By Harry Rix in Rhode Island’s Future
“It is criminal to have people working
at a full-time job and getting part-time income.”
– Dr. Martin Luther King
Are you poor? Have you ever been poor?
In 1981, I faced significant financial troubles. My bride and I
moved to Louisville so I could attend seminary. Our checking account, often
near zero, required much attention. With low-wage jobs, my wife and I limited
our entertainment to the local dollar theater.
One day, a clerical error led to a bounced check. The seminary
charged $20. This was a fortune! With this money, we could have gone to the
movies ten times.
We were not alone. So I asked the seminary to reduce its
exorbitant fine. Administrators refused. I expected better understanding from
an institution teaching God’s love for the poor.
Was I poor? I thought so. Now I consider it a ‘struggle.’ After
all, time would improve our circumstances and, if needed, both our parents
could help us.
Not so for many who really are impoverished. For them, a bounced
check can take food off the family table. The USDA reports in 2014 that 6.9
million American households, many with children, had “very low food security.”
At various times, their food intake was reduced and their eating patterns
disrupted.
In such cases, government’s closed-fisted stinginess demeans the
lives of those whose finances are already far too painful. It’s the same sin as
my seminary—only the offense is far greater because our national cruelty is
reflected by Americans’ anguish from hunger.
The U.S. has 4.4 percent of the world’s population—but 45
percent of the world’s ultra high net worth individuals (38,000 with wealth of
at least $50 million). Yet we won’t feed our own—including our children:
Despite our riches, U.S. childhood poverty is ranked 34th of 35 developed
nations.
For my wife and me, financial difficulties were short-term.
Soon, we would have enough income to save for a rainy day.
Not so for the 62 percent of Americans with savings unable to
cover a $500 emergency. For millions of low-income Americans, a safety net is
crucial.
Here are a few comments from those in poverty:
Sharon existed on $500 a month for seven years. She states, “I
feel rich when I have food.”
Mary Lee had a good income. Her business tanked, so her home is
now her car or a friend’s couch. She survives on Ramen noodles and has one pair
of pants. Living in poverty, says Mary Lee, is “very humiliating” and she is
worn down by “hellish stress.” She explains, “It feels like falling in the ocean
and treading water for years…. [Poverty] devastates your ability to function
and robs you of your health.”
KC and his wife earn minimum wage—when jobs are available. They
avoid anything but necessities. KC states, “Income inequality is worse stress
than any job.”
Tania, a single mother, somehow pays her rent while making less
than $11,000 a year. Without food stamps, she says, “we couldn’t eat.” With
recent government reductions, however, she runs out of milk, juices, bread and
eggs before the end of each month. “It’s difficult when one child is only
three.”
Despite hard work, many paid at or near minimum wage remain in
poverty for years. Good opportunities in America should include a living wage
for all.
Everyone must eat. Instead of slashing assistance, it’s time to
restore food stamp cuts. Like Jesus, we ought to “bring good news to the poor,”
be compassionate, and assist them in overcoming the oppression of poverty.
SOURCES
45% of uhwi/bottom chart shows U.S. has 38,000; print specifies
world has 84,500: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-06-02/its-1-world-who-owns-what-223-trillion-global-wealth
U.S. is 34th in childhood poverty: http://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/fund-reports/2014/jun/mirror-mirror
62 percent with no emergency savings: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/most-americans-are-one-paycheck-away-from-the-street-2015-01-07
Rev. Harry Rix is a retired pastor and
mental health counselor living in Providence, RI. He has 50 articles on
spirituality and ethics, stunning photos, and 1200 inspiring quotations
available at www.quoflections.org.