Category Archives: About being poor

Who needs Pity?

About being poor, Homelessness, Uncategorized

Lately, I have been thinking about the concept of pity and the amount that is actually given to homeless people. This interest in pitying the homeless was sparked while reading the first section of Kenan Heise’s The Book of the Poor: Who They Are, What They Say, and How to End Their Poverty. It was at the very beginning, following the experience of Thomas Jefferson, where a number of homeless people were trying to avoid the pity by trying to present themselves as other than what they were: homeless.

These homeless people had a sense of pride that they were striving to hold on to. I think that people come across a homeless person and their mindset falls into the stereotype that they are out on the streets to beg, because they lack the drive to support themselves. The more privilege’s perspective is to pity them, ignore them, or throw some change their way. I tried to think back to a time where I felt like I was being pitied and vice versa. What I found was that myself, nor the person receiving my pity, didn’t want it.

So what is the point in pity? Pity is nothing more than an emotion that fails to benefit the giver and the receiver. No matter the class or situation, no one strives for looks of pity from strangers, yet alone loved ones.  The point that I am trying to make is that homeless people aren’t so beneath us that they need the pity in order to survive. We need to remember that the blame for their state of living has two sides: it is either due to choices that the homeless themselves have made or the choices made by the surrounding privileged society.

Homelessness and the Weather

About being poor, Homelessness, Poverty

For the past week or so I’ve been hearing fellow students and faculty talk about the casual subject of Southern California’s strange weather this winter and the fact that it doesn’t feel very wintery. Several people were talking about how they wished it would rain so they could wear their warmer clothes, or simply desired the presence of snow on the mountains for aesthetic or recreational value. At any other moment of my life, I would have viewed these desires as innocent and natural. However, given that we’ve been reading articles and pieces about homelessness and life on the streets, it dawned on me that those of us with a roof over our heads, the money to purchase warm clothes or hot foods, or a car to transport ourselves with, we have the privilege to want these things (however, the desire to have rain and colder weather does not exclude on the other hand cold weather for the sake of the environment and the prevention of drought).

This warmer weather is likely viewed as a blessing for those who have to wonder every day where they will find a place to sleep at night or a place to rest during the day. Unlike the rest of the US that is suffering from extreme cold weather, rain, flooding, hail, the West coast, while experiencing unusual warm weather, has been luckier for the homeless who may otherwise seek shelter by getting into prison for the winter.

As Kenan Heise explains in his book, The Book of the Poor, the combination of winter and poverty can be incredibly detrimental to the health of individuals living in poverty, if not potentially kill those who don’t have shelter or warmer clothing. These needs put pressure upon shelters and food banks that are already pressed for more supplies to give.

“Painfully Invisible”

About being poor, Books and Films, Homelessness, Poverty, Reflections on our Reading

In the film watched in class, Taylor’s Campaign, a man who has suffered from homelessness himself is running for city council on a fifty dollar budget. The aim of his film is to show his feelings towards the mistreatment of the homeless population of Santa Monica.  In this film, there were many themes seen that relate directly to the other readings that we have done so far in this course. However, it was also very eye-opening in many ways because it focused on a small group of homeless individuals and allowed an inside look into their daily lives and the stuggles that they face.

While some of the residents of Santa Monica who were interviewed expressed extreme negative opinions towards the homeless population, saying that they are a waste of life, shouldn’t be allowed to live in their nice neighborhoods, and all-around lazy individuals who are looking for a hand-out, this is not what the footage revealed. On the contrary, these homeless individuals worked hard daily, collecting cans and doing what they could to make the money necessary to buy essential items. This example illustrates how the mainstream society passes judgement on the homeless population without knowing their stuggles or understanding how many times, it is outside forces that have pushed them into the homeless situation. One homeless woman expressed that she wanted out of the situation she was in but that it seemed impossible. Time and time again through this film  well as other readings, the homeless population expressed that they are not looking for a handout, as many people belive.

