POVERTY IN AMERICA

Poverty in America

Poverty in America

Many people have different views on the causes of poverty. Those who make opinions without really looking at the facts assume that poverty is the result of individuals not wanting to work or individuals lacking the skill to work. In some cases, those reasons may be true, although they do not account for the sole reason poverty exists. (Duncan, Gustafsson, Hauser, Schmaus, Jenkins, Messinger, Muffels, 2005) The causes of poverty have more to do with faults of society, rather than the fault of individuals. Government agencies do not pay enough attention to the poor. They make up an astounding number of people who go hungry and without work, yet, because there are such booming businesses that are doing well, too much focus is placed on how to keep those booming businesses going.

In some of the richest cities, there is a thin line between the rich and the poor. One street of New York may be filled with multimillion dollar, suit-wearing business men walking to work at the stock exchange, while two streets down, there are ghettos with hungry children and mothers and fathers who are unable to find work. (Duncan, Gustafsson, Hauser, Schmaus, Jenkins, Messinger, Muffels, 2005) The poor ended up being put aside. Because the United States is a democracy and everyone has an equal chance of succeeding, it is thought that the poor have an equal chance of doing as well as the multimillion-dollar, suite-wearing businessman. It is for this reason that most put fault on individuals for being poor. Yet, help to get out of the slum of poverty must come from somewhere. If there is no work because the economy is not doing well, then people continue to be poor. (Duncan, Gustafsson, Hauser, Schmaus, Jenkins, Messinger, Muffels, 2005)

Without the government doing something to help facilitate the regeneration of the poor, it is not possible for the poor to get themselves out of it. So much of that relies upon education. Yet, schools within poor communities are not granted enough money from the government to give young students proper education. Without that, it is less likely for someone, especially a poor person, to become successful. In a way, part of the cause of poverty lies with individuals. Will, drive and determination have nothing to do with money or education. So, it is possible, even with all the odds working against a poor person, that one could rise up and become a success. (Duncan, Gustafsson, Hauser, Schmaus, Jenkins, Messinger, Muffels, 2005) Government money to facilitate better education would greatly help poverty rates, yet, it relates to the ethical concept of diffusion of responsibility.

The problem is such a large scale one and there is such an enormous amount of people involved with government agencies that everyone assumes there will be someone down the line who will address this issue. The ethical concept applies with members of society as well. Multimillion dollar, suit-wearing businessmen walk to work and pass homeless people on the street ...