Today I was in a store waiting in line and heard one guy say to another "Poor people are poor because they are lazy and stupid". The guy making the comment didn't realize how much his voice carried, but it caused two people to laugh, one older guy to comment "********" under his breath, and a lady to leave the line up in disgust. The guy saying it looked upper middle class being dressed quite well.
This really makes me wonder. Why is there such malicious dislike of people just scraping by? What about the mixed response by people?
2006-12-10 10:47:29 · 11 answers · asked by LanceMiller77 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Other - Society & Culture
He might be just a jerk. Or, he might have some personal experience that has soured his attitude.
I'm a 'middle-income' wage earner. I started out my 'career' in a restaurant, then worked as a nanny, making barely more than minimum wage. I lived in a rented single wide mobile home for 8 years. I took classes in the evening, and eventually got a job, first in a nursing home, then in a hospital. I've gone back to school, part-time, again and again over the years, to improve my wage-earning ability. I have a younger sister, with a college degree, who makes about the same money I make. I have an older sister who has lived off of welfare, other 'social programs', and anybody else she can hit up for money, all of her life.
The thing is, we all come from the same 2 lower-middle income parents, grew up in the same household, were taught the same values and had--or didn't have--the same opportunities. We all live in the same area. My older sister made very bad decisions, compounded them by very bad actions, followed by more very bad decisions, followed by more bad actions...on and on and on for decades, now. She's 43 years old, has 4 children--none of which she has been able to support--and is still getting public assistance to make ends meet. She's poor. She's always telling me how she's just scraping by. And you know what? I think it's her own fault. I think she made the choices that have put her, and her family, into that situation. And I think she did it over and over and over again.
Not for one minute do I think all poor people fit into the same mold as my sister. Illness, both physical and mental, often puts people into desperate straits, for a very long time. But some of them, maybe even a lot of them, do.
If you start looking at third-world countries, then none of this applies, but in countries like the US, there is a great deal of personal choice that goes into the events that shape people's lives. That's the blessing of living in a wealthy nation.
It may not be politically correct to point this out, but right now, we have millions and millions of illegal immigrants streaming into our country to 'do the jobs nobody else wants to do,' and even with little or no education, and poor English skills, they are apparently doing quite well at it, even if it means working 2 or 3 jobs. Plainly, there is work to be had, if one is willing.
Contraception is free, to lower income people, in many places, certainly in most big cities and towns. In any case, it's certainly much cheaper than the cost of raising a child, so children also are a choice. Other factors, such as illness or injury, do play a part for many. But, there are a lot of people who just live off the system. The guy who was making the general statement about all poor people was wrong to make the generalization--but he wasn't all wrong about all of them.
2006-12-10 11:55:40 · answer #1 · answered by functionary01 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well I don't make fun of the poor, but I could see why that person would make that comment. Poor people do have a choice to either work and make something of their lives or give up and ask for handouts (while staying at the local homeless shelter). They don't get respect because of what they are so in a way I agree with that guy who said it. I don't know why the woman in the line just went up and left just because of that comment, she has issues and she should've probably minded her own business. People like her want attention too! I bet by leaving that line and shaking her head, she made a scene too!
2006-12-10 10:55:56 · answer #2 · answered by Suzy Suzee Sue 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Most people don't like themselves so taking it out on a person who is worse off then they are makes them feel better. Its the "bully" syndrome. A lot of those people don't understand what it is like to be down on your luck. They've never had a hard time, probably came from a semi wealthy family. So they've never been in their shoes. Sure there are "some" who don't want to change their station, but most do want a better life. People just don't understand. I volunteered in a homeless shelter and not ONE person there had less than one job. Sometimes thing happen. People get sick, get downsized, get abandoned. It has NOTHING to do with being lazy. The amt of women who had children and their husband (the breadwinner) abandoned them, and took everything is astonishing. But people don't see that part. All they see is a bum. Its pathetic. If that man in line spent just one of his "better" days in a shelter or trying to make ends meet on a minimum wage I guarantee he'd shut his mouth.
2006-12-11 01:05:45 · answer #3 · answered by Chrissy 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Some people are so ignorant these days.....we all know that.
Some people just assume because your homeless because you choose to be or has to be lazy, a drug head, or prostitute, etc....
but I believe everyone has there own story.
I think that some people just want to feel better than the next person so they put the less unfortunate down.
Take care.
2006-12-10 10:53:06 · answer #4 · answered by msconfused 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
God, that story just pissed me off. I cannot stand people like that!!!
I wish the people who critisized the poor people could live a day in their shoes, maybe then they would think differently.
Nowadays, people have to be wealthy to be okay with society and even then they are full of themselves assuming they are better then others just because they have money.
2006-12-10 10:51:44 · answer #5 · answered by Dink 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A misplaced sense of superiority, like they are better or know more than others who are not so lucky as them.
Some people also just like to be loud and obnoxious and he may very well have been well aware of how much his voice carried, and wanted it that way.
2006-12-10 10:49:59 · answer #6 · answered by LindaLou 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
some people panhandle just to get a free ride thes are the ones that put a bad taste in peoples mouths because the ones that really need the money,clothes,or food dont get it and these are the ones you see on the streets wile the ones that dont need it take it away from the poor and they sell it for mostly drugs
2006-12-10 11:07:00 · answer #7 · answered by slp9209 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Because people like to look down on others. Also people can't seem to fathom other reasons beside laziness that can cause poverty. Like childhood abuse, fires, disabilites etc.
2006-12-10 10:59:53 · answer #8 · answered by Koko Butta Kream 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's the same reason people hate anybody. It's misplaced blame and resentment so that they don't have to deal with the ugly truth about themselves.
As someone once said: People don't get angry when lies are told about them; they get angry when the truth is told about them.
2006-12-10 11:07:44 · answer #9 · answered by Teresa C 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
i dont know what u r complaning about man...whos fault is it for beeing poor? their fault, plus its ture that poor people are poor beacause they are lazy and stupid....if they arent, they did have damn jobs...plus its human nature to make fun of people whos unfortune than you....it makes you feel better, its human nature man
2006-12-10 10:53:17 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