This generalization fits 99.5% of the population, so yeah, it is merely a highly accurate generalization. You may think they would be better off staying where they are, but the hoards of people trying to get to our shores says otherwise. But I certainly agree that being sick would be a deal changer, yet I am fairly certain they would rather be sick in the US, than sick in Somalia….

Having been homeless myself, I found that the Safeway dumpster was a pretty good place to find food. On thursdays at 4:30, they threw out all the day old bread and expired groceries, still wrapped in plastic! Won’t find that in Somalia. I’m not saying there is no hardship in the US, just not any real poverty…..

Not all poor people do live well here. I grew up poor, and although my childhood wasn’t the greatest because of it, we were incredibly fortunate. Those who I have rubbed shoulders with in my time weren’t always so lucky. I’ve met more than one person living homeless because they couldn’t afford both rent and cancer treatment. I’ve met more than one family where the parents had to forgo food for themselves in order to feed their kids. I’ve met many children whose only reliable source of food was through free and reduced lunch programs. It may not be the third-world, but that doesn’t excuse the fact that people in the US don’t have access to food, medicine, or a simple roof over their heads; for as rich and powerful a country as we, it is inexcusable. The argument that it could always be worse is tired; we can’t take care of all the world’s problems, but we can (and should) at least take care of what is going on in our own backyard.

Obama was neither the best nor the worst that the United States has ever had. The Republicans have caused a lot of problems in his term, but the Democrats have been far from perfect (not just the president, as he is only one man in the large convoluted web that is our government). We are always looking for a simple answer, one person or group that can take all of the blame. Real life isn’t so black and white. There are a lot of problems when it comes to the poverty issue, and there is no one perfect solution that will make everyone happy. That’s not to say we should sit back and do nothing; we all at least want our society to get to the same place, low income-inequality, low poverty levels, low unemployment and a large middle class. Basically a healthy economy. The question is how to get there, and that’s where the discrepancy lies. Personally, I think that a lot of liberals push too far in the the direction of equal opportunity to the point of enabling certain groups (and perpetuating the victim mentality of certain groups of traditionally oppressed people), whereas I don’t think that conservatives push near far enough. The great American myth pushed by the right (aside from the trickle down theory, which is also bunk) is that you can get anywhere with hard work, and that needs to die. Sure, hard work is an important factor in getting ahead, but it isn’t the only one.

I’m very grateful for all that I had, but I have to say that I did not have an easy childhood in the slightest. We’ve always had health problems in my family, and I spent much of my time in hospitals and waiting rooms. Many of my luxury items (including certain clothes, toys, even big things like computers and a Gamecube) were gifts or from charities. Even necessities such as gas for the car or food often came from charity.

Still, I was fortunate compared to those that I have rubbed shoulders with throughout my life. There have been several people that I can remember who were sick with severe and life-threatening illness (most often cancer) and who had lost their homes just trying to pay for treatment. There were several families struggling to make ends meet while raising small children, sometimes going without food themselves in order to feed those kids. Some of the kids were homeless themselves. Some mothers and children were trying to escape an abusive father and husband (I know that women can also be abusive, but I’m talking about those that I’ve personally met). Some were struggling with physical and/or mental illness, and had no access to care.

I know that there are poor people living in other countries who are suffering so much worse than most poor people here…that doesn’t account for everyone, and it certainly doesn’t excuse what many Americans do go through when we can do something to change it. How is it right to force someone have to choose between feeding their child and feeding themselves, or choose between a home or lifesaving medicine? How is it right to allow our children to live a transient life in the most critical years of their development because their parents can’t afford rent? We are among the wealthiest countries in the world. It is inexcusable that we have people living in 3rd world conditions.

I think we need to take Billy Ray Valentine’s (“Changing Places” 1983) advice to deal with people like Ryan and all the heartless republicans in Congress as well.

“it occurs to me that the best way you hurt rich people is by turning them into poor people”

The same applies to those who abuse their power.