In many ways, the themes seen in this film directly correlate to the book Voices From the Street: Truths about Homelessness from Sisters of the Road (Morrell 2007). In this text, Morrell writes “when you become invisible to mainstream society, the myth is that you stop being human, that you’re somehow made up of different stuff. But you’re not. Your humanity doesn’t go away because society doesn’t see it” (Morrell 105). This shows how mainstream society treats the homeless as if they are outcasts to which they cannot relate. It is not surprising that many homeless persons feel a strong sense of not belonging when they are ignored or clearly looked at with disgust by those not in their situation and unwilling to try to understand their plight. This is recalled by Morrell when she discusses the homeless and poverty-striken population, stating “they feel painfully invisible to others in the larger society” (Morrell 35).

The relationship between wages, poverty, and family

About being poor, Causes of Poverty, Poverty

Link to article discussed below:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/linda-tirado/why-poor-peoples-bad-decisions-make-perfect-sense_b_4326233.html

 

Last week we read an article called, “This Is Why Poor Peoples Bad Decisions Make Perfect Sense”, by Linda Tirado. This article brought up some truly compelling and deeply saddening truths about what the reality of being poor is, and the downward spiral that it can promote in one’s life. Linda beings the article by stating that very rarely do people actually have poverty described to them by poor people. This fact immediately stuck out to me, because the reality of the matter is that poor people hardly ever are the ones advocating for themselves. Government officials, policy makers, and political figures are constantly bombarding the television, newspapers, etc. telling the American people what it is like to be poor in the United States and how we should or should not address it, yet very rarely do you see a person who is actually experiencing and trying to overcome poverty doing the talking. As Linda continues to write she begins to describe poverty as a “day by day” lifestyle. She describes how, “… planning isn’t in the mix”, and while exhaustion, sickness, depression, etc. are all very real factors of existing in poverty, the “lifestyle” itself does not permit such physical or emotional stressors. Linda describes feeling defeated when she tries to change things in her life. She says that trying to become middle class when you have been living in poverty, “…never works out well and always makes you feel worse for having tried and failed yet again”.(Pg. 1) This aspect of poverty is one that the people of the United States need to hear about first hand from people who are living it. To be told poverty renders people helpless, hungry, cold, etc. is one thing, but to actually here the ways in which is creates this sense of hopelessness that attaches itself to the foundation of a person’s existence and self-worth is so much more. Tirado goes on to describe her life while being pregnant, and how when you are poor, your options in regards to birth control, abortion, pregnancy, etc. are all defined and limited by either money or the perceptions and misguided notions of, for the most part, strangers. She says, “Nobody likes poor people procreating, but they judge abortion even harder”.(Pg. 1) This left me feeling heartbroken for her and other women living in poverty who find themselves pregnant and in most cases, at a loss with what to do. The thought of having to tackle motherhood without the support of a family or even remote financial stability seems daunting enough, but to have the ever present understanding in your head that society does not approve of the life you are bringing your child into is a whole different aspect to motherhood that so many women face but don’t discuss. Towards the end of the article she admits that she doesn’t specifically have a problem with being a “Poor Person”, but that she has acknowledged that it is all she will ever be. The way she describes existing in poverty was so exhausting and defeating, but for her to actually write that she understands that it is all she will ever be was more than I can describe. I cannot imagine being in a situation like hers and being able to see no real way out. She does not ask for sympathy, but instead asks for understanding on a human level. I think her article truly conveyed that understanding that poverty is not a life created through bad decisions, but a life that in so many ways requires a different way of thinking, survival techniques, and a real understanding of self-defeat. This article truly stuck out to me and I think it really provided me with some of the more personal realities of homelessness that I hope this class will continue to provide.

