I don’t think many of us can truthfully say that poverty is not a difficult thing to solve. Those who live in poverty live in a different world, below that line. In our society, money is power, and power provides opportunity. You have to spend money to make money, as they say. Those that hold money hold the power to rise further. Social stratification based on income is, in many cases, so static and tied to birth that the U.S.’s flexible class system is nearing a rigid caste system. A great deal of economic factors contribute to the situations shown in the video. Many struggle to find jobs, while others are paid little for their work. A decline in the economy of the U.S. as a whole can have broad-reaching consequences; the decisions of those at the top greatly influence those at the bottom, but not the other way around. Those who stand at the top have so much power, that their wealth acts as a cushion. Half the people at the top could retire right now, and still live luxuriously for the rest of their lives. This begs the question: why do they continue to amass wealth? The answer may be different on an individual basis; wealth is the standard unit of measurement for ‘success’ in the United States, so many view making more money as personal affirmation of their ‘success’. Unfortunately, improving a vast fortune by a small amount is enough to hugely displace wealth from the poor. In other cases, like I said, money is power, and one of the most horrifying sensations is the sense of powerlessness; the feeling that reality itself denies you. Powerlessness a basic fear rooted in biology, and having power is almost like a high. Even the smallest disregard in the wealthy can create massive waves over time, and come close to pushing relative poverty into absolute poverty. -SoarSore789
You are right, money is power. This is not only right in United State but everywhere else over the world. The different here is that United State has at least try to change this situation by change in its’ policies. If you compare to other developing country, the poverty there are more worst and the power of money are much higher. But as we saw, the poverty rate in United Stated is increasing and the gap between rich and poor even wilder than before. When people have no money, they have no power. Like what you said that powerlessness makes people desperate, fear, lonely and unconnected. Poverty indeed the very scary things that human is struggling to fix. This’s meaning that we do need more change in United State. Zero789
You are one hundred percent correct, money is power. People always say that it is not but it is! I know so many people who cannot find a job right now and when they do find a job it is not nearly enough to support themselves let alone a family. You made a good point about the people at the top of how they could retire right now and be fine, why don’t they do that? Why don’t they give other people the chance to earn the money they are? EPIC789
46 million Americans live in poverty according to the U.S Census Bureau of 2011. I found that number interesting because we live in a society today where people are really focused on money and themselves at times. There’s a “line” in America which is poverty and there’s many people that don’t realize that we do have poverty in America, it’s not just in other countries. In America that poverty line of a family of four is living under the 23,050 income rate. Yes, 23,000 is not much but you’ll also find people that make 30,000 plus and still would be struggling to make ends meet. I found all the stories that were shared very educational of other people’s lives. John started the video and explained how he was embarrassed and disappointed about the path he was on because he grew up wealthy, married, ran a business and all in the matter of seconds it was all taken away from him and took a toll on him. He explains that the government is not out there reaching out to you saying this is what you can do to get back on your feet, that you have to go look for the help and put yourself out there. There are people that live off the government and the lady from the pantry explained it well. We have people that just truly need help and even though they may not want it, they need it. You have families that poverty just has always been in the family and you have families that lived above the line and now the line has caught up to them. This video I have learned a lot. We live in a society that is broken, we’re all broken in our own ways. Its survival that everyone is worried about. Just a side story, I went to Haiti and it’s a poor country itself. Everyone lives on the same playing field and everyone looks out for eachother. The people I met while there were not out living and working each day for just themselves, they worked for their families and next door neighbors. They are so poor yet so happy because they don’t have everything we have in America that we take for granted. I have learned that they are extremely happy, passionate, caring, loving, and interested in everything, but yet poor and that doesn’t bother them in a lot of ways. unknownzeeha789
Wealth being tied to happiness is one of the most overblown misconceptions in the United States. Well, more of overblown importance, I suppose. People are more often than not stressed by money, only really obtaining money as a form of release, often attaching meaning to money beyond this to satisfy a need for the pursuit of it to not be a waste of their lives. Because of this attitude, not many people realize how much they become slaves to money. Sometimes poverty helps people gain perspective on the rest of the world, and truly value that which cannot be bought, viewing money simply as a means to an end, not a constant pursuit. The idea of people in Haiti being happy in poverty is not surprising to me at all. -SoarSore789
I feel that the only reason people tie wealth and happiness together is because of the temporary happiness money can give us. It can buy us things that distract us from the real problems of the world and better yet, how we really feel. So, you could say that money brings happiness, but is it real happiness or is it all just artificial? I think it is just artificial, I also think that the growing importance people put on money and high income make it seemingly less and less possible for genuine happiness to actually be a thing in our society.White789
Some of the richest people are the most unhappy people on earth while people making it with just the bare essentials are some of the most humble giving people on the planet. My point here is that just like a drug or alcohol addiction, money can bring about problems or even mask them but once your high is gone the issues return. The saying money is the root of all evil echo my thoughts exactly. Also, poverty in America looks different then that of third world countries, all in all, these people are struggling to make ends meet and for a decent education for their children near and far. Indeed some conditions worse then others but proverty is abundant and the people with the money and resources aren’t putting them to good use, seeing people sleep on the street and eating out of trash cans, saddens me beyond words. Which is why I live by the phrase there is someone who is worse off then you are and cherish what I have family, friends, and possessions. mummyoftwo789
Poverty in America … Relative or? I would like to start by saying that I really enjoyed this documentary. The topic is something that I can definitely relate to. It is shocking that approximately 46 million Americans live in Poverty. I liked how the video discussed “the line”. It does actually make sense you have people trying to stay above the line and the people on the bottom are trying to get to the line. I do believe that some people above the line don’t look below the line because they can’t relate to those people or their situations. Until they unfortunately become the person below the line, then they realize they are not all that different then the people below the line. I can relate to being above the line. I was happily married for 11 years and with him for a total of 16 years. Life was great, we both had great jobs and our future looked very bright. Unfortunately he had different plans and we went through a long drawn out divorce. I suffered financially and I still haven’t fully recovered and I have been divorced for 4 years. I was not the stay at home wife relying solely on her husband to support the family. I went to school and became a Certified Medical Assistant and I was working right along with him contributing to our family. However he makes triple what I make in a month. So financially this was a huge adjustment and it still is today. Even though I went to school an applied myself it isn’t enough. Because I am barely getting by with my CMA job, I actually need to be working two jobs. This is the sad reality we live in today. And it was mentioned in the video that “more than 7 million Americans work two – three jobs to makes ends meet. I am currently working almost full time and going to school part time. I am working towards my RN-BSN. I want to be able to better support myself in my future. I can understand and relate to signing up for food pantry services. I am currently thinking about it, but then I think that there is probably someone who needs it more than I do. I also can’t believe I’m in the situation of needing help from a food pantry. There definitely is a level of pride and shame that goes along with asking for help. Food pantries across the country are experiencing a large number of people needing assistance. These services are stretched too thin, and they need the government to step up and help. I can also relate to being raised in a poor single-mother household and neighborhood. I liked when the minister pointed out that people in poverty experience a “sense of hopelessness”. I always believed that I would become a contributing person in society. I realize now that I was poor, however I never felt poor growing up. I had more stability in my household than some of my friends or cousins had in their two parent households. There was also a lot of violence where I grew up. The violence started in middle school and into high school. I experienced death and dying of people my own age at a very young age. Many of the young men I went to school with didn’t know if they would live to see tomorrow. And dying for their gang was an honor. I agree that people in general are not as happy as they used to be. I think we are very stressed out society. The minister also stated that systems need to be broken and policies need to be changed to order to stop poverty. How can the United States be the richest nation on earth and be suffering like this? The United States is quick to help other struggle countries, but what about what is occurring in our own back yards? Maybe it’s the rich politicians making all of the decisions that are having more of a negative effect on people in poverty? I think we need to be more aware of who we are voting into various elections. We have a voice and we are sometimes scared or intimidated to use it. We need to make a change!!!
