what do u think about this?

Question

32.9 million people are classified as living below the official poverty line ($18,104 for family of four) in 2001. [If you adjust the official poverty line to the inflation, the number of poor Americans would have been be closer to 50 million in 1999, when the official number was 35 million]

* The poorest 20% of U.S. households received less than 5% of all income in 2000.

* 16% of children under the age of 18 are living in poverty.

* In 2001, 26.4% of female-headed families were below the poverty threshold, and in such families the average income was about 60% less than the median income of all families.

* Almost 23% of the black population and 21.4% of people of Spanish-speaking descent have incomes below the official poverty line, compared with 9.9% of the white population.

* About 1.35 million children-nearly 2% of the nation's total-are homeless.

Answer 1

The statistics are well and good, but to truly understand them you need to experience poverty. I have never been in poverty myself but a large number of the students I work with are. The effects are devastating and tend to create a vicious cycle of poverty.

Answer 2

It's loaded as heck. There's several facts in there that are conveluted at best. More importantly statements like that simply present basic statistics. They don't take into account the reasons why some or most people are poor or what that even means. For instance how simple is it to define rich and poor? A person who has several million in the bank, but say took a year off and earned very little that following year would be considered stastically poor being that those figues are based on annual income. Also a person who owns a business that takes a million or more may not take much home considering factors like over head costs (very common in small businesses in the construction field). So like I said statistic like that simply point out anomilous facts and attempt to overly simplify issues that are much more complex.

Answer 3

I think it is very sad in a country as rich as ours that this exists. It will never change, however, as long as you have the "Ted Kennedys" in Congress, who are rich and don't care about the poor people.....I have been working for the government welfare system for over 25 years and it just amazes me that the people who actually need the help cannot receive it, such as those elderly who have worked all their lives and live off of a paltry social security check and those that don't need help, such as those who don't want to work but sit home all day get it and it is all because of governmental "red tape". I fully believe that if you need it, you should have it; however, if you don't, let someone else get it.
There is absolutely no way a family of four can exist on minimum wage after taxes. I think the government needs to readjust their way of thinking in creating programs to help people and also help people find jobs instead of just giving out handout after handout.
In our state, a food stamp client can drive a 2007 Jaguar and still qualify for food stamps if he/she is below the income limits......something kind of wrong there don't ya think??

Answer 4

Over 3 Billion people in the world have a Net Worth of less than $2,200! They are the truly impoverished. Most people in the world make less than $5 a DAY!

Answer 5

I'm all about teaching a man to fish..but we in this country have resorted to giving him as many fish as he wants, so why would he do anything different then what he has always done...my mom was raised poor back when poor meant that you had to do without designer labels and you had to grow your food...all seven of her siblings contributed to the family business, which is in its third generation...she taught me to preserve and appreciate what you have and to work hard for what you want
The statistics don't tell the whole story...

Answer 6

I think the people living in the ghettos need to go out and get a job instead of using government money to support there drug addictions and neglecting the needs of their children!
Should I continue?

Answer 7

Honestly!...umm im sure im going to to get a lot of thumbs down for this....but....i really honestly feel bad for those children whose families shouldnt have reproduced if they couldnt afford it! I have very little sympathy for people who are that poor, i will say there are cases that i feel bad for people, but a mojority of people like the bums you see walking down the street, yeah i have ZERO sympathy, In a sense they choose that lifestyle, There are plenty of job opportunities out there! You just have to get out of your bed in the morning, go to work, and apply yourself. No one in this world is just going to hand over matierial things so you arent living in poverty! And for those families that have children, God bless those children! i feel incredibly bad for them. but i still have no sympathy for the parents! its funny how they poverty level is so much higher now than it was....say 40 years ago! This country has gotten LAZY!

Answer 8

I think it really blows. another question might be, how do we give the ones who are struggling the most a better chance for a better life?

Answer 9

wow- that is sad...