‘The poor’ need help, but let’s drop the arrogance

From The Clarion-Ledger: 'The poor' need help, but let's drop the arrogance. (HT: Presbyweb) I had a two-hour lunch with a friend today (shorter than our usual lunches) who works full time with people who are in poverty. He was telling me about some of his frustrations. I have been in a similar place more than once. Then I found this article that does such a good job of highlighting some of the issues.

VICKSBURG — It was cruel. I admit it. Years ago, a bright intern was on the news staff of The Vicksburg Post. Like so many, she believed "poor" and "miserable" were synonyms. She also thought government had a magic wand it could wave to eradicate poverty and only needed to be convinced to wave it.

Hearing all this, I sent her to interview a public housing tenant I happened to know.

He was an elderly man, had lived alone in a crumbling shack with no electricity and a wood stove for heat. He had packed in his water from a gas station about a mile away where the owners didn't mind him using the tap near their pumps.

When his shack was condemned, he was moved into an apartment in a new HUD complex. Not only did it have air conditioning, a functioning toilet, lights and a fridge – he'd been given a $15,000 check for his trouble.

She expected to find him elated.

Instead, he was miserable.

The complex was noisy, he said. He couldn't have chickens. He couldn't have a garden. He was bored. He'd actually tried to flee back to his shack – and was angry to find it had been bulldozed.

The air went out of the intern's sails. I actually felt sorry for dashing her enthusiasm.

But her zeal was based on perspective a lot of people adopt. It is that everyone wants what the middle class has and can't possibly be happy or content without cars and mortgages and other things we consider basic.

…..

It's just that any discussion should be held in real terms. Actions should be based on a sense of what's right – not from a stance of pity.

"Poor" and "miserable" are not synonyms anymore than "rich" and "happy" are. We should be honest enough to stop pretending otherwise.

Well said.