Poverty is indeed not an easy thing to solve. This video did a good job at showing us that it is all over the United States and truth be known a lot of Americans are in trouble. Before I go any further I would like to add that not only is the United States in trouble with poverty, but so is the rest of the world. In fact, in some areas of the world it is a lot worse, this video just so happens to focus on more local statistics. As time goes on though, more and more people are unable to afford housing for themselves or even food, and what is worse is these people also often have children they need to provide for as well. It was said in the video that an estimated forty-six million people and one in every four children in the United States live in poverty according to the U.S. Census Bureau, giving us the third highest poverty rate in developed nations behind Turkey and Mexico. The poverty line starts where families of four bring in anything less than $23,050 a year, and more than seven million people have to work at least two jobs if not more just to make ends meet. Enough about statistics, how do we fix this problem? Most people say get an education, and shame poor people for being too lazy to do so. But think about it, if these people need to work two jobs, sometimes even more, just so their family can get by, when are they supposed to go to school? When are they going to have time? Better yet, where is the money going to come from to help pay for that schooling? Sure, they have things like Financial Aid and whatnot, but even with those things they are first come first serve basis and have many requirements in order to even be eligible. My point in all of this is, poverty is way more of an issue than I thought to be honest, and fixing it seems to be even bigger of an issue.White789
I like that you touched on worldly poverty levels. This is just a fraction of the poverty problem going on and I am glad you reminded us of that. Yes, people have to work multiple jobs just to make ends meet and there is no room for extra. I definitely understand this. I am personally on foodstamps, and although it feels embarrassing, it is necessary anymore. More and more people are expressing their need for help, so let’s try and get down to the root of the problem. Catzfuhdays789
America has the third highest level of poverty, totaling 46 million Americans who live in poverty, according to the very credible US Census. Poverty is not just the image we see in our heads. The poverty line cuts off at 25,050 dollars per year, which is not that easy to make, admittedly. Even in class, people admitted that people who do not have a job or live at home must be lazy or other negative words. Poverty does not in turn mean lazy or that the person is a bad person or parent. It is not just the lower income cities and areas either, the suburban areas are seeing an increase in the amount of people who are under the poverty line. Along with that, even people who have their degree and have jobs are finding it difficult to land jobs and are on government help. In the sake that this is anonymous, I have food stamps. It is just my mother and I who live together and we get 190 dollars for one month and that is DIFFICULT to make stretch. While writing this, we have used up that amount and are going to need to make another food run because we are out of food. Imagine being a larger family and only having a small amount like that to live on? People in lower income areas are noticing a lot of violence, sadly, the video explains. A lot of my friends are working, but must live in not so great areas because of their income and they hear gunshots and witness a lot of drug activity. Why is this? The video says that these people turn to violence because they feel offended by their government, their neighbor, and the people and they feel unheard. One thing that is offered as another route for their attention is the arts. When kids have something that harbors creativity and lets them feel heard and lets them tell their story, they are less likely to get involved. I know music was a huge motivator for me in my younger years and I was pretty straight-laced and went to choir and concerts instead of engaging in damaging activities, which were pretty prevalent in Peoria. Poverty is at another all-time low and something must be done on a macro level, because this is just a trap and a vicious cycle. Catzfuhdays789
I agree with you many of us in class were quick to judge others less fortunate than us. My very good friend used to live in Illinois and now she is living in Georgia. She is a CNA and she has a lot of experience and her starting wage will only be $8.00 an hour. She was making $13.00 an hour in Illinois doing the same job. And she was struggling to support herself and two children on the $13.00 dollars an hour. The manager at the nursing home told her that down south doesn't pay CNA's as much as up North. This is so sad and difficult for her to support her family. I believe that getting our youth involved in positive encouraging activities will provide them a chance to rise up against the odds. Music was my saving grace as well growing up. AnimalLover789
46 million Americans live in poverty that was really interesting to think that so many people are poor in the United States. Though when I hear the word poverty and poor, I think about most countries in Africa who can’t even send their kids to school and not have the thing called food links or whatever the government provides here in the US. I think poverty and being poor is over exaggerated in the United States. Making $10,000-$25,000 a year is a people who really are in poverty and are poor. As long you have food, shelter, clean water, and health insurance, I think you are not poor. But here in the United States it is considered being poor making that certain amount of money because we think money is everything and it is power. The more money you have the more people think they are happy and the more power you posses the more opportunities you will get in terms of working, and education. Having been from Africa, it very hard for me to take in that anyone who makes $10,000-$25,000 is poor, when you do get food link cards have shelter, have something like Salvation Army, have food for everyday and clean running water, that is not being poor or living in poverty, something people may think it is but I don’t. I know people do not choose to be “poor” in the United States but they can do better to not be in that situation because they do have a lot of opportunities to work, can go to school, get loans, and they do make their own decisions when it comes to doing gangs and stuff like that. I guess poverty means a lot of different things to people, but try visiting Africa or Haiti then you will understand the real definition of poverty and poor. Ria789
We live in a society where everyone tends to be about themselves, but can we really blame them? I don't think we could blame them because everyone is struggling and trying to survive for themselves and for their family. We have parents that grew up with their parents and now that they are parents things have changed and surviving life is 10x harder than it normally would be. To have a parent or parents work multiple jobs just to pay the bills, at what point do they actually get to enjoy the money they make? unknownzeeha789
A year and a half ago ABC 20/20 posted a few questions on social media one that asked, What is the American? The narrator goes on to say some of “us” remember it as parents with a job, a modest house, family vacations, and the kind of education that will give our children a chance at better opportunities. The “American dream” is still the same concept as it was decades ago but it has become much more harder to obtain. Homes that were made for middle class individuals are no longer affordable. Home ownership is at a fifty percent low and only fifty percent of working class Americans are considered middle class whom make on average 54,000 a year. If college tuition continue to raise and the cost of obtaining the American dream has become beyond ones’ reach, it is then becomes just that, a dream or perhaps it should be coined “Our dream, their reality.” Referencing the top twenty percent of wealthy Americans who take home fourteen times more then the average citizen. The Income inequality and gap between the protereliarate and bourgeois is enormous. Over the last thirty years the US economy has grown, but people who do have college degrees have been forced to take on two or more jobs just to live the American dream. I feel as though education is important and after racking up student loans and putting forth great effort in the classroom secture families deserve to see the fruits of their labor, and enjoy them without living paycheck to paycheck. Too be fair some people try too live above their means also. Although such living situations weren’t necessarily displayed in this particular video it happens, for the sake of status. While the guy treks eighty miles for work at one of America’s most prestigious universities he is unable to buy a car and still struggles to support his family. For any one person who has to work more then two jobs to take care of home would bring about a great deal of stress. Those who work their butt off literally hit the ground running while CEO’s have their feet kicked up somewhere on a private jet. We as Americans have been lied to, there is no dream, the head honchos want us to buy into the idea of it all so that they can continue to make money and live the life of luxury that most Americans could only dream of. For me the American dream includes being able to live this life, take care of my children, job security, good health, and being able to have forward mobility in every aspect of my life. A new house, foreign car, and making more money are apart of it as well but those are upgrades to my current situation and not too far fetched. People are going in debt on a mission impossible, we have to spend wisely. Money management classes, higher wages, and equal pay for men/women would be a grear start here. mummyoftwo789
I agree with your point on the American dream. It seems so easily reachable and a simple plan when you are younger. Parents say go to school finish school then go to college, receive a degree, and then work your way to the top. You don’t realize that it is so much harder than that when you are younger. Just stay in school they say. Graduate they say. They don’t tell us how hard it is to find a stable job after that. They don’t tell us how hard it is to make ends meet while in college and the gap between those who do succeed and those who don’t is tremendous. Not to mention intimidating. We are all judged. I also agree that the stress of working so hard is brought home. You know the saying keep your home life and work life separate is almost impossible now-a-days. I also agree that we need to start somewhere. And if that means equal pay between men and women is where the start should be then that is where it should be. Being a single mother living off one income is hard. I can’t imagine moms with more than one child doing it by themselves. They are strong and I would like to shake every woman’s hand who is doing it to tell them I appreciate them. But you are right something has to change. -Slimjim789
My opinion of this video, I could not help but cry. Not only because of their stories but more so that I can personally relate to every person in this video. The video brought light to past and current situations all around me that affect my life and my families lives. The sympathy I feel is because I know what they are going through and now I know that we are not alone. I have always known we are not alone in these kinds of situations but to see it is heartbreaking. Social inequality, brought on by the judgement of others or by natural disasters like Katrina. They both change the reality of life. The reality of life for each of these individuals has been altered yet they still strive to make a different. They are an anomaly. I 100% agree that the people above the poverty line do not wish to look below. They try not to socialize with the people that fall below. I have personally been in both circumstances. People tend to judge someone because of where they live, how they dress, their accents or where they grew up. That little bit of information can make a person assume that the person with a background is a lesser of the two. Which is not true. At the end of the video the man says “Though I am poor I do not consider myself poor. Because I feel like as long as there is a person watching over me, as long as I am connected with my family, and as long as my legs and my body work and I am able to go out and make some money there is no way that I would feel poor.” He understands that people see him this way but he is gifted with life, family, and his dreams. He has goals and is striving to meet his goals. “Poor does not define who we are it is a part of who we are and a situation that can change.” We cannot help if a disaster takes away our natural resources but how we react to it can help our community. Sitting around doing nothing will not change what has happened. Rebuilding can make it better. Although, most times situations get worse before they get better we cannot give up helping those in need. As a country, the U.S.A. we all need to stand up and help each other to make a crisis better. Social inequality, stop judging who a person is by the color of their skin, their background, where they live, their sexual orientation, kinship, their yearly salary, or their occupation. What is important to remember is every one of us have a story and every one of us build from it if we try hard enough. We are the ones who can make a difference! We need to make a difference! No one is entitled to anything in this world no matter how much someone may think they are. There are places way worse off than we have it here and poverty may never be solved but if we all work together, then maybe a change would be made and not so many families would be struggling. Money is power in the U.S. and it shouldn’t be. There are a few people I know who are poor and live in poverty but have more sense than any State Representative. If the poor ran the U.S. if the poor had a chance to run the U.S. I could see how there would be change because they know what it feels like to be at rock bottom. Rock bottom mind you, is not $23,000 a year. Rock bottom is less than $7,000 a year or no money at all. I am not saying that the rich do not help but very few do. Just like many people who are raised in poverty stay in poverty because that is what they know. We need to change the mindsets of this younger generation in poverty. Make them believe they are more than what they know. Stop the unprofessional speaking, stop the gangs from gaining more of our young, stop the rich from feeling entitled (Just to make it clear I am also not saying that all people who are well off feel entitled) and stop the injustices. We made a constitution for a reason, we made laws for a reason and they should be followed. They shouldn’t be bent if you have money or power. As stated before money should not be power. The power should be the U.S. as a whole and as a community. -Slimjim789
I definitely cried as well! I completely agree that money should not be power in the U.S. The amount that it takes to run a campaign is sky-high and excludes just about anyone who isn't already in the political pony race or collecting backers. Money may not always equal corruption, but, let's be real, throw in a couple greenbacks and it's a lot easier for corruption to sneak in. Just like rich people get off for crimes that would have a poor person in jail for half their natural life. Rich people are brought up with a sort of narcissism that makes them believe that they can do anything they set their mind to, while poor people are brought into the world to a sad nihilism like the video brings up. A cycle of, my grandmother was poor, my mother was poor, so I'm going to be poor and there's nothing I can do to change that. That is why I agree with you. Changing the mindset of the youth is absolutely integral. Breaking the cycle is what's going to really impact this poverty line. Call it 'breaking the line' if you want a catchy name for it. Bring the community up, instead of crushing them underfoot, that should always be the priority.
