Some of my beliefs on poverty….

I believe that many of the poor suffer from a poor starting point, which leaves them unable to make the “right decisions”, perpetuating failure and leading to hopelessness.

            Princess is a 20yr old mother of 3, each from a different father. When asked if she understood her situation she was quite clear it was bad. When asked why, she said she had hoped each of the men would help her get out of her bad situation. She was contending with a history of an abusive home life, being a single parent of a family of 3 and the loneliness of deciding how to get a better future for her children. She knows she screwed up but has no idea how to fix her situation.

I believe that at some point being hopeless and desperate creates a cynicism that overwhelms common sense and emotions, leading to accelerate anti-social behaviors such as drugs, crime, and the abuse of their own children, which will perpetuate the cycle.

            Princess’s mom, Grandma to the 3 children, is just 16 years older than Princess. She is a mother of 4 and has a history of drug use, arrests for petty theft, dealing, and prostitution. She sees her minor children as a source of money and is willing to help with Princess’s children as long as the checks come with the kids.

I believe that before despair and hopelessness set in they want more and believe in the American Dream.

            When Princess was asked if she wanted a better life for her children her eyes filed with tears and she quietly said yes. When asked what she would give or do to get this better life, she firmly said “I’ll do anything” and then she said she would give her life to guarantee her children didn’t end up like her.

I believe our safety net methodology for solving poverty is a failure. A net is an indiscriminate tool treating all entangled in its boundaries equally. Our failure to address the needs of distinct groups (educational deficit, mental deficit, mental illness, drugs…) wastes a high percentage of resource.

I believe we can lift everyone that is willing to apply maximum effort out of poverty and for the rest we can minimize the hardships of poverty.