PLEASE NOTE: As of Monday, this blog entry has been edited/ammended for accuracy (I accidentally posted a question for the wrong article; all is corrected now and right with the world--post away!).
Okay, so here we are at our first blog meeting! Glad to see you!
Let's do some thinking about one of the articles you're currently reading--the one entitled
"The War Against the Poor Instead of Programs to End Poverty." I think the questions from the back of your article give us a good jumping off point. So first, consider what Gans has observed regarding how the economy, the governement, and the political climate have participated in the "war against the poor." Gans's sense is that these forces essentially "gang up" on the poor to keep them where they are---on the lowest economic rung of our culture. This said, are there any specific local/national practices, rules, or customs that seem to work more quietly/subtly than even the ones mentioned in your article? Consider your own experiences and observations: have you personally observed certain discriminatory treatment/exclusion of the poor in a situation where other kinds of people were not excluded? Tell us about it briefly.
Secondly, which of Gans's solutions for ending poverty do you think is most viable? Very briefly, tell us why.
Now, I'm not sure, but in order to participate here, I think you'll first need to make yourself a "Follower" of this blog, Expository Writing. That link is to the right. Click it, and make yourself a "Follower."
Post your original post by simply clicking on the "Comment" link that appears at the bottom of this posting. Then you can click on "Comment" for the specific class member that you wish to respond to.
Blogging Rules for our Class:
1. NO novels please---a thoughful but brief response is plenty
2. Be sure to post an original response to the question AND another, separate response to at least ONE of your classmates
3. Be respectful of each other's ideas and of the material that we're engaging here
Okay! So I'll look forward to reading your first posts!
~Mrs. Holmes
This is a test, I will be posting later...Lorinda
ReplyDelete1)Personaly, I believe that the poor are capable of being self sufficient. Though it is quite true that there are people who do, in fact, descriminate against other individuals. However, I do not believe that the government is behind this. It seems, in a way, as more of a conspiracy theory than anything else to assume that the government intentionally prevents someones assertaition of a job.
ReplyDelete2)I dont personally find any of his solutions as a viable solution to the existance of poverty. I mean, you cannot simply wait for someone to come and save you when you need to first try to help yourself. All people from all walks of life have the ability to help themselves. They need only to stand up and dust themselves off.
One of the main concerns that I have noticed in the Gulfport area is the need for acceptable housing for families that are at/below the poverty level. Since Hurricane Katrina many people in the local poverty class had their homes taken away and the rebuilding process is not happening fast enough. Builders are receiving tax returns for including a dedicated portion of newly built housing for qualified section 8 recipients but the quantity supplied is not meeting the need. Many concerned (or assumed middle-class) citizens are concerned about having this ‘type’ of housing in their areas or in their backyard (as they describe it) and this issue has been the focus of many open forum meetings with the Harrison Board of Supervisors and Planning Committee. The approval of dedicated homes, or housing, has only been approved in limited areas forcing needy families into a centralized area without options. As a result the children of these families are being forced into schools that are already overcrowded and may not have as high of an academic rating as other schools nearby thus, only to recreate the poverty cycle.
ReplyDeleteThe ‘catch 22’ to this problem is there are grant programs available at this time that are eligible for families in this situation but the difficulty with that is most poverty stricken families, although they qualify monetarily they may not meet the personal credit requirements.
In this instance the suggestion of a non-punitive universal income grant program may work for the families in question. If they had the money to provide basic needs such as rent or mortgage payments on a regular basis they would have the means to choose where they want to live. This would provide more opportunity for them to live near an area where work is available and provide better educational opportunities for their children in hopes to break the cycle.
I agree with Cronis in that people should not rely on other sources for escaping their situation. But it happens every where. Some individuals do not man up and take initiative and responsibility in themselves. They lack the motivation and self-esteem to get things done so they're afraid to deal with the hardships of mistakes and time it takes for things to happen. They don't want to wait around. They want it NOW. Patience is a virtue.
ReplyDeleteBut this doesn't apply to every member of poverty, of course there are exceptions and certain circumstances which cannot be controlled. But when I read in the paper that a woman's home was burglarized and everything inside was stolen, then I just sigh like it doesn't surprise me because that, to me, is a consequence of poverty.
I think Gans hit the mark in so many areas. It is so easy for people to get upset and frustrated at the poor when they themselves have never been forced to see life a class below or a race below. "There they go again, claiming some type of ism." This is usually a comforting quote by those who choose to be indifferent and dull their conscious with the unrealistic thoughts that being born in America alone is the cure for poverty. Society is then placed in their good standings because a reflection of wrongs done by a society is a reflection of the people who make up that society. Poor people are used by the liberal politicians, abhorred by conservatives (even though many of them are in the same financial boat) and used by the media to fill news gaps in between reporting on Congress and Madonna. Intrinsically it is easier to wage war on the sinner than the sin. Easier to point a finger than extend a hand, and easier to say, "I did it" than it is to help someone else do it.
ReplyDeleteJode' Braxton-Hignight I agree with you on the housing conditions and schools especially as we look post-Katrina. Even in the case of federal funds being diverted from housing and community development to be used to build the port of Gulfport. One can say this will create jobs and with jobs comes elevation in living standards. However, the immediate need is for housing and devlopment. The overcrowding of schools and classrooms leads to students who need a more personnel approach to learning being unintentionally ignored and improves their chances of becoming uninterested and ultimately dropping out of school. This of course leads to their stay in poverty and in a matter of time their stay in a correctional facility. Doing the math on this situation isn't difficult. One step leads to the other, but for many instead of pointing at politicians whose pockets are greased by local businessmen people often feel closer to a better class, by saying nothing should go to assist the very people those grants/funds were appropriated for.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Cronis and the statement about Gan's solutions. They are very vaque and one must wonder where will the money come from for funding? As the article states this does scare the middle class as they are generally hit hardest. It is difficult for any class to be a constant 'giver' especially when programs are not explained to the fullest and it appears to be a hand out.
ReplyDelete