What is poverty and what does it mean to you? I asked those questions because depending on who you ask the answer may differ slighting. The actual definition states being inferior in quality or insufficient in amount, with knowing this poverty is alot widespread then most of us think. Clearly the poster child for poverty isn’t the kid or family in run down, low income neighborhoods. The insert suggest that poverty is more abundant in suburban towns then that of urban areas. One out of every four children live in poverty and according to the 2011 census forty six million Americans lived in poverty, ranking the US third ahead of Mexico and Turkey. The poverty line is that invisible line most people try to avoid going under, as they will be looked down upon by others. To go from six figures to waiting in line in food pantries can definitely do something to a person mental state of mind, as a man, bread winner, who once brought home the bacon it can be both devastating and embrassing. How does this happen? Bad business move on the individuals part or bad decisions made at the corporate level? This is why job security is important to me. Lazy, stupid, and having no skills are just a few of the sterotypes people face when seeking assistance for one reason or another. One out of every three workers do not make enough to keep a family of four above the poverty line. Falling below this like is easier then trying to stay above it. You never know what people are going through, help if you can, be a blessing to others. I love to cook and feed people, I’d like to open up a pantry to help the cause. My heart goes out to the struggle, it gets real and sometimes unexpected. mummyoftwo789
I agree with you that when it comes to the term poverty, it has so many definitions to so many different people. Some people may over use the term and some are right on the spot. Once you were a rich person or on top of the line, it is easy to slip down the line but it is much harder to get back up the line it is like losing weight, it is easy to gain but hard to lose. But most people do not make enough money to be kept satisfied so they think they are poor and are in poverty which is not the case. Ria789
that is beautiful to be so open to help someone else. One year my mother and I volunteered for the Women's home. We went and repainted most of the apartments for women who needed somewhere to go to get away from their abusive life or relationship. To be able to that was so rewarding. Just that act of kindness made me feel like I made a difference. I know when my home burnt down when I was in high school a church helped us rebuild our home and refurnish. Now if we all could be this lucky. -Gander789
Something that I have recently hear is that money can buy happiness but that is if you decide to spend the money on others. Bringing joy to other people really make a difference in your own self happiness. If it was to the point where everyone would take a little bit of their free time to help others, this world may improve a little at a time. We have to start somewhere. And like they said, everyone has their own definition of being poor or rich. It seems like anyone can be unhappy whether you’re poor or rich. Its what you do with the money that makes you happy. Schmidt789
If someone fails in the business field it doesn’t mean that a job is much better. Many people who does a business are very successful and living a life with financial freedom, but also there are many people with a job that are very successful making good money, but both cases face risk. Someone in business can become broke, if he or she takes bad decisions in an investment. At the same manner someone can lose his or her job for many reasons. Nobody can predict and guaranty that someone is going to keep a job forever or run a business forever. I was working in a company where I was making good salary a year, but after seven years, I was lay off. So what is much better business or a job? That depends of the core values of the person. If someone wants a pay check and benefits, should look for a job, but if someone does not want to punch in and punch out every single day working for someone else, should create a business. the_soccer_league789
To think in 2011, 46 million Americans live in poverty. Now six years later I wonder what it is? We are the 3rd highest poverty nation only ahead of Mexico and Turkey. I visited Mexico twice now in my life. It is such a beautiful place, but they work so hard to receive so little. While I was visiting my mother lost her wallet a man named Oliver was helping us so she could cancel her credit cards. I was asking him what he did he said he does garbage clean up and makes about $10 a day. I felt so bad in America garbage men make up to $18/hr. He told us how one day he dreams of coming to America. We realize we don't have it that bad once we visit other countries, but it's still spiraling down. Society states that the poor are dumb, lazy, and can't raise their children properly. Society always judges before knowing the "Why's"? They state that suburbs in the largest metro areas saw their poor population increase 25% from 2000 to 2008. John from the video states he was so embarrassed when he had to ask for assistance from the pantries. He has three children and receives medicaid. The ladies at the pantry expresses how there needs to be more help in the pantries by the government. Only problem is for an example in our state there is no money to help the pantries. I believe we do need to get a better system down were the people earn what they get, the disabled get the help they need,and the seniors get the help they deserve. I think its about half of the poverty level truly are hard working people just trying to survive. Then again there are some lazy people or addicts that want that extra hand and abuse it. The video speaks on nature of poverty an example was Louisiana. Their coastline is washing away and it's just more and more water all the time. One man says it could been from Katrina or from the oil spill in 2010 that covered more than half of Louisiana's oyster grounds. Labor of poverty goes back to people being hard workers but not making ends meet. The type of people that have to live in shelters not because they abuse drugs or alcohol. Just because they can't survive on their own. I knew someone personally that their business went under and they had to live in a shelter for 6 months til they got on their feet. They say in the video you just have to give hope and realize tomorrow will be better. I believe everyone is handed a card but if you learn to except your card and achieve it. You can do anything. -Gander789
When I was very young, presenters would come to my school and tell me of the mythical American invention. The 'Middle Class'. They said that in other countries, there was no such thing. There was only people with money, and people without money. Little me, on foodstamps with scuffed shoes looking around at people with pressed shirts and jewelry that they assured me was from Kay's and not Claire's, wondered if that was true. Middle class? Middle class just looked like rich from where I was standing. In the video, this is referred to as the poverty line, and 46 million Americans are currently under it. We hear about it all the time. I think the term is thrown about by politicians almost as much as candy is on Halloween. Kennedy himself called it a war. A war on poverty. Johnson too may have taken up the fight, if not for the actual war knocking at his door. And there are policies born out of political endeavors that help people living under the poverty line. In fact, as the video states, the number of people living in poverty was cut in half in 1950, and then again in 1960 due to the many programs that benefit them. I don't think it's enough. We see it everywhere we go, in every facet of our lives, and if you're one of the lucky ones, you wipe the sweat off your brows and you go 'Thank God that's not me'. You can't walk two feet one direction in Chicago without seeing someone on a streetcorner looking for somewhere warm to camp out. You can't go five feet downtown without someone asking to bum a cig or a dollar. I've paid fare on the bus for a woman with groceries and a baby in her arms that couldn't afford the extra buck. And I've gotten good from the food banks in Peoria too. One of the rare and exotic delicacies? Breaded pickles. Grab some on your next trip to the grocery store. They are truly disgusting, but what a conversation starter. Starting the conversation on poverty is what it's all about, after all. It's considered impolite, to say 'I can't go to that restaurant with you guys, it's too expensive and I'm poor'. Gosh. How embarrassing. That is what poor people are saying all the time, on a micro scale. On a macro scale, it's more like this- 'What do you mean you can't afford to pay for your own healthcare? All the rest of us are doing it!" Says the rich person. And the poor person has to reply. "I can't afford it, I need help." Impolite? Annoying even? To the rich person. To the poor person, it's their daily reality. It's something they can't help, it's survival. "Why are you being Lazy?" And oh, that capital L was intentional. "I work forty hours a week." or let's change it up. "I'm on disability." Say the poor people. Which would you have sympathy for? Forty hours a week? Or disability? Would you call disability lazy? Why? Because if you ask me, someone on disability still deserves to live a life without constant crushing concern for where they'll find their next meal, or if they'll have a roof over their head, even if they're not working. Treating a person like a person even if they're not working isn't the worst thing to do. Poverty is a multiheaded hydra, and I don't really know all the causes, or one particular solution, but one person in particular really impressed me. Rev. Julian and his work with the youth of his area was a step in the right direction, and if we all came together as a community and invested in the education of our future generation and their creativity and wellbeing, I think that is a beautiful thing.
