When I see the poor, I think it’s our fault for not doing more

When I see the poor, I think that someone failed them by not educating them properly (whether it was parents or teachers).

I reserve the right to feel sympathetic until after I’ve talked to them. Because some folks are poor by their own choices sometimes (i.e. they ran up credit card debt for no valid reason), and sometimes they are poor not because of their own choices (i.e. they had medical problems).

Our government believes a family of 4 is above the poverty line if they make $17,000 a year. A FAMILY OF FOUR. I am a single woman who has never had the burden of attempting to raise a family on this rediculously small amount of money. I know many people who struggle to make it on their own making $20K a year.

Until we realize how the odds are stacked against those whom we so readily look down our nose, that WE are the ones who indeed are contributing to these struggles- we are as responsible for the situation with our poor as they are.

The simple fact that you are BLESSED with the ability to distance yourself from those who are less fortunate is a gift: one that has apparently been taken for granted. How much have you given this year to those less fortunate? Do you know the “poor” you speak of give upwards of 40% of their income to those who are more needy than they? What did you do with that money this year? Give it to someone who needed it? Or scorned them as you walked by in that 3rd pair of black shoes, that handbag you have 10 of at home in that car that you decided you could finance with all your advantages.
Shame on us for feeling that the responsiblity lies with anyone but us. We should unite with those who aren’t able to stand up for themselves, and assist them in their struggles, as we would have wanted someone to do for us.

When I see the poor, I think of underachievers. Now, before someone flames me for saying so, think about it. The poor will always be among us. The Bible says so. It may not seem fair, but just as much as there are some people who are not at fault for their circumstances, there are many more who are responsible for their bad decisions. What poor people should do is educate themselves, rather than keep having babies that they can’t care for and expecting the government and taxpaying citizens to take care of them. By popping out a kid every year, they perpetuate their own circumstances as well as that of their future generations. It’s all about decisions. Some people are where they are because they want to be there. Don’t feel guilty and don’t feel like you need to give them a free handout. That does nothing for them. Teach them to make better decisions, to recognize their individual potential and to achieve better for themselves. The Bible tells us: Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime. Teach the poor not to be poor. Don’t perpetuate their circumstances by giving them something for nothing. Do you give your kids an allowance for sitting on the couch playing video games?

I used to be a Democrat but I’m finding myself being pulled more to the middle on social issues these days. I kind of feel that if I was able to make it in life, so should other people. So I don’t know if I necessarily feel a responsibility to other people per se. I do feel a large responsibility to my family to make sure they are never put in the position of having to ask for handouts.

The “teach a man to fish” quote is not from the bible btw.

JTSummer and Adrea, it is obviously that neither of you have ever had to want for anything. I feel bad for both of you and your narrow view of others. Man’s one responsibility on this earth is to care for each other, that is the one theme in the Bible that truly matters. You see the poor as “the other,” when in fact it could have been you. It is a matter of coincidence that you weren’t born to a young black woman in the South Bronx. Open your eyes and read about the issues affecting the poor and what society could be doing to remedy the situation. You just perpetuate the cycle with your ignorant views.

When I see a poor person, I am looking in the mirror.
I work 72 hours every week, and after the government gets their share, the company takes its share for health insurance and ‘benefits’(that benefit none but the management)I usually see a $200 paycheck. Most weeks, I struggle to choose between food and saving enough to put gas in my van so I can go back to work. The van is 20 years old, bought for $500, it was not a luxury buy.
The wiring in my house is bad, the place needs total renovation to bring it up to even substandard housing codes, but I cannot afford to leave as the cost of living went up 5 times faster than my income. Yeeha- I own a house. I cannot get an equity loan out of it,as I did not pay ‘enough’ for it. The banks will not loan me money, finance companies will not loan me money- why? I ‘make too much’, or ‘not enough’ to qualify for their internal scoring to approve even a 5,000 loan to fix up my primary residence. And across the street from me, is a whole building full of Public Assistance freeloaders- driving the latest 2007 car, designer clothes, gold jewelry, eating steaks and living fat and high on the taxes the government takes from me.
These people have a monthly income greater than mine- figure in the cash allowance(586), food stamps(780), paid rent(550), all utilities paid(150), medical expenses paid, clothing allotments($300/ person), travel expenses(cab fare tab for those who do not drive),paid childcare($5/hour/child)(I had to pay 95/week for two kids after school only, under the table, and when someone complained that the person watching my kids was not ‘certified’, I had to quit my job to stay home with my kids, but was then denied any assistance because I ‘quit my job’)
On paper, I make $23,000 a year, but after taxes($9,000 last year) and health insurance( $1,100), plus other company ‘benefits’(another 2,000/year), I make about $11,000.
I am a poor person. But not by choice, by circumstances beyond my control-