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RE: I love street musicians
You wanna see poor? Join the Army, your politicians have a knack for sending us to places where true poverty is rampant.
While this may well be a true comment, you don't have to join the Army. Instead, I suggest you join an Appalachia Service Project and view the abject poverty found there. The collapse of the coal industry in that region has left many living in the kind of poverty one sees in other countries; where the next meal has to be found in the forest up the mountain or behind their home. The hope is gone from many of the residents of this region; many live without plumbing and garbage collection is non-existent.
President Lyndon Johnson tried to lift up this region with tax dollar 3 decades ago. Indeed, even President Clinton tried to revitalize this region as well. Christian Churches are having the most impact in the region; opening centers that provide basic services--even teaching adults skills they should have learned as children such as the ability to read and write.
Looking at this map from FY 2006, 158 counties in this region are at 'distressed' or at-risk levels of poverty. Seventy Seven of these counties have income at the $14,610-$19,290 level; well below poverty. While the income figures date back to 2003; it shows that this region is poverty stricken.
Abject Poverty exists not only in Appalachia. Much emphasis is given in the Media about how 'successful' many Indian tribes have been with their casino efforts. Yet, none of media focuses on those tribes where gambling has not been successful.Indeed, many social service organizations have seen a DROP in donation, because of the perception that Native Americans and striking it rich with casinos. This is further from the truth than one might realize; many Native Americans still live in poverty, and nowhere is this poverty more evident than on the Pine Ridge Ogala Sioux reservation in South Dakota.
Oh, Pine Ridge has tried to make a go of gambling, but being 100 miles from any major population center, this has not been the blessing is has been for tribes located near major population centers. In fact, nearly 50% of the tribes who have gambling are unsuccessful. .
Pine Ridge has an average life expectancy of 47 for males, and the low 50's for females. Unemployment is in excess of 85%, alcoholism the same. The adolescent suicide is 4x the national average, infant mortality 5x the national average, and the average income is less than $5,000 per year. Most of the residents do not have running water, sewer, electricity or phones.
You don't have to join the Army to see poverty; drive to South Dakota, or the Appalachian region. You'll see it there.
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I love street musicians
You know who I give money to? Waitresses that bring me my food. Rather than give her $2 at the end of the meal, I give her $4. Those two dollars mean nothing to mean in the grand scheme, but to her, a decent tip might bring a smile. I give money to the guys on the corner playing the trombone. I give money to guys doing sleight-of-hand magic on the street in new Orleans. You don't have to do much for me to give you a few bucks, but you do have to do something. Just pretend to play the guitar, I don't care. Contribute something to society, if its only a poorly played trumpet.
And for the record, I have yet to see an American that truly knows poverty. Sure, there's people that aren't well off, that have to work very hard for very little, or that are just down right out of luck. But there is a negligible amount of real poverty in the US. You wanna see poor? Join the Army, your politicians have a knack for sending us to places where true poverty is rampant.
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