This video discussed researches on poverty in America. There are approximately forty-six million Americans in poverty. Which is the third highest poverty rate among developed nation which is ahead of only Turkey and Mexico. The United States Census Bureau defines the poverty line as a family of four living under $23,050. Which is barely enough to survive. There are families that have $10,000 more than that and are still considered poor. They have difficulties going along as well. There are many stereotypes that majority of people give the poor and that is that they are lazy, stupid, etc. But that is far from being true. Nowhere near it! More than seven million Americans are working two are more jobs just to get caught up on bills and to take care of their family. Considered being the richest nation on earth, there are still one in four kids that are living in poverty. They go onto to talk about DuPage County, Illinois. It well known for being one of the top fifty riches counties in the country as far as capital in come. So, if you ever drive through, you will see some very nice neighborhoods of middle and mainly upper-class families. But what people don’t talk about is the poorer side of the town. That is ten percent of them. A person that they interviewed, John, had spoken about his struggles in life. He had found himself in a tough situation where he had no other choice but to ask for help. Which shouldn’t be something where people get embarrassed but it is. Suburbs in the largest metro areas saw their population increase by twenty-five percent from the year 2000 to 2008. And of course, with poverty comes violence. There’s a lot of crime that happens within neighborhoods. Some options that families have is moving in with their relatives and make it like a community home, which is what Sheila did when her father passed away and her parent’s home became too much for her mom. Towards the end of this video, Sheila goes on to tell us about her pledge that she started. She started this to keep kids away from violence. She goes around from schools to functions and other organizations to help make certain areas safer for the community. Schmidt789
This video discusses a lot about the poverty in our country today, a subject that so many people want to brush under the rug. Many people feel like they just can’t make a big enough contribution to really make a difference, so they just don’t do anything. I would guess that most people who can make a difference, don’t because they’re either too greedy with their money, or they just don’t think about it. And for those who just don’t think about it, videos like this are so extremely essential for them to see! I don’t think there will ever be enough people with enough money to just hand out to all Americans that would make poverty just vanish, but if enough people donated money to food pantries, THAT would make a huge difference in poverty in the US today. It was brought up in this video that many people think that those living in poverty are lazy, stupid, or have no talent, which I agree is a wrong assumption to make, but at the same time, I think it is beyond stupid and ridiculous to say that every single American on welfare, in poverty, is doing everything they possibly can to get jobs and get themselves out of poverty. -- Thanos789
In the richest nation on earth 1 in 4 young children live in Poverty. According to the U.S. Census Bureau in 2011 there are 46 million Americans living in Poverty, which is the third-highest rate among developed nations. The U.S. Census Bureau defines the Poverty Line as a family of four living under $23,050. Yet, there are families I know personally that makes more than $30,000 per year who are struggling daily, can’t afford to buy groceries, pay medical bills or other monthly bills. In this video you see the many faces of those Americans living in Poverty. Through conventional means, some of those people obtained college degrees and had good paying jobs but still ended up living in poverty, whether it was from getting sick or becoming disabled, or being laid off. Some people inherited poverty. Poverty brings violence. For example, it could make an honest, law-abiding citizen commit deviant behavior, like theft, due to desperation. Granny789
I think poverty in America is both relative and absolute. In America poverty is relative because most of the people have less than others who have more, but at least they have something. Most of the people do not have nice house but at least they can pay the rent in a decent neighborhood, they have one job or two jobs making twenty thousands, or thirty thousands dollars a year, but still they can not make ends meet. For instance John in the video used to work in the banking making six figures, but later on he was looking for charity to overcome his difficult situation as a single father and his three kids, but still he can rent a house, has a regular car, and be with his three kids on Medicaid. Most of the people, they struggle trying to make things happen. Jim in the video says “when you have to struggle paycheck to paycheck, that is poverty.” On the other hand poverty in America is also absolute because of the lack of resources that is life-threatening. Sheila in the video says that most of the young people who she grew up with in k-town they didn’t expect to live over eighteen or twenty years because they were dying around them. That is a picture of a community in absolute poverty where violence is one of its characteristics. In America poverty is also absolute because some families go hungry, live in inadequate housing, and suffer poor health because of a serious lack of resources. the_soccer_league789
I like what Sheila said in the opening that “The bottom is trying their best to move on the top, and the top are trying to not fall down. The top just doesn’t want to look down because it makes them felt guilty.” The sentence just felt so true for me. The big gap between rich and poor, I can’t even imagine. When the country moving upward, the major of population is moving down. Look at the social class in United State, there are upper-class people on the top, the middle class in the between, and the lower class in the bottom. When the economic develop, the rich got richer so the top became higher. But the middle class and the lower class were not changing. So, to balance out the middle line has move up, now most of the middle class in the pass move below the middle line. They are still considering the middle class at today but the standard for their living, income, and jobs are became much lower. People at the bottom are desperate and hopelessness while people in the middle are fearing and worrying for their tomorrow. The people at the top are trying to make profits out of those bottom and middle class to enrich their property and status. I’m so angry when this run to my mind but what can I do beside study hard and work hard. The people in the video had proved that study hard and work hard doesn’t change anything, or changed in slow. Those untouched just not even blink their eyes when there is high poverty rate and unemployment rate. Nothing can stop those factories stop polluting the water, killing the organisms, destroying the nature, and turning other into poverty. Like natural disasters just didn’t bad enough (in fact the human act is disturbing and make those disaster more likely to happen). Poverty is bad and evil. There is a quote “The scariest person is the one who have nothing to lose.” Poverty can turn people into wild, hungry, evil, hate, desperate, and crazy. That is how violence happen. There is always higher rate of crimes in the poor areas. The video is very meaningful. It tried to convey the message to people who live in poverty, that is not giving of hope. When people giving up hope, crazy things can happen and they will never can come back. Zero789
I think it is the way society works, the ones that are up in the social scale don't want to lose their status and they stay there by stepping on top of the poor and making then feel like they cant make above water by themselves. I think that study goes along with opportunity and if there is not an opportunity than your education just by itself can be close to nothing. I think it depends on how hard you seek for the opportunity to make your working experience known and build up your resume and all those factor that give better work opportunities. Koi789
Poverty in america is VERY real. People with money don't what it feels like to wake up and know you cant eat because there isn't any food to eat...lights are off. People with money feel like it always they're fault for being poor. They feel as if they're stupid,lazy,dumb,has no work ethic. Its crazy because people that are born with money wouldn't last a hour in somebody that was homeless shoes. I know people that are homeless and they are very intelligent but just caught a bad brake. Its even worse when kids are involved because if they are young they don't fully understand why daddy or mommy don't have money or always have to go to the food bank to get food. Receiving help requires people to put all they're pride aside and accept help. The guy in the video lost his marriage because he lost his business ,he was making 6 figures and living very comfortably. He never thought he would ever end up in this position. He finds when people call him lazy offensive and disrespectful. He had his gas and electric cut off..which he said was very difficult to tell his kids that he will take care of it when he can.Me personally ,i had situations where my mom couldn't afford everything we wanted but she made sure we ate and had a place to live. Basically the bare minimum. Generational poverty is to me way worse because it gives a sense of hopelessness as if " we will NEVER be anything else but poor", which is a very sad state of mind to be in. That's basically mental incarceration. You cant run away from your mind and your thoughts you have everyday.For some the reality of being poor is something that they will ever escape ,but some will become great!!! -collegekid789-
Some 46 Million Americans live in poverty – U.S. Census Bureau 2011. These numbers really impacted me when I think that there so much poverty that we can even see it all together with our own eyes. We can see the homeless and the people in our community but this is just a fraction within our own community we cant see them all. The fact the census bureau defines the poverty line as a family of four living under $ 23,050.00 making and average of $5,762.50 per person if divided by the four family members, this is not enough for the family. No wonder why more that 7 million Americans are working two or more jobs just to make the ends meet. But it got even harder for me to digest when I saw that 1 in 4 young children live in poverty in the richest nation on earth. To this added all the stories about people struggling in all over the U.S. due to changing factors such as the ones in the metro areas showing an increase of 25% from 2,000 to 2,008. The violence of poverty making life pretty much worthless for those people that live in the inner city and putting a told in to the their mental health stoping them from believing in themselves and their potential to do get out of their neighborhood for a better life and education bringing more opportunities of improvement. It seems to be than all the factors are against the poor just like nature leaving the fisherman out of work in Louisiana and added to that the BP big oil spill that destroy half of the oysters production that provided a source of income for those fisherman. Koi789
All the videos we watch in this class really make me stop and really think about everything going on in this world, I never realized how many people are struggling just to survive. I agree that the top does not want to look down because they may feel guilty, but also think that once they do feel that guilt they try to cover it up with things by saying they are lazy and are not trying when really they know how hard they are trying, the rich are just trying to make themselves feel better. The video talked about how the guy went to a good college and got his degree and still could not find a job, even with a degree. I could not even imagine waking up and not having any food to eat and the lights off, I just can’t even imagine it. I think everyone needs to watch a video and maybe they will realize what I did, we need a change and we need one now. People should not have to sleep on a park bench and eat one meal a day when we have people who can afford to own ten houses and a five-course meal every time they eat, it just is not fair. EPIC789
I don’t think many of us can truthfully say that poverty is not a difficult thing to solve. Those who live in poverty live in a different world, below that line. In our society, money is power, and power provides opportunity. You have to spend money to make money, as they say. Those that hold money hold the power to rise further. Social stratification based on income is, in many cases, so static and tied to birth that the U.S.’s flexible class system is nearing a rigid caste system. A great deal of economic factors contribute to the situations shown in the video. Many struggle to find jobs, while others are paid little for their work. A decline in the economy of the U.S. as a whole can have broad-reaching consequences; the decisions of those at the top greatly influence those at the bottom, but not the other way around. Those who stand at the top have so much power, that their wealth acts as a cushion. Half the people at the top could retire right now, and still live luxuriously for the rest of their lives. This begs the question: why do they continue to amass wealth? The answer may be different on an individual basis; wealth is the standard unit of measurement for ‘success’ in the United States, so many view making more money as personal affirmation of their ‘success’. Unfortunately, improving a vast fortune by a small amount is enough to hugely displace wealth from the poor. In other cases, like I said, money is power, and one of the most horrifying sensations is the sense of powerlessness; the feeling that reality itself denies you. Powerlessness a basic fear rooted in biology, and having power is almost like a high. Even the smallest disregard in the wealthy can create massive waves over time, and come close to pushing relative poverty into absolute poverty.
