Poverty In America

Poverty is the lack of money, need or scarcity. In America this definition applies to over 12.7% of its people. Poverty is not something that has just recently became an issue, it has been around for many of years. For many people in America to be in poverty means that they live from paycheck to paycheck. In most cases most people find themselves without income and unable to support themselves or their family. In America most people don’t face starvation although many suffer from undernourishment. A key issue in the area of poverty in America is inequality. Poor people are often looked upon for the state they’re in rather than how’d they get there and how can they be helped to get out. America is suspicious of the both the poor and helping them. However there have been programs implemented to help the less fortunate. Programs such as Social Security, Food stamps, and housing assistance are programs that have helped lower the high risk of poverty. These programs have helped but are not enough to eliminate poverty. America and its government along with the poor need to work find a better way.
There is a history of poverty in America. Human beings lived in colonies and tried to survive by collecting things from

Today the threat of poverty is still expanding very fast through America. Not only is the number of poor Americans extremely high, but the severity is also. Many people have no idea of the extent of how people in poverty live. Many think someone is poor when his or her income is “substantially” less than the average income, but there are many other reasons to why people are poor: high-unemployment, poor physical health, drug addiction, racial discrimination and many other things.

America has been known as the “Land of Opportunity”. However these opportunities only apply to certain people. People who work hard and have the opportunity to be financially successful get to have the healthy, enjoyable lifestyle, while those who are disadvantaged and cannot receive those opportunities are punished and miserable. This does not mean that the successful should be punished for their success, but maybe a solution must be found where the disabled and disadvantaged have a chance at success too. It is not fair to say that the poor are poor due to their own management, but rather they are poor because the rich who have all the power are not willing to help. Psychologists James Garbarino says, “Being poor is about being left out of what your society tells people they could expect if they were included.” Society tends to leave the less fortunate out, and expect for them to do better by themselves. This is an unfair position to put the less fortunate in especially those who are trying to do better.

Poverty is mostly found in urban areas where there is hardly any education. This means people living in these areas are not qualified for high paying job. Poverty not only effects adults but children too. Lack of education is something that is looked down upon in today’s society. The more education, the better a person will be in the work force. Children are taught from a young age to stay in school, however many of them do not go on to finish. From making that decision children’s lives in most cases are changed forever. Some will make it and some will end up with no where to turn. Nearly twenty six percent of the homeless population are people under the age on eighteen years old (Engendorf, 17). These young kids have no education and in return no way to provide for themselves. Many of them turn to illegal activities to try and better their lives. If the children do have a family their situation is not much better without an education. Most parents in these situations don’t have education either. They depend on their children to work to help support the family. Many parents barely make enough money to support them. The lack of education for our homeless is a key factor in what is bringing then down to that level. Even if America promotes staying in school and push kids to the limit there are still factors that make them not finish. The lack of education is one main reason that homelessness