Social, Spiritual Poverty; Catch 22
To begin with, some interesting facts about poverty in America. Nearly half the families in poverty began with a teenage pregnancy, many of those high school drop outs. Areas of concentrated poverty eliminate most opportunity for children to learn social skills and work habits that would make them viable in a workforce.
It's a snowball effect. The billion dollar programs the current administration has left in place do next to nothing. Welfare suppliments the money for Burger King and Diapers that a missing paycheck can't provide. Welfare does not provide help in obtaining a paycheck.
Have you ever heard of a Dumpster to Office program? Have you ever heard of a Beat your Wife to Beat the Stocks program? Some exist in non-direct forms. Anger management classes for example. But when the norm is teenage pregnancy and not finishing high school, even these programs aren't available.
An interesting solution, and hopefully (maybe) one that will be implimented in New Orleans is intercultural development. Rebuild that swamp into a place so attractive the Middle Class can't resist. (If they offered a house that's $550,000 in parts of Oregon for $90,000 I would jump on it. You know, a small little two bedroom shack.) But, knowing that there's a fair number of 'poor' people living there also. This way, the kids in the schools will have middle class families in reach. Kids expected to graduate and use condoms, kids who would rather play shooting games than take down the 7-11 clerks for sport and cash.
The adults in these programs (the most famous is one I can't remember how to spell enacted by the Clinton administration in Chicago) tend not to show as much progress as their children, but progress is just that.
With such pro-active well funded programs on behalf of the government, and open minds and open hearts on behalf of our fellow Americans, this might be the ticket out of poverty. (Especially in New Orleans where the destruction of the city will yield many new jobs.)
But, that's social reform for the poor. If we don't actively touch on the middle class, we're surely no better off. If the poor are to learn from our middle class bretheren, we're going to end up with a McAmerica. Living in McHomes, driving McSUVs taking kids to sub-par overly religious McSchools getting McEducations to work with no hope of advancement and no understanding of fulfillment in a McReality. They'll live hollow, empty, frustrated (but well fed) McLives and retire into McElderly care. They'll die McDeath's and have a McGrave in the local McCemetery where the local McKids can walk around, McMake out, trash the McGrave stones while McGhost hunters take McPictures.
While all of this goes on, these McCitizens can go to McChurches and pray to a McGod for McSalvation so they can get into McHeaven. I'm sure I've worn out my McPoint and if I add another "Mc" to anything I'll surely be shot... With a McGun.
Helping the financially poor can be a wonderful thing and indeed, it is. If you've ever seen a person smile that smile of being handed something they need to survive another night, you know what I mean.
But it's not enough to try and help the people who can't afford food. We also have to try and help those who can't afford logical thought. This nation has turned into "ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME!" and nothing more. It's time we stop dreaming the American dream and start realizing it's reality.
It's a snowball effect. The billion dollar programs the current administration has left in place do next to nothing. Welfare suppliments the money for Burger King and Diapers that a missing paycheck can't provide. Welfare does not provide help in obtaining a paycheck.
Have you ever heard of a Dumpster to Office program? Have you ever heard of a Beat your Wife to Beat the Stocks program? Some exist in non-direct forms. Anger management classes for example. But when the norm is teenage pregnancy and not finishing high school, even these programs aren't available.
An interesting solution, and hopefully (maybe) one that will be implimented in New Orleans is intercultural development. Rebuild that swamp into a place so attractive the Middle Class can't resist. (If they offered a house that's $550,000 in parts of Oregon for $90,000 I would jump on it. You know, a small little two bedroom shack.) But, knowing that there's a fair number of 'poor' people living there also. This way, the kids in the schools will have middle class families in reach. Kids expected to graduate and use condoms, kids who would rather play shooting games than take down the 7-11 clerks for sport and cash.
The adults in these programs (the most famous is one I can't remember how to spell enacted by the Clinton administration in Chicago) tend not to show as much progress as their children, but progress is just that.
With such pro-active well funded programs on behalf of the government, and open minds and open hearts on behalf of our fellow Americans, this might be the ticket out of poverty. (Especially in New Orleans where the destruction of the city will yield many new jobs.)
But, that's social reform for the poor. If we don't actively touch on the middle class, we're surely no better off. If the poor are to learn from our middle class bretheren, we're going to end up with a McAmerica. Living in McHomes, driving McSUVs taking kids to sub-par overly religious McSchools getting McEducations to work with no hope of advancement and no understanding of fulfillment in a McReality. They'll live hollow, empty, frustrated (but well fed) McLives and retire into McElderly care. They'll die McDeath's and have a McGrave in the local McCemetery where the local McKids can walk around, McMake out, trash the McGrave stones while McGhost hunters take McPictures.
While all of this goes on, these McCitizens can go to McChurches and pray to a McGod for McSalvation so they can get into McHeaven. I'm sure I've worn out my McPoint and if I add another "Mc" to anything I'll surely be shot... With a McGun.
Helping the financially poor can be a wonderful thing and indeed, it is. If you've ever seen a person smile that smile of being handed something they need to survive another night, you know what I mean.
But it's not enough to try and help the people who can't afford food. We also have to try and help those who can't afford logical thought. This nation has turned into "ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME!" and nothing more. It's time we stop dreaming the American dream and start realizing it's reality.