that have been living like parasites off of others blood sweat and tears. We have organizations and government officials whose jobs depends on these non performers other wise they would have to get a real job. We need a leader who is focused on problem solving not on how well he appears on TV, his destructive anti constitutional agenda. We have our youth being miss directed and encouraged to break laws by the current administration. The occupy LA movement is the beginning of the current administration and his clan to create riots and up rising’s to get the focus off the failures of current policy’s. I believe poverty is complex and many reasons for it, but sometimes we ourselves are a big reason for poverty. For the lack of knowledge people suffer, as individuals we have the choice to do the correct law abiding right steps towards getting to the root of the problem. We like to blame others vs. Seeing the truth that we maybe the problem. Hey, have you ever seen people to lazy to fix a meal or feed themselves, they prefer to wait on mom or wife to do it for them. When they finally get fed they reply, I was so hungry felt like I was staving. Why did you not fix something for yourself, oh I new you would do it so why should I. Now saying all this, I do realize some people do need help and support. Those who are able to work should have to work to eat and those who need help, sick, elderly, mentally ill should be helped , no phony sick or injured allowed to get free money or handouts. I think it is time to resurrect common sense don’t you. *******
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Jeff
Ron,
Read your reply above. Contact me via email if you would. I’m looking for stories like your own for a book I’m researching and writing. Yours is the example I’m looking for in the book.
Thanks
Jeff – rethinking.poverty@gmail.com
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