” What about the poor folks” ? ” What are we going to do for the poor in America” ?   I have practically heard these two questions most of my life. Such statements are constantly made by politicians and social activists. However, I would like to know, when will poor people, get up and do something for themselves? Or when will they get up and do something, for somebody else?  This is what I would like to know. Instead of constantly sitting around expecting for others to always do for them, the poor must start doing things for themselves. First of all, we must understand, that poverty is a mentality, and not just a social and economic condition. If the poor would change their mentality, then they would come out of poverty. According to Professor Yecats, people are poor due to the following reasons:

 (a) They come out of families which do not value education, and many of these families, downplay the importance of education;

 (b) They do not have any get-up- and- go about themselves;

 (c) They come out of environments which foster negative attitudes;

 (d) They have been made to believe by the agents of political socialization, such as the family, church, schools and education, and the mass media, that they are victims of society, and, therefore, view their situation as helpless;

 (e) Many of the poor, do not perceive themselves as being poor, and, therefore, feel that there is no need to change their situation.  In fact, many of them have become comfortable in their poverty.

 The two major programs which were designed to alleviate poverty in America, were Franklin D. Roosevelt’s, New Deal, and Lyndon B. Johnson’s, the Great Society: War On Poverty initiatives. Such programs were also designed to have ethnic and racial equality, to develop decent housing, and to have a greater sharing of the wealth in America. By far the New Deal and the Great Society programs, were the peak of modern reform liberalism or the social welfare state. Tons and tons of money has been spent, and still is today, being spent on programs to get rid of poverty. But yet, poverty still remains a blight on the record of one of the richest countries, (the United States) in the world. By some estimates, the U.S., has transferred well over trillions and trillions of dollars to eliminate poverty out of its territories. However, poverty still exist within its parameters. Why? It is very simple. As stated earlier, poverty is a mentality, and, not just a social and economic condition, and too many intellectuals and politicians fail to understand this. Change the mentality of the poor, and they will come out of their poverty. Money alone cannot bring individuals out of their poor conditions.

The Bowtie Professor Speaks!

Leave a Reply