ReplyDelete-SoarSore789
You are right, money is power. This is not only right in United State but everywhere else over the world. The different here is that United State has at least try to change this situation by change in its’ policies. If you compare to other developing country, the poverty there are more worst and the power of money are much higher. But as we saw, the poverty rate in United Stated is increasing and the gap between rich and poor even wilder than before. When people have no money, they have no power. Like what you said that powerlessness makes people desperate, fear, lonely and unconnected. Poverty indeed the very scary things that human is struggling to fix. This’s meaning that we do need more change in United State.
DeleteZero789
You are one hundred percent correct, money is power. People always say that it is not but it is! I know so many people who cannot find a job right now and when they do find a job it is not nearly enough to support themselves let alone a family. You made a good point about the people at the top of how they could retire right now and be fine, why don’t they do that? Why don’t they give other people the chance to earn the money they are? EPIC789
Delete46 million Americans live in poverty according to the U.S Census Bureau of 2011. I found that number interesting because we live in a society today where people are really focused on money and themselves at times. There’s a “line” in America which is poverty and there’s many people that don’t realize that we do have poverty in America, it’s not just in other countries. In America that poverty line of a family of four is living under the 23,050 income rate. Yes, 23,000 is not much but you’ll also find people that make 30,000 plus and still would be struggling to make ends meet. I found all the stories that were shared very educational of other people’s lives. John started the video and explained how he was embarrassed and disappointed about the path he was on because he grew up wealthy, married, ran a business and all in the matter of seconds it was all taken away from him and took a toll on him. He explains that the government is not out there reaching out to you saying this is what you can do to get back on your feet, that you have to go look for the help and put yourself out there. There are people that live off the government and the lady from the pantry explained it well. We have people that just truly need help and even though they may not want it, they need it. You have families that poverty just has always been in the family and you have families that lived above the line and now the line has caught up to them. This video I have learned a lot. We live in a society that is broken, we’re all broken in our own ways. Its survival that everyone is worried about. Just a side story, I went to Haiti and it’s a poor country itself. Everyone lives on the same playing field and everyone looks out for eachother. The people I met while there were not out living and working each day for just themselves, they worked for their families and next door neighbors. They are so poor yet so happy because they don’t have everything we have in America that we take for granted. I have learned that they are extremely happy, passionate, caring, loving, and interested in everything, but yet poor and that doesn’t bother them in a lot of ways.
ReplyDeleteunknownzeeha789
Wealth being tied to happiness is one of the most overblown misconceptions in the United States. Well, more of overblown importance, I suppose. People are more often than not stressed by money, only really obtaining money as a form of release, often attaching meaning to money beyond this to satisfy a need for the pursuit of it to not be a waste of their lives. Because of this attitude, not many people realize how much they become slaves to money. Sometimes poverty helps people gain perspective on the rest of the world, and truly value that which cannot be bought, viewing money simply as a means to an end, not a constant pursuit. The idea of people in Haiti being happy in poverty is not surprising to me at all.
Delete-SoarSore789
I feel that the only reason people tie wealth and happiness together is because of the temporary happiness money can give us. It can buy us things that distract us from the real problems of the world and better yet, how we really feel. So, you could say that money brings happiness, but is it real happiness or is it all just artificial? I think it is just artificial, I also think that the growing importance people put on money and high income make it seemingly less and less possible for genuine happiness to actually be a thing in our society.White789
DeleteSome of the richest people are the most unhappy people on earth while people making it with just the bare essentials are some of the most humble giving people on the planet. My point here is that just like a drug or alcohol addiction, money can bring about problems or even mask them but once your high is gone the issues return. The saying money is the root of all evil echo my thoughts exactly. Also, poverty in America looks different then that of third world countries, all in all, these people are struggling to make ends meet and for a decent education for their children near and far. Indeed some conditions worse then others but proverty is abundant and the people with the money and resources aren’t putting them to good use, seeing people sleep on the street and eating out of trash cans, saddens me beyond words. Which is why I live by the phrase there is someone who is worse off then you are and cherish what I have family, friends, and possessions.
Deletemummyoftwo789
Poverty in America … Relative or?
ReplyDeleteI would like to start by saying that I really enjoyed this documentary. The topic is something that I can definitely relate to. It is shocking that approximately 46 million Americans live in Poverty. I liked how the video discussed “the line”. It does actually make sense you have people trying to stay above the line and the people on the bottom are trying to get to the line. I do believe that some people above the line don’t look below the line because they can’t relate to those people or their situations. Until they unfortunately become the person below the line, then they realize they are not all that different then the people below the line. I can relate to being above the line. I was happily married for 11 years and with him for a total of 16 years. Life was great, we both had great jobs and our future looked very bright. Unfortunately he had different plans and we went through a long drawn out divorce. I suffered financially and I still haven’t fully recovered and I have been divorced for 4 years. I was not the stay at home wife relying solely on her husband to support the family. I went to school and became a Certified Medical Assistant and I was working right along with him contributing to our family. However he makes triple what I make in a month. So financially this was a huge adjustment and it still is today. Even though I went to school an applied myself it isn’t enough. Because I am barely getting by with my CMA job, I actually need to be working two jobs. This is the sad reality we live in today. And it was mentioned in the video that “more than 7 million Americans work two – three jobs to makes ends meet. I am currently working almost full time and going to school part time. I am working towards my RN-BSN. I want to be able to better support myself in my future.
I can understand and relate to signing up for food pantry services. I am currently thinking about it, but then I think that there is probably someone who needs it more than I do. I also can’t believe I’m in the situation of needing help from a food pantry. There definitely is a level of pride and shame that goes along with asking for help. Food pantries across the country are experiencing a large number of people needing assistance. These services are stretched too thin, and they need the government to step up and help.
I can also relate to being raised in a poor single-mother household and neighborhood. I liked when the minister pointed out that people in poverty experience a “sense of hopelessness”. I always believed that I would become a contributing person in society. I realize now that I was poor, however I never felt poor growing up. I had more stability in my household than some of my friends or cousins had in their two parent households. There was also a lot of violence where I grew up. The violence started in middle school and into high school. I experienced death and dying of people my own age at a very young age. Many of the young men I went to school with didn’t know if they would live to see tomorrow. And dying for their gang was an honor. I agree that people in general are not as happy as they used to be. I think we are very stressed out society. The minister also stated that systems need to be broken and policies need to be changed to order to stop poverty. How can the United States be the richest nation on earth and be suffering like this? The United States is quick to help other struggle countries, but what about what is occurring in our own back yards? Maybe it’s the rich politicians making all of the decisions that are having more of a negative effect on people in poverty? I think we need to be more aware of who we are voting into various elections. We have a voice and we are sometimes scared or intimidated to use it.
We need to make a change!!!
