I'm trying
response to GOOD magazine's post GOOD Q&A: Jacqueline Novogratz
I work in a tiny obscure Emergency Room in rural AR. Poverty wanders through our doors daily. I have become cynical and skeptical. I don't see the poor trying to get themselves out. They like it right where they are. figuring ways to cop some drugs from the ER, get disibility, smoke cigerettes and have more kids.
Two adorable little boys with chronic lung diseases and coughs and head colds constantly coming to our ER with fevers. Mom is pregnant. I have repeatedly educated these young parents that they and the grandparents need to stop smoking in the house. That four smoking adults in one small house is causing the boys to be sick all the time. They look at me and smile. They won't change.
What is your solution to this. Dripping water or buy them an ox. Or slap the hell out of them, which is what I want to do. This is American poverty. What should we do?
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Poverty in America can be the result of so many social, institutional, and personal problems. Just as Jacqueline Novogratz said, poverty is complex and what we need to do is educate ourselves and others about the issues. She was obviously talking about poverty in other countries, but the same goes for poverty in America.
As people with privilege it is not our place to become angry with those who are less fortunate. Instead we should do our best to be compassionate and culturally competent and educated about barriers that these people face. It is hard to put yourself in another's shoes but those with low SES do not have the tools to better themselves. We cannot really know what someone goes through if we have not truly experienced it. So it is easy to get frustrated but we need to REALLY try understanding without prejudice.
Many in poverty are so down and out they have a defeatist attitude. This makes complacency easy. There are many barriers to getting out of poverty (too many to list) but I believe the most important barrier is lack of education - Both education of those less fortunate and maybe more importantly the education of those fortunate enough to help. We need to be educated about poverty and the people in poverty and ways we can start to act.
The educated/more fortunate should become less focused on the materials (fancy clothes, an expensive car, etc) and more focused on becoming an advocate for the less fortunate- helping to fight for equal education, equal healthcare, an equal chance. We need to take our education and put it into action, into REALLY trying to make a difference.
Posted on December 11, 2007 — by fancytrade
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yes I am really trying
I don't think all the "educated more/fortunate" have a focus on material stuff. Pulling myself out of poverty, with latch key kids and fear and pancakes for dinner. I have the good fortune of an unbiased view of poverty. It took longer than it should have in such a rich and powerful country as this. I wasn't able to qualify for state aid because I worked two jobs. I guess I should have quit and gone on state aid so I could be home with my kids. (My kids are stable adults now, despite my quest for material comforts) But, would I have become complacent and used to checks in the mail without work. Two nurses I graduated with were not excited about graduation because "now I have to go to work".
I truly believe in equal education, equal healthcare and rewarding people who figure a way to make their own way. Some people just aren't smart, but they become successful anyway through perseverence and love and not feeding off of society. Others may be educated or not, but they drain society, they drain the system.
Whatever system we come up with next, it needs to stop rewarding corruption and drains
Posted on December 11, 2007 — by rngulf
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