 

For this class we then read an article called, “The Minimum We Can Do”,, by Arindrajit Dube. I felt that these articles provided the exact contrast and confusion surrounding this issue that we have been discussing in class. There is this huge percentage of the population existing in this crippling hopelessness that is poverty, and then there are policy makers, economists’, authors, political figures, etc. who write about ways in which these things could be fixed. I always find it strange to read about a problem that you know is currently taking place, and then reading something else that offers a way to fix it. Setting a wage standard, as suggested by Dube, is something that I believe would seriously improve the quality of life for so many Americans, yet due to various examples of how power and money dictate most of American culture, society, and policies, it has yet to be done. Dube’s article shows studies that suggest that raising the wage standard to a price that is closer to 10 dollars an hour, would in fact end up benefitting companies and corporations that feel threatened by it. The reality is that teens are no longer the majority that is existing on minimum wage. A large percentage of adults are the ones receiving minimum wage pay for the work that they do, and yet, as stated by Dube, “… the popularity of minimum wages has not translated into legislative success on the federal level”.”(Pg. 3) Of course the reality of truly being able to change the quality of life for Americans who are living in poverty would require more than just raising and indexing the minimum wage in the U.S., I would love to discuss in class the ways in which everyone thinks it would assist the overall issue.

The last thing that I have to comment on is the activity that we did for class. We had to find the cost of living for a single parent with two young children in Redlands. After really getting to look at how much the reality of living costs, it was clear that minimum wage is not enough to raise a family on, or even live off of for that matter. I was discouraged that I was unable to make the budget that we were given work and for just a moment was able to feel that type of anxiety that was being described in Tirado’s article. I look forward to getting to see if anyone in the class was able to make the budget work.

“Homelessness is a Crime”

About being poor, Portraits of Homeless, Poverty, Reflections on our Reading

In  Kenan Heise’s The Book of the Poor (2012 Edition), he discusses the topic of impoverished women being put in jail for simply trying to act in ways necessary for survival. As one narrator named Betty recounts, “People don’t comprehend. My child was hungry. I took him to the A&P, and I took a can opener and a spoon along. I fed him right there in the store. They called the police. They took my child from me and sent me to the 11th and State” (Heise 40). This is an important epidemic to bring to the table and examine more in depth, as it is a topic that not many consider. While some people view any aspect of law-breaking inexcusable and punishable, I think it is important to first put oneself in the shoes of these women and mothers. Without any help or education on the means of support that is available, it seems that the desperation of these women lead to law-breaking as a means of basic survival. The fact that an increasing number of women are coming into contact with law enforcement in order to obtain fundamental necessities to live off of shows that programs to work with these individuals is crucial. As a direct result of lack of options, these women see no other path besides crime in order to get by, an issue that is both heartbreaking and frustrating, knowing that there is so much more assistance that could be provided in order to avoid this unfortunate fate for these women.

Perhaps the most surprising aspect learned from The Book of the Poor and other reading so far, is the comparison of the image society holds of those who are poor and the reality of those who are impoverished. While most members of mainstream society have the misconception that the poor are people who are unintelligent and without basic skills, in actuality this is not always the case.  It is so surprising to learn that many people who fall into homelessness are educated and some of which used to maintain a high quality of life, having an education and earning decent pay. Some people in society are ignorant to the true facts of homeless and poor individuals, thinking that they are freeloaders and law breakers who are constantly looking for handouts and refusing to be productive. However, this is simply not the case. “I held up my end of the bargain. I worked, paid taxes, and mistakenly believed I would be protected by a safety net should the need arise…caseworkers have lost compassion and are forced to look for scams more than to a person’s needs.” (60). This illustrates perfectly how people who find themselves in positions of homelessness and extreme poverty can become discouraged, a viewpoint that others rarely consider. Overall, this quote shows how much society has failed these people, many of whom have worked hard and been productive members of society throughout their lives.

Another interesting topic that came up throughout my readings this week was the issue of crime and homeless individual’s experiences with police.  As Jessica Morrell’s book Voices from the Street (2007 Edition), a collection of interviews with homeless individuals, illustrates most homeless individuals have negative experiences with law enforcement. She recalls a story shared by a woman about a well-respected police officer that she knew who had been involved in brutality towards homeless individuals. She recounts “with tears in her eyes, she shared with us that he and some fellow officers had more than once come to Old Town/ Chinatown to beat up people who were homeless” (Morrell 52). This raises awareness to the fact that police officers in some instances use their force and power over individuals who are unable to fight back or seek help. As the book goes on to say, those who are homeless are given tickets for sleeping, told to leave public parks, are physically abused, and basically singled out in ways that other members of society are not. As one homeless interviewer sums up his experience with the law, “homelessness is a crime” (Morrell 69).

