Sunday, March 10, 2013
Is poverty a choice?
I hate this prompt. I think that it forces people to make conclusions about a group of people that vary in race, ability, personality and cultural history. I have no right to answer this question because I don't know what it's like to be poor. Who am I to conclude that it is or isn't a choice? A good portion of life is based on luck, and I'm lucky enough to have a full stomach and a warm bed, so excuse me for not wanting to analyze an entire class of people.
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I understand the challenge. Should I ask 'what causes poverty?'...'do rich people make people poor?' For instance, I know that education is a major factor in determining the options of a person or group of people. If quality education is not offered, not taken advantage of, etc. one may be confronted with a lack of options and likely the inability to become upwardly mobile. No one is asking you to make a sweeping, insensitive commentary on the plight of our societies' impoverished, but rather have a discussion concerning it. That discussion starts with trying to understand poverty's existence. We then move toward action...
ReplyDeleteI understand. When I get home, I'll do a further analysis. I spent a few hours trying to write this essay, and I kept coming up short when trying to explain what I said. Thanks for addressing my concerns, and explaining the question to me.
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