Today I read a statistic about my state that has me furious. Within the past decade, there has been a 56 percent increase in the number of children who have become poor. Of those, 34,000 became poor between 2008 and 2009.
This in a state which has prided itself as progressive. At least we used to see ourselves that way. We now have a Republican governor who wants to run for President on a record of never having raised taxes. He has refused to accept federal funds from the health reform bill to avoid the appearance of supporting “Obamacare”. The hell, apparently, to the rest of us in the state.
What does it mean for a child to be poor in this country? Perhaps not the same as it would mean to be poor in India, for example, or Iran, or one of many African nations. However, I don’t believe this is the standard by which we should rate ourselves.
We are a rich country. We have failed our most vulnerable citizens.
We are losing our most valuable asset-our people.
Children who grow up poor may be more likely not to have the stability of a consistent home, food, education or clothing. Every day I see the link between being poor and chemical abuse. The pipeline into prison is filling with children who have little hope and not much to lose.
We can invest in these children now-early education, medical insurance, jobs for their parents and low-cost housing.
Or, we will certainly pay for it in the future, paying for jail and prison care, mental health and drug treatment. We will reap what we sow.
Wake up—-I don’t care what anyone’s political persuasion may be. These are children. What we are doing has not been working. They are counting on the adults of the world to take care of them.
What is our country’s answer going to be?
Just My Life 
I don’t consider us a rich nation anymore; some are rich and they take it all, the rest of us? too freaking bad. I can’t believe we let go of all the leverage our ancestors worked so hard to obtain for us in the face of large corporations. How did that happen? Why did we lose sight of the fact society is best when we work together to pull everyone up, not when we all fight to keep a few extra dollars for ourselves, dollars that get us nothing in the end anyway.
At the finish of the U.S. Open tennis tournament, when some corporate muckity-muck came out to award the check to the winner I was so disgusted. Companies can give out millions to athletes that are already grossly overpaid, but what about their own workers? Revolting. How many people should have been rewarded for their hard work with at least something of that millions of dollars check, but were not? How much money did that company donate to schools, libraries, scholarships, opportunities for kids to travel, go to camp, do an internship?
By: Yael on September 30, 2010
at 9:08 am
I had been puzzled about why so many of our citizens are oblivious about our country’s downward spiral.. that is, until I saw Michael Moore’s film “Bowling for Columbine”
The film showed that we Americans are all “individuals”, we are all in this alone. Most of our citizens only care about themselves. That translates into the politicians and policies they support… ones that benefit them PERSONALLY and no one else.
On TV once I saw the woman who started “Mothers Against Drunk Drivers”. The interviewer was heaping praise on this woman for all her good work. But one has to remember – she couldn’t have cared less about drunk driving up to the day before her daughter was killed by one.
I suspect the the biggest opponents of Obamacare (hate that word) have employer paid medical insurance. Why would they give a shit if the guy next door doesn’t have it? These are people who not only cannot see the “bigger picture” they can’t see beyond the end of their noses.
Unfortunately, these morons will vote in huge numbers.
By: Robert the Skeptic on September 30, 2010
at 3:56 pm