 |
| Some espouse the flawed notion that being poor in America is no different than being poor in other parts of the world, like in Russia (pictured). This notion is just not true. |
The subject of poverty in America came up during my Coffee with the Commissioner event yesterday morning. Unfortunately, it is something I know about from my own personal experience, growing up in a broken home in some very tough circumstances.
I know what it feels like to go to bed hungry---I lived that. I know what it was like to get whipped with a belt for simply getting food from the refrigerator without asking permission. Yeah, that happened to me until I turned 11 years old.
So I heard there was a luncheon event in downtown on Tuesday where it was stated that "poverty in America is no different than poverty around the rest of the world."
I just have to take exception to that--that is patently false. Poverty sucks, I know that firsthand as I lived it. (My Dad[who adopted my brother and I] and my Mom, God rest their souls, worked 5 jobs between them at one point here in Pensacola in 1978--and still we struggled.) But my parents kept at it, and eventually things improved. Slowly. It took a lot of hard work and MUCH sacrifice.
As a family, we overcame poverty.
Others have overcome poverty in America as well. Many by following what Ben Shapiro calls his three simple rules to escape poverty in America. During my coffee yesterday I offered a slightly skewed version--1.Don't do Drugs 2. Work a Job 3. Don't have Children You cannot afford to care for. 4. Get Married and stay married. Work and marriage are the key to escaping poverty.
It isn't that difficult to understand, and it isn't that complex-because we live in a great nation that is extremely generous and benevolent that is full of opportunity for those that are willing to work hard.
So how do I know poverty is not the same here as it is in Greece, Turkey, or Mexico, anyway? Uh,