Poverty is indeed not an easy thing to solve. This video did a good job at showing us that it is all over the United States and truth be known a lot of Americans are in trouble. Before I go any further I would like to add that not only is the United States in trouble with poverty, but so is the rest of the world. In fact, in some areas of the world it is a lot worse, this video just so happens to focus on more local statistics. As time goes on though, more and more people are unable to afford housing for themselves or even food, and what is worse is these people also often have children they need to provide for as well. It was said in the video that an estimated forty-six million people and one in every four children in the United States live in poverty according to the U.S. Census Bureau, giving us the third highest poverty rate in developed nations behind Turkey and Mexico. The poverty line starts where families of four bring in anything less than $23,050 a year, and more than seven million people have to work at least two jobs if not more just to make ends meet. Enough about statistics, how do we fix this problem? Most people say get an education, and shame poor people for being too lazy to do so. But think about it, if these people need to work two jobs, sometimes even more, just so their family can get by, when are they supposed to go to school? When are they going to have time? Better yet, where is the money going to come from to help pay for that schooling? Sure, they have things like Financial Aid and whatnot, but even with those things they are first come first serve basis and have many requirements in order to even be eligible. My point in all of this is, poverty is way more of an issue than I thought to be honest, and fixing it seems to be even bigger of an issue.White789
ReplyDeleteI like that you touched on worldly poverty levels. This is just a fraction of the poverty problem going on and I am glad you reminded us of that. Yes, people have to work multiple jobs just to make ends meet and there is no room for extra. I definitely understand this. I am personally on foodstamps, and although it feels embarrassing, it is necessary anymore. More and more people are expressing their need for help, so let’s try and get down to the root of the problem. Catzfuhdays789
DeleteAmerica has the third highest level of poverty, totaling 46 million Americans who live in poverty, according to the very credible US Census. Poverty is not just the image we see in our heads. The poverty line cuts off at 25,050 dollars per year, which is not that easy to make, admittedly. Even in class, people admitted that people who do not have a job or live at home must be lazy or other negative words. Poverty does not in turn mean lazy or that the person is a bad person or parent. It is not just the lower income cities and areas either, the suburban areas are seeing an increase in the amount of people who are under the poverty line. Along with that, even people who have their degree and have jobs are finding it difficult to land jobs and are on government help. In the sake that this is anonymous, I have food stamps. It is just my mother and I who live together and we get 190 dollars for one month and that is DIFFICULT to make stretch. While writing this, we have used up that amount and are going to need to make another food run because we are out of food. Imagine being a larger family and only having a small amount like that to live on? People in lower income areas are noticing a lot of violence, sadly, the video explains. A lot of my friends are working, but must live in not so great areas because of their income and they hear gunshots and witness a lot of drug activity. Why is this? The video says that these people turn to violence because they feel offended by their government, their neighbor, and the people and they feel unheard. One thing that is offered as another route for their attention is the arts. When kids have something that harbors creativity and lets them feel heard and lets them tell their story, they are less likely to get involved. I know music was a huge motivator for me in my younger years and I was pretty straight-laced and went to choir and concerts instead of engaging in damaging activities, which were pretty prevalent in Peoria. Poverty is at another all-time low and something must be done on a macro level, because this is just a trap and a vicious cycle. Catzfuhdays789
ReplyDeleteI agree with you many of us in class were quick to judge others less fortunate than us. My very good friend used to live in Illinois and now she is living in Georgia. She is a CNA and she has a lot of experience and her starting wage will only be $8.00 an hour. She was making $13.00 an hour in Illinois doing the same job. And she was struggling to support herself and two children on the $13.00 dollars an hour. The manager at the nursing home told her that down south doesn't pay CNA's as much as up North. This is so sad and difficult for her to support her family. I believe that getting our youth involved in positive encouraging activities will provide them a chance to rise up against the odds. Music was my saving grace as well growing up.
DeleteAnimalLover789
46 million Americans live in poverty that was really interesting to think that so many people are poor in the United States. Though when I hear the word poverty and poor, I think about most countries in Africa who can’t even send their kids to school and not have the thing called food links or whatever the government provides here in the US. I think poverty and being poor is over exaggerated in the United States. Making $10,000-$25,000 a year is a people who really are in poverty and are poor. As long you have food, shelter, clean water, and health insurance, I think you are not poor. But here in the United States it is considered being poor making that certain amount of money because we think money is everything and it is power. The more money you have the more people think they are happy and the more power you posses the more opportunities you will get in terms of working, and education. Having been from Africa, it very hard for me to take in that anyone who makes $10,000-$25,000 is poor, when you do get food link cards have shelter, have something like Salvation Army, have food for everyday and clean running water, that is not being poor or living in poverty, something people may think it is but I don’t. I know people do not choose to be “poor” in the United States but they can do better to not be in that situation because they do have a lot of opportunities to work, can go to school, get loans, and they do make their own decisions when it comes to doing gangs and stuff like that. I guess poverty means a lot of different things to people, but try visiting Africa or Haiti then you will understand the real definition of poverty and poor.
ReplyDeleteRia789
We live in a society where everyone tends to be about themselves, but can we really blame them? I don't think we could blame them because everyone is struggling and trying to survive for themselves and for their family. We have parents that grew up with their parents and now that they are parents things have changed and surviving life is 10x harder than it normally would be. To have a parent or parents work multiple jobs just to pay the bills, at what point do they actually get to enjoy the money they make?
Deleteunknownzeeha789
A year and a half ago ABC 20/20 posted a few questions on social media one that asked, What is the American? The narrator goes on to say some of “us” remember it as parents with a job, a modest house, family vacations, and the kind of education that will give our children a chance at better opportunities. The “American dream” is still the same concept as it was decades ago but it has become much more harder to obtain. Homes that were made for middle class individuals are no longer affordable. Home ownership is at a fifty percent low and only fifty percent of working class Americans are considered middle class whom make on average 54,000 a year. If college tuition continue to raise and the cost of obtaining the American dream has become beyond ones’ reach, it is then becomes just that, a dream or perhaps it should be coined “Our dream, their reality.” Referencing the top twenty percent of wealthy Americans who take home fourteen times more then the average citizen. The Income inequality and gap between the protereliarate and bourgeois is enormous. Over the last thirty years the US economy has grown, but people who do have college degrees have been forced to take on two or more jobs just to live the American dream. I feel as though education is important and after racking up student loans and putting forth great effort in the classroom secture families deserve to see the fruits of their labor, and enjoy them without living paycheck to paycheck. Too be fair some people try too live above their means also. Although such living situations weren’t necessarily displayed in this particular video it happens, for the sake of status. While the guy treks eighty miles for work at one of America’s most prestigious universities he is unable to buy a car and still struggles to support his family. For any one person who has to work more then two jobs to take care of home would bring about a great deal of stress. Those who work their butt off literally hit the ground running while CEO’s have their feet kicked up somewhere on a private jet. We as Americans have been lied to, there is no dream, the head honchos want us to buy into the idea of it all so that they can continue to make money and live the life of luxury that most Americans could only dream of. For me the American dream includes being able to live this life, take care of my children, job security, good health, and being able to have forward mobility in every aspect of my life. A new house, foreign car, and making more money are apart of it as well but those are upgrades to my current situation and not too far fetched. People are going in debt on a mission impossible, we have to spend wisely. Money management classes, higher wages, and equal pay for men/women would be a grear start here.
ReplyDeletemummyoftwo789
I agree with your point on the American dream. It seems so easily reachable and a simple plan when you are younger. Parents say go to school finish school then go to college, receive a degree, and then work your way to the top. You don’t realize that it is so much harder than that when you are younger. Just stay in school they say. Graduate they say. They don’t tell us how hard it is to find a stable job after that. They don’t tell us how hard it is to make ends meet while in college and the gap between those who do succeed and those who don’t is tremendous. Not to mention intimidating. We are all judged. I also agree that the stress of working so hard is brought home. You know the saying keep your home life and work life separate is almost impossible now-a-days. I also agree that we need to start somewhere. And if that means equal pay between men and women is where the start should be then that is where it should be. Being a single mother living off one income is hard. I can’t imagine moms with more than one child doing it by themselves. They are strong and I would like to shake every woman’s hand who is doing it to tell them I appreciate them. But you are right something has to change.
Delete-Slimjim789
My opinion of this video, I could not help but cry. Not only because of their stories but more so that I can personally relate to every person in this video. The video brought light to past and current situations all around me that affect my life and my families lives. The sympathy I feel is because I know what they are going through and now I know that we are not alone. I have always known we are not alone in these kinds of situations but to see it is heartbreaking.
ReplyDeleteSocial inequality, brought on by the judgement of others or by natural disasters like Katrina. They both change the reality of life. The reality of life for each of these individuals has been altered yet they still strive to make a different. They are an anomaly. I 100% agree that the people above the poverty line do not wish to look below. They try not to socialize with the people that fall below. I have personally been in both circumstances. People tend to judge someone because of where they live, how they dress, their accents or where they grew up. That little bit of information can make a person assume that the person with a background is a lesser of the two. Which is not true. At the end of the video the man says “Though I am poor I do not consider myself poor. Because I feel like as long as there is a person watching over me, as long as I am connected with my family, and as long as my legs and my body work and I am able to go out and make some money there is no way that I would feel poor.” He understands that people see him this way but he is gifted with life, family, and his dreams. He has goals and is striving to meet his goals. “Poor does not define who we are it is a part of who we are and a situation that can change.”
We cannot help if a disaster takes away our natural resources but how we react to it can help our community. Sitting around doing nothing will not change what has happened. Rebuilding can make it better. Although, most times situations get worse before they get better we cannot give up helping those in need. As a country, the U.S.A. we all need to stand up and help each other to make a crisis better. Social inequality, stop judging who a person is by the color of their skin, their background, where they live, their sexual orientation, kinship, their yearly salary, or their occupation. What is important to remember is every one of us have a story and every one of us build from it if we try hard enough.
We are the ones who can make a difference! We need to make a difference! No one is entitled to anything in this world no matter how much someone may think they are. There are places way worse off than we have it here and poverty may never be solved but if we all work together, then maybe a change would be made and not so many families would be struggling. Money is power in the U.S. and it shouldn’t be. There are a few people I know who are poor and live in poverty but have more sense than any State Representative. If the poor ran the U.S. if the poor had a chance to run the U.S. I could see how there would be change because they know what it feels like to be at rock bottom. Rock bottom mind you, is not $23,000 a year. Rock bottom is less than $7,000 a year or no money at all. I am not saying that the rich do not help but very few do. Just like many people who are raised in poverty stay in poverty because that is what they know. We need to change the mindsets of this younger generation in poverty. Make them believe they are more than what they know. Stop the unprofessional speaking, stop the gangs from gaining more of our young, stop the rich from feeling entitled (Just to make it clear I am also not saying that all people who are well off feel entitled) and stop the injustices. We made a constitution for a reason, we made laws for a reason and they should be followed. They shouldn’t be bent if you have money or power. As stated before money should not be power. The power should be the U.S. as a whole and as a community.
