Starting with Poverty

Somewhere in the middle of right and left, pro and anti, stand for and stand against....we've lost what matters.

It's human nature really.

We are so prone to wander.

What if for a moment we decided that whatever the cost we were going to find commonalities and build upon them?
What if for a moment conservative didn't mean evil and liberal didn't mean idiot?
What if we remembered, especially those of us who claim to be believers, that politicians are doing a job and are simply human beings.  Many of them, republican and democratic, will lie sometime while in office and many of them will not have set out to do so.  They can not "save" a community.  Their policies and bills and laws (which incidentally really aren't "theirs") can not "fix" all of the issues at hand.

There are social concerns that have been social concerns since the beginning of time. 

Poverty.  Abuse.  Racism.   Crime.   Greed.   Homelessness.

It has not mattered who was in office.  These things remain.  How they are, or if they are dealt with, might change and other matters might emerge more prevalent...but they are some standard things that as a society we've had to contend with.  What are we doing about them?  How do they change?

I've been chewing on this for quite some time and finally feel that I can adequately share my thoughts about it.  Personally, I think we do a lot of hiding behind our political party and agenda and standing on our soap boxes of what "others" are really like when we don't know the first thing about those "others" because we have our opinions based on some news broadcast, or media hype or our special situation which we've somehow decided is the average American experience.

Blech.

  
Where are our values?  Just gonna break it down.  Poverty.

Do we really want to see poverty stamped out of our society or do we just want to make sure that OUR family doesn't fall below the poverty level?  Do we care that there are children in our communities that go to bed without food?  Or do we think since there is a foodshare program (cuz "foodstamps" in a booklet how many of you think of them do not exist anymore.)  and "those" people get them then there is no reason for any child to be hungry?  Are we entering into the lives of "poor" people or do we just see them as a great 'cause'?  Do we realize that in order to recieve cash assistance, which is W-2 (there is no more welfare that ended in 1995) that participants are engaged in 30-40 hours of activity for a payment of $653 per month?  There is no financial increase for more children.  There is a time limit of 24 months.  And there are many regions/counties where as long as you have your GED they will not consider you eligible for this placement.  That means they might be able to sign up for W-2 but they will not recieve any cash payment at all.  If someone has medical or mental health issues or medical issues with a child and has legitimate reasons why they can't participate in activities, then the payment is $608 per month.  There is a time limit of 24 months for this placement as well. 

If you are over a certain age education doesn't have to be allowed as an activity at all.  Don't see the issue?  You might be a 27 year old young woman who dropped out of school because you had a child very young and now two more children later are working to get your life back on track.  $653 won't sustain you and can't for long anyway.  But because of how old you are....you might not be allowed to obtain your GED as part of your hours of activity because your hours of activity should help you become "job ready".  Wouldn't obtaining a GED help make a 27 year old with 3 children and limited work history job ready?

I share all of this for this main reason.  If much of what I wrote you had no clue about...you had never heard that before....you have never experienced it firsthand....then please stop blah blah blah'ing about women who spend their lives on welfare-who have more kids to get more money and who need to just go and get a job!!! 

Because you know not of which you speak and you are doing more damage than good.

Here's what I am beginning to feel unfortunately.

The majority of us.  Don't really care. 

Oh we care in the sense that we want poor people to just stop being poor.  I mean, we are the land of opportunity aren't we?  "Our" people pulled themselves up from the bootstraps didn't they?  People are poor because they choose to be...or they are addicts....or they are criminals. We care in the way that we get disgusted when it hinders us in some way.  We care so long as "they" don't infringe on our daily activites. 

But we don't care in a way that breaks our hearts.  We don't care like Jesus cared.  We claim to desire to be like Him.  But too often, we really don't want to.  Because if we did...man, that's sloppy and messy and hard and sometimes irritating.  Unsettling and costly.  But right.  And good.  And just.

Personally  think it's a cop out to say, "Well I don't know how to get involved?"

You can find the most obscure little restaurant in the most obscure little European town to visit on your vacation...but you can't figure out how to fight poverty?  You can network how to get a huge discount at a store...but you can't fgure out how to fght poverty?

B.S.  Sorry if that is offensive to any of you.  But really.  B.S.

Next year.  Is too late.
Next month.  Is too late.
Next week.  Is too late.
It's time now.

Share.  Give.  Listen.  Laugh.  Pray.  Grow.

That's what  I got today.