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| Photo Credit: Tavistalks.com |
How do we define "poor" in America? Although the Federal Government and States have standards of "poverty lines, there are plenty of people struggling on the other side of the line. Disclaimer: I am by no means an expert on this subject. This article is based off of my own observations.
- Myth #1: Poor people are lazy
- I will preface my response by saying that I do know some people who were lazy and irresponsible. The entire family relied on the father's part time job as income. However, my mother-in-law is a disabled woman who helps raise a ton of children in the family, cooks and bakes as a side job with her niece, cleans, and so much more. The woman really is amazing. Then there are countless people who work so hard at their jobs but are still struggling.
- I grew up in a paycheck to paycheck family. Both of my parents are hard workers and my dad worked overtime. My mother is a very educated women. However, between medical bills and other issues, I grew up in between the "working poor" and "low-middle class". My parents made sure my brothers and I always had food in our stomachs and clothes on our backs, but there wasn't much money for entertainment or family vacations or many things my peers had. We weren't traditionally poor growing up, but we weren't spoiled. This has taught me to appreciate what I have and to asses if I really need something before I buy it.
- Myth #2: It's their own fault that they are impoverished. They just need to work harder.
- A variety of factors contribute to poverty. This list is by no means exhaustive.
- Someone was laid-off
- Medical bills
- Student loans
- Born into poverty
- Not enough hours/ too low of a wage
- Big family
- Disability
- Being a caretaker for dependents
- Cost of living is too high
- Not qualified for jobs because of a lack of specialization/degree
- Frances Carrier, a spouse of a service member residing overseas (and my best friend) has this message to share: "Just because you live paycheck to paycheck doesn't mean you have brought this upon yourself. Keep doing you and ignore the ignorant people".
- Myth #3: They're not that smart
- This myth may stem from a correlation between malnutrition and bad test scores or grades. among other studies. And while it is hard for students to focus on school with a growling tummy or issues at home, schooling is not the only indicator of a person's intelligence. There are also many programs out there that address hunger for school children or other obstacles to learning, such as Harvesters. Many students from poor families have gone on to pursue post-secondary education and now have sucessful careers.
- Another issue that perpetuates this myth is that students from poor families are more likely to drop out of school. This is often done so they can help support their families or because they have started a family. Sometimes, poorer students who remain in school get lower grades because they spend much of their time outside of school at work or helping the family. My husband didn't do very well in high school because he spent a ton of time at work to help his family out.
- Myth #4: All poor people rely on social services
- There are some families who make too much money to qualify for social services, but who have too many bills to pay. Although on the surface, they may seem better off than those who receive services, these people are sometimes worse off because they do not receive food stamps or other services to help them out.
- My husband's family didn't qualify for assistance until he was in high school. They still grew up poor. There were still many summers without water, electricity, or air because bills couldn't be paid.
- Just because someone uses social services does not mean that they abuse it. I have family who use it and work hard to get to the point that they don't have to. They don't buy fancy things with cash assistance, but use it to pay rent. Generally, most people will use assistance correctly. I do know someone who relied on and abused her assistance, but she is an exception to the rule.
- Myth #5: They don't deserve technology, kindness, nice stuff, etc.
- Here is where some controversy lies. There are complaints that poor people spend their money on phones or a nice outfit, etc. Some things, such as a cell phone or a nice outfit to wear to interviews/work are necessities. Some things are gifts from other people. Sometimes children save their money for toys and such. My husband bought a game system with $80 he worked for. "Just because someone is poor doesn't mean they can't have joy in their life", he says.
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