-Slimjim789
I definitely cried as well! I completely agree that money should not be power in the U.S. The amount that it takes to run a campaign is sky-high and excludes just about anyone who isn't already in the political pony race or collecting backers. Money may not always equal corruption, but, let's be real, throw in a couple greenbacks and it's a lot easier for corruption to sneak in. Just like rich people get off for crimes that would have a poor person in jail for half their natural life. Rich people are brought up with a sort of narcissism that makes them believe that they can do anything they set their mind to, while poor people are brought into the world to a sad nihilism like the video brings up. A cycle of, my grandmother was poor, my mother was poor, so I'm going to be poor and there's nothing I can do to change that. That is why I agree with you. Changing the mindset of the youth is absolutely integral. Breaking the cycle is what's going to really impact this poverty line. Call it 'breaking the line' if you want a catchy name for it. Bring the community up, instead of crushing them underfoot, that should always be the priority.
DeleteBuwowski222
What is poverty and what does it mean to you? I asked those questions because depending on who you ask the answer may differ slighting. The actual definition states being inferior in quality or insufficient in amount, with knowing this poverty is alot widespread then most of us think. Clearly the poster child for poverty isn’t the kid or family in run down, low income neighborhoods. The insert suggest that poverty is more abundant in suburban towns then that of urban areas. One out of every four children live in poverty and according to the 2011 census forty six million Americans lived in poverty, ranking the US third ahead of Mexico and Turkey. The poverty line is that invisible line most people try to avoid going under, as they will be looked down upon by others. To go from six figures to waiting in line in food pantries can definitely do something to a person mental state of mind, as a man, bread winner, who once brought home the bacon it can be both devastating and embrassing. How does this happen? Bad business move on the individuals part or bad decisions made at the corporate level? This is why job security is important to me. Lazy, stupid, and having no skills are just a few of the sterotypes people face when seeking assistance for one reason or another. One out of every three workers do not make enough to keep a family of four above the poverty line. Falling below this like is easier then trying to stay above it. You never know what people are going through, help if you can, be a blessing to others. I love to cook and feed people, I’d like to open up a pantry to help the cause. My heart goes out to the struggle, it gets real and sometimes unexpected.
ReplyDeletemummyoftwo789
I agree with you that when it comes to the term poverty, it has so many definitions to so many different people. Some people may over use the term and some are right on the spot. Once you were a rich person or on top of the line, it is easy to slip down the line but it is much harder to get back up the line it is like losing weight, it is easy to gain but hard to lose. But most people do not make enough money to be kept satisfied so they think they are poor and are in poverty which is not the case.
DeleteRia789
that is beautiful to be so open to help someone else. One year my mother and I volunteered for the Women's home. We went and repainted most of the apartments for women who needed somewhere to go to get away from their abusive life or relationship. To be able to that was so rewarding. Just that act of kindness made me feel like I made a difference. I know when my home burnt down when I was in high school a church helped us rebuild our home and refurnish. Now if we all could be this lucky. -Gander789
DeleteSomething that I have recently hear is that money can buy happiness but that is if you decide to spend the money on others. Bringing joy to other people really make a difference in your own self happiness. If it was to the point where everyone would take a little bit of their free time to help others, this world may improve a little at a time. We have to start somewhere. And like they said, everyone has their own definition of being poor or rich. It seems like anyone can be unhappy whether you’re poor or rich. Its what you do with the money that makes you happy. Schmidt789
DeleteIf someone fails in the business field it doesn’t mean that a job is much better. Many people who does a business are very successful and living a life with financial freedom, but also there are many people with a job that are very successful making good money, but both cases face risk. Someone in business can become broke, if he or she takes bad decisions in an investment. At the same manner someone can lose his or her job for many reasons. Nobody can predict and guaranty that someone is going to keep a job forever or run a business forever. I was working in a company where I was making good salary a year, but after seven years, I was lay off. So what is much better business or a job? That depends of the core values of the person. If someone wants a pay check and benefits, should look for a job, but if someone does not want to punch in and punch out every single day working for someone else, should create a business.
Deletethe_soccer_league789
To think in 2011, 46 million Americans live in poverty. Now six years later I wonder what it is? We are the 3rd highest poverty nation only ahead of Mexico and Turkey. I visited Mexico twice now in my life. It is such a beautiful place, but they work so hard to receive so little. While I was visiting my mother lost her wallet a man named Oliver was helping us so she could cancel her credit cards. I was asking him what he did he said he does garbage clean up and makes about $10 a day. I felt so bad in America garbage men make up to $18/hr. He told us how one day he dreams of coming to America. We realize we don't have it that bad once we visit other countries, but it's still spiraling down. Society states that the poor are dumb, lazy, and can't raise their children properly. Society always judges before knowing the "Why's"? They state that suburbs in the largest metro areas saw their poor population increase 25% from 2000 to 2008. John from the video states he was so embarrassed when he had to ask for assistance from the pantries. He has three children and receives medicaid. The ladies at the pantry expresses how there needs to be more help in the pantries by the government. Only problem is for an example in our state there is no money to help the pantries. I believe we do need to get a better system down were the people earn what they get, the disabled get the help they need,and the seniors get the help they deserve. I think its about half of the poverty level truly are hard working people just trying to survive. Then again there are some lazy people or addicts that want that extra hand and abuse it. The video speaks on nature of poverty an example was Louisiana. Their coastline is washing away and it's just more and more water all the time. One man says it could been from Katrina or from the oil spill in 2010 that covered more than half of Louisiana's oyster grounds. Labor of poverty goes back to people being hard workers but not making ends meet. The type of people that have to live in shelters not because they abuse drugs or alcohol. Just because they can't survive on their own. I knew someone personally that their business went under and they had to live in a shelter for 6 months til they got on their feet. They say in the video you just have to give hope and realize tomorrow will be better. I believe everyone is handed a card but if you learn to except your card and achieve it. You can do anything. -Gander789
ReplyDeleteWhen I was very young, presenters would come to my school and tell me of the mythical American invention. The 'Middle Class'. They said that in other countries, there was no such thing. There was only people with money, and people without money. Little me, on foodstamps with scuffed shoes looking around at people with pressed shirts and jewelry that they assured me was from Kay's and not Claire's, wondered if that was true. Middle class? Middle class just looked like rich from where I was standing. In the video, this is referred to as the poverty line, and 46 million Americans are currently under it. We hear about it all the time. I think the term is thrown about by politicians almost as much as candy is on Halloween. Kennedy himself called it a war. A war on poverty. Johnson too may have taken up the fight, if not for the actual war knocking at his door. And there are policies born out of political endeavors that help people living under the poverty line. In fact, as the video states, the number of people living in poverty was cut in half in 1950, and then again in 1960 due to the many programs that benefit them. I don't think it's enough. We see it everywhere we go, in every facet of our lives, and if you're one of the lucky ones, you wipe the sweat off your brows and you go 'Thank God that's not me'. You can't walk two feet one direction in Chicago without seeing someone on a streetcorner looking for somewhere warm to camp out. You can't go five feet downtown without someone asking to bum a cig or a dollar. I've paid fare on the bus for a woman with groceries and a baby in her arms that couldn't afford the extra buck. And I've gotten good from the food banks in Peoria too. One of the rare and exotic delicacies? Breaded pickles. Grab some on your next trip to the grocery store. They are truly disgusting, but what a conversation starter. Starting the conversation on poverty is what it's all about, after all. It's considered impolite, to say 'I can't go to that restaurant with you guys, it's too expensive and I'm poor'. Gosh. How embarrassing. That is what poor people are saying all the time, on a micro scale. On a macro scale, it's more like this- 'What do you mean you can't afford to pay for your own healthcare? All the rest of us are doing it!" Says the rich person. And the poor person has to reply. "I can't afford it, I need help." Impolite? Annoying even? To the rich person. To the poor person, it's their daily reality. It's something they can't help, it's survival. "Why are you being Lazy?" And oh, that capital L was intentional. "I work forty hours a week." or let's change it up. "I'm on disability." Say the poor people. Which would you have sympathy for? Forty hours a week? Or disability? Would you call disability lazy? Why? Because if you ask me, someone on disability still deserves to live a life without constant crushing concern for where they'll find their next meal, or if they'll have a roof over their head, even if they're not working. Treating a person like a person even if they're not working isn't the worst thing to do. Poverty is a multiheaded hydra, and I don't really know all the causes, or one particular solution, but one person in particular really impressed me. Rev. Julian and his work with the youth of his area was a step in the right direction, and if we all came together as a community and invested in the education of our future generation and their creativity and wellbeing, I think that is a beautiful thing.
