"Poor vs. Po"
Poor is relative; "po" is absolute because to be"po" one can afford neither the "o" nor the "r" in "poor"
Submitted by S Woodford
Today we want to tackle a subject that is very difficult, yet very pervasive. In this country, there are no easy solutions to solving these age-old problems. However, something must be done to relieve the plight of those who are suffering from the effects of poverty. It is a sign of the times that we live in, where people have had enough of watching the rich get bailed out and CEO’s get fat corporate bonuses. While many hard working people find themselves out of work, in foreclosure, and just struggling to exist from day- to-day. Those struggling people made a decision to take action and let corporate America know that they are no longer going to submit to this type of inequality by taking it to the streets and opposing the ever- widening gap between the rich and the poor.
Poverty is a complex problem in terms of who is living in poverty. To address that issue let’s first look at the US census bureau definition of this ever- changing poverty line. The United States Census Bureau uses a lot of statistical data to determine who fits the criteria of poverty’s threshold:
Following the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) Statistical Policy Directive 14, the Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who is in poverty. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold, then that family and every individual in it is considered in poverty. The official poverty thresholds do not vary geographically, but they are updated for inflation using Consumer Price Index (CPI-U). The official poverty definition uses money income before taxes and does not include capital gains or noncash benefits (such as public housing, Medicaid, and food stamps)….
For more in-depth comparison of measures of poverty click on the above link.
Relative poverty is basically a comparison of what it will cost to maintain the basic necessities of life, food, clean drinking water, shelter, clothing and access to health care, education etc.
However, the United States has many programs to help the poor such as: low cost housing, food stamps, organization’s and church’s that feed the hungry and homeless. Also the US provides health care and WIC programs, and a host of other benefits to its citizens.
One may have to jump through a lot of bureaucratic hoops to receive these benefits but nevertheless, these programs are available. So, poverty in which the poor still have a car(s), cell phones and access to government services is relative poverty compared to the poor who do not work and depend solely on the government for support.
The floating poverty line has reached those who have never experienced poverty before in an alarming rate. It is plain to them that poverty is a reality and that they are not just floating on the poverty line but living in a sea of poverty. With no end in sight, one can’t blame them for not trusting the government to throw them a life raft (bail them out).
Absolute Poverty: is a situation in which one has no resources or access to the basic necessities of life: clean drinking water, food, clothing, or shelter.
There is no access to clothing, food, water, or health care. When I view this picture, (even the picture is poor) It becomes clear just what absolute poverty looks like. Not knowing whether or not one will eat today. Or if one or one’s child will starve from malnutrition, AIDS, Cholera, Malaria or some other disease because of the lack access to the basic necessities of life. It is an abomination that so many people should lose their lives for lack of food when this country pays farmers not to grow crops so that they can maximize profits.
What does it say about the world in which we live? When we passively watch people around the world and in our own country go hungry? What kind of people can stomach these inequalities and allow people to die without trying to lend a hand? I don’t know. You tell me! I think of all the great scientific intellectual, innovators who have solved the problem of building rockets that reach the moon and beyond, the agricultural minds that found a way to produce and make food last longer on vast scales, those medical minds who solved problem of disease that our young people don’t know ever existed such as Polio, and other diseases that we don’t even hear about anymore in this country. I remain optimistic that we have the resources to eradicate a big chunk of our country’s poverty and hunger problem. Yet, I will not sit around on the sidelines waiting for others to solve the problem I will take action and get on the firing line of life and do my small part by using whatever resources that I have to help others to live a better life. If it means feeding the homeless donating my time or providing a service, then so be it. In what way can you be a part of the solution?
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