An Inside Look Behind Poverty in the U.S.

Ring... Ring...Ring... an alarm sounds, signaling me to get up and began my day, I unwillingly roll out of bed and stumble to the bathroom. There I turn the shower on and wait for the water to warm up before I step in. While I wait, I turn on the bathroom sink to brush my teeth, twenty seconds later I am all done brushing my teeth. I step into the shower where I unthinkably enjoy a nice hot shower. Ten minutes later, I am clean, and refreshed. I return to my room to pick an outfit for the day, the abundant choice of clothing overwhelms me, but I am finally able to choice. On my way out the door, I grab a quick cup of coffee from the coffee pot and a bagel smothered with cream cheese. Then I jump in my car and am off to work for the day.

This scene described is a typical morning for me, but let's stop and think about my typical morning compared to the morning of someone who is living in poverty. A person who is living in poverty wouldn't generally awake with an alarm clock. They would most likely awake to the sounds of cars racing past them as they wake up next to the busy streets, or the sounds of hungry women, men, and children in a homeless shelters. Every morning I wake up and take a shower, this is something I take for granted everyday, hot, running water. The typical person living in poverty struggles to obtain food and shelter for the day, the need for a shower wouldn't even cross their mind. When I think about the way I begin my day, I realize just how fortunate I am. Every time I turn on a light switch, see the running water from my sink, grab a bagel from the fridge, and start my car I know that I am very fortunate for the things that I have, I can't even imagine not being able to do and have these simple necessities, but the sad truth is that for many life, simply put, is a struggle to survive. 

Here is a link for a video that shows you just what poverty is like for some people in America. It has startling statistics, and very disturbing  images. It also discusses the culture of poverty, going against the argument that states that poverty is related to irresponsibility, and work values.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaM6gUHEF5s

During my studies over chapter 8, I stumbled upon the section discussing poverty. The topic of poverty particular interests me because I have never, until now, stopped to consider the many things I have that other people do not, this includes water, food, shelter, clothing, etc. In addition I was really interested in studying the causes of poverty. In our sociology book, blaming the poor for being poor was brought to my attention several times. This myth "stems from the myth that success requires only individual motivation and ability." Many people argue that poverty is the result of early childbearing, drug and alcohol abuse, refusal to enter the labor market, and crime. This thinking blames the individual for his/her own choices, not on society. The book discusses that the culture of poverty argument blames the major causes of poverty to absence of willingness to work, and irresponsibly. 

The link below provides interesting insight into poverty in the United Stated. This link shows the relationship between the wealth of our nation, and the impoverishment of people within it. Being a wealthy nation the United States has the capitalism and assets to change the conditions for the poor, however little has been done to do so, and I believe that this is the most disturbing fact regarding poverty in the U.S.

http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=OmGcVf8r8H8C&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=poverty+in+U.S.&ots=FwxzKSXinM&sig=RF_lDSyPbiZt7qEiF1v1l0Il8uc#v=onepage&q=poverty%20in%20U.S.&f=false

This picture represents the many people in America who struggle with poverty everyday.

Here are a few links that are worth looking at:

http://www.npc.umich.edu/poverty/

http://www.bread.org/hunger/us/?utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=onlinead&utm_campaign=search&utm_term=us-poverty&utm_content=text&gclid=CLGQ-e3ViKkCFQZDgwodJmDCqQ

-These links provide valuable information about the underlying reasons behind poverty as well as those living in poverty.

Lastly I will leave you with a Quote that I think really does a good job of capturing the U.S. spirits, and the way we should be pulling together to help those less fortunate. 

Adam Schiff, U.S. Representative

"Americans are blessed with great plenty; we are generous people and we have a moral obligation to assist those who are suffering from poverty, disease, war, and famine."