ReplyDeleteBuwowski222
This video discussed researches on poverty in America. There are approximately forty-six million Americans in poverty. Which is the third highest poverty rate among developed nation which is ahead of only Turkey and Mexico. The United States Census Bureau defines the poverty line as a family of four living under $23,050. Which is barely enough to survive. There are families that have $10,000 more than that and are still considered poor. They have difficulties going along as well. There are many stereotypes that majority of people give the poor and that is that they are lazy, stupid, etc. But that is far from being true. Nowhere near it! More than seven million Americans are working two are more jobs just to get caught up on bills and to take care of their family. Considered being the richest nation on earth, there are still one in four kids that are living in poverty. They go onto to talk about DuPage County, Illinois. It well known for being one of the top fifty riches counties in the country as far as capital in come. So, if you ever drive through, you will see some very nice neighborhoods of middle and mainly upper-class families. But what people don’t talk about is the poorer side of the town. That is ten percent of them. A person that they interviewed, John, had spoken about his struggles in life. He had found himself in a tough situation where he had no other choice but to ask for help. Which shouldn’t be something where people get embarrassed but it is. Suburbs in the largest metro areas saw their population increase by twenty-five percent from the year 2000 to 2008. And of course, with poverty comes violence. There’s a lot of crime that happens within neighborhoods. Some options that families have is moving in with their relatives and make it like a community home, which is what Sheila did when her father passed away and her parent’s home became too much for her mom. Towards the end of this video, Sheila goes on to tell us about her pledge that she started. She started this to keep kids away from violence. She goes around from schools to functions and other organizations to help make certain areas safer for the community. Schmidt789
ReplyDeleteThis video discusses a lot about the poverty in our country today, a subject that so many people want to brush under the rug. Many people feel like they just can’t make a big enough contribution to really make a difference, so they just don’t do anything. I would guess that most people who can make a difference, don’t because they’re either too greedy with their money, or they just don’t think about it. And for those who just don’t think about it, videos like this are so extremely essential for them to see! I don’t think there will ever be enough people with enough money to just hand out to all Americans that would make poverty just vanish, but if enough people donated money to food pantries, THAT would make a huge difference in poverty in the US today. It was brought up in this video that many people think that those living in poverty are lazy, stupid, or have no talent, which I agree is a wrong assumption to make, but at the same time, I think it is beyond stupid and ridiculous to say that every single American on welfare, in poverty, is doing everything they possibly can to get jobs and get themselves out of poverty. -- Thanos789
ReplyDeleteIn the richest nation on earth 1 in 4 young children live in Poverty. According to the U.S. Census Bureau in 2011 there are 46 million Americans living in Poverty, which is the third-highest rate among developed nations. The U.S. Census Bureau defines the Poverty Line as a family of four living under $23,050. Yet, there are families I know personally that makes more than $30,000 per year who are struggling daily, can’t afford to buy groceries, pay medical bills or other monthly bills. In this video you see the many faces of those Americans living in Poverty. Through conventional means, some of those people obtained college degrees and had good paying jobs but still ended up living in poverty, whether it was from getting sick or becoming disabled, or being laid off. Some people inherited poverty. Poverty brings violence. For example, it could make an honest, law-abiding citizen commit deviant behavior, like theft, due to desperation.
ReplyDeleteGranny789
I think poverty in America is both relative and absolute. In America poverty is relative because most of the people have less than others who have more, but at least they have something. Most of the people do not have nice house but at least they can pay the rent in a decent neighborhood, they have one job or two jobs making twenty thousands, or thirty thousands dollars a year, but still they can not make ends meet. For instance John in the video used to work in the banking making six figures, but later on he was looking for charity to overcome his difficult situation as a single father and his three kids, but still he can rent a house, has a regular car, and be with his three kids on Medicaid. Most of the people, they struggle trying to make things happen. Jim in the video says “when you have to struggle paycheck to paycheck, that is poverty.” On the other hand poverty in America is also absolute because of the lack of resources that is life-threatening. Sheila in the video says that most of the young people who she grew up with in k-town they didn’t expect to live over eighteen or twenty years because they were dying around them. That is a picture of a community in absolute poverty where violence is one of its characteristics. In America poverty is also absolute because some families go hungry, live in inadequate housing, and suffer poor health because of a serious lack of resources.
ReplyDeletethe_soccer_league789
I like what Sheila said in the opening that “The bottom is trying their best to move on the top, and the top are trying to not fall down. The top just doesn’t want to look down because it makes them felt guilty.” The sentence just felt so true for me. The big gap between rich and poor, I can’t even imagine. When the country moving upward, the major of population is moving down. Look at the social class in United State, there are upper-class people on the top, the middle class in the between, and the lower class in the bottom. When the economic develop, the rich got richer so the top became higher. But the middle class and the lower class were not changing. So, to balance out the middle line has move up, now most of the middle class in the pass move below the middle line. They are still considering the middle class at today but the standard for their living, income, and jobs are became much lower. People at the bottom are desperate and hopelessness while people in the middle are fearing and worrying for their tomorrow. The people at the top are trying to make profits out of those bottom and middle class to enrich their property and status. I’m so angry when this run to my mind but what can I do beside study hard and work hard. The people in the video had proved that study hard and work hard doesn’t change anything, or changed in slow. Those untouched just not even blink their eyes when there is high poverty rate and unemployment rate. Nothing can stop those factories stop polluting the water, killing the organisms, destroying the nature, and turning other into poverty. Like natural disasters just didn’t bad enough (in fact the human act is disturbing and make those disaster more likely to happen). Poverty is bad and evil. There is a quote “The scariest person is the one who have nothing to lose.” Poverty can turn people into wild, hungry, evil, hate, desperate, and crazy. That is how violence happen. There is always higher rate of crimes in the poor areas. The video is very meaningful. It tried to convey the message to people who live in poverty, that is not giving of hope. When people giving up hope, crazy things can happen and they will never can come back.
ReplyDeleteZero789
I think it is the way society works, the ones that are up in the social scale don't want to lose their status and they stay there by stepping on top of the poor and making then feel like they cant make above water by themselves. I think that study goes along with opportunity and if there is not an opportunity than your education just by itself can be close to nothing. I think it depends on how hard you seek for the opportunity to make your working experience known and build up your resume and all those factor that give better work opportunities. Koi789
DeletePoverty in america is VERY real. People with money don't what it feels like to wake up and know you cant eat because there isn't any food to eat...lights are off. People with money feel like it always they're fault for being poor. They feel as if they're stupid,lazy,dumb,has no work ethic. Its crazy because people that are born with money wouldn't last a hour in somebody that was homeless shoes. I know people that are homeless and they are very intelligent but just caught a bad brake. Its even worse when kids are involved because if they are young they don't fully understand why daddy or mommy don't have money or always have to go to the food bank to get food. Receiving help requires people to put all they're pride aside and accept help. The guy in the video lost his marriage because he lost his business ,he was making 6 figures and living very comfortably. He never thought he would ever end up in this position. He finds when people call him lazy offensive and disrespectful. He had his gas and electric cut off..which he said was very difficult to tell his kids that he will take care of it when he can.Me personally ,i had situations where my mom couldn't afford everything we wanted but she made sure we ate and had a place to live. Basically the bare minimum. Generational poverty is to me way worse because it gives a sense of hopelessness as if " we will NEVER be anything else but poor", which is a very sad state of mind to be in. That's basically mental incarceration. You cant run away from your mind and your thoughts you have everyday.For some the reality of being poor is something that they will ever escape ,but some will become great!!! -collegekid789-
ReplyDeleteSome 46 Million Americans live in poverty – U.S. Census Bureau 2011. These numbers really impacted me when I think that there so much poverty that we can even see it all together with our own eyes. We can see the homeless and the people in our community but this is just a fraction within our own community we cant see them all. The fact the census bureau defines the poverty line as a family of four living under $ 23,050.00 making and average of $5,762.50 per person if divided by the four family members, this is not enough for the family. No wonder why more that 7 million Americans are working two or more jobs just to make the ends meet. But it got even harder for me to digest when I saw that 1 in 4 young children live in poverty in the richest nation on earth. To this added all the stories about people struggling in all over the U.S. due to changing factors such as the ones in the metro areas showing an increase of 25% from 2,000 to 2,008. The violence of poverty making life pretty much worthless for those people that live in the inner city and putting a told in to the their mental health stoping them from believing in themselves and their potential to do get out of their neighborhood for a better life and education bringing more opportunities of improvement. It seems to be than all the factors are against the poor just like nature leaving the fisherman out of work in Louisiana and added to that the BP big oil spill that destroy half of the oysters production that provided a source of income for those fisherman. Koi789
ReplyDeleteAll the videos we watch in this class really make me stop and really think about everything going on in this world, I never realized how many people are struggling just to survive. I agree that the top does not want to look down because they may feel guilty, but also think that once they do feel that guilt they try to cover it up with things by saying they are lazy and are not trying when really they know how hard they are trying, the rich are just trying to make themselves feel better. The video talked about how the guy went to a good college and got his degree and still could not find a job, even with a degree. I could not even imagine waking up and not having any food to eat and the lights off, I just can’t even imagine it. I think everyone needs to watch a video and maybe they will realize what I did, we need a change and we need one now. People should not have to sleep on a park bench and eat one meal a day when we have people who can afford to own ten houses and a five-course meal every time they eat, it just is not fair. EPIC789
ReplyDelete