“We don’t want to just exist.”

About being poor, Reflections on our Reading

A constant theme found throughout Barbara Ehrenreich’s Nickel and Dimed, Kenan Heise’s Book of the Poor and Linda Tirado’s  “This is Why Poor People’s Bad Decisions Make Perfect Sense”, was the dissatisfaction of barely getting by or merely surviving. Though short and simple, one of the most profound quotes that resonated with this idea was in chapter eleven of Book of the Poor when one of the women stated, “We don’t want to just exist” (loc. 783). The amount of data we were presented contradicted her desires and reinforced the fact that a majority of the people in poverty are barely surviving.

Homeless people and people in poverty consistently find themselves on the receiving end of unfair judgment and scorn. Rarely do we understand the limited options that people in poverty are left with. When they are faced with the decision to starve, panhandle or steal, they will choose the option that allows them to live another day. No human being should die as a result of poverty or homelessness.

Reading the statistics in chapter four of Heise’s book were shocking, especially when it stated that over one hundred thousand people die as a result of poverty a year. It is a testament that our system is unbelievably flawed. Reading about individual’s lives and their experiences with poverty and homelessness is intriguing and offers a  perspective that data fails to depict accurately.  Their stories and the obstacles they are forced to overcome sends the message that despite constant efforts to remove themselves from poverty, they are met with even more obstacles and dilemmas. At what point do you decide that escaping poverty is an unrealistic goal? At what point does poverty become a way of life and living in a motel “a piece of the American dream”?

No hope, no way out

About being poor, Homelessness, Portraits of Homeless, Reflections on our Reading

“It’s best not to hope. You take what you can get as you spot it.” Linda Tirado’s essay “This is Why Poor People’s Bad Decisions Make Sense”  was captivating and awe-inspiring. Out of all the reading and topics in class, her life account and struggle pushed beyond the normal boundaries of writing due to her bluntness and lack of compassion toward herself and others in similar situations. For example, when she speaks about her knowledge of knowing how to cook and prepare a meal, it is not because she is not capable of putting something together, it is because she does not have the means to do so.  In addition, when she pushes away the fact that she makes terrible financial decisions, she states, “I will never be not poor, so what does it matter.”

It is hard for me to believe that some people’s lives get to a point where they lose motivation, lose hope, and feel like there is no way out. After listening to those personal accounts from Invisible People, my view of homelessness turned completely around. As I have had both negative and positive experiences with homeless people, nothing matters when it comes to viewing each person as an individual.

Yet, the answer to all these problems cannot be solved by a quick fix. However, it can be solved by the reshaping of our roots and foundations. Education and society’s investment in children can cause a positive change when instilling proper attention and focus on social practices that aid the development of children on all levels. If children have roots that teach values and goal oriented thought process, homelessness would not occur. As this would be a daunting task, just as each homeless person should be judged individually, all children can create an impact by understanding and sharing their understanding of the world around them.

Spirituality and Homelessness

About being poor, Portraits of Homeless, Religion

I have had numerous interactions with the homeless in which our conversation has ended with them saying, “God bless you.” I have questioned how they can believe in God despite their circumstance. The chapter,  “Spirituality” in Voices From the Street provided some answers. Some homeless people may adopt a faith due to their experience with homelessness. A belief in a Higher Power can provide a source of strength and help with hard times. Each persons experience is different, not all develop a belief in a Higher Power. Some share that their religious beliefs have lessened due to their circumstance. One man comments, “I am not impressed with Him right now” (156).

Have you ever had a conversation with a homeless person in which religion is discussed? What was it like? Did the homeless person mention a belief in a Higher Power?

Has a homeless person ever said, “God bless you?” How did that make you feel?

What do you think of requiring homeless to attend a church service in order to receive meals and other goods?