--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > On Feb 11, 2006, at 9:17 AM, feste37 wrote: > > > I don't think it's much use to tell a poor person that he or she is > > better off than > > many people were 100 years ago. The poor do not need history lessons. > > What really lies behind Shemp's claim that poverty in the US has been > > eliminated is a reactionary political agenda that is typical of the > > Bush > > administration. In fact, I'm surprised they haven't thought of this > > one, since > > they do have a habit of dealing with problems by redefining terms > > and then > > claiming that the problem has been reduced or eliminated > > (redefining what is > > a pollutant, for example, to claim that pollution is being > > reduced). If you > > redefine poverty so as to claim that it no longer exists, you can > > then just let the > > poor rot, which is of course the real aim of the exercise. > > An important point to make is "poor is a relative thing". I live in a > state where many of the people are at the poverty line. An > interesting thing I have heard from numerous people who moved "away", > out of state, was that 'we never realized that we were poor till we > moved out of state.' Within their own milieu--family, friends, social > institutions, community groups, libraries with internet, church > suppers, outdoors--a lot of home-spun, outdoor or community activity > and interaction--these people felt they lived a very "rich" life. > When they moved out of state they saw how people used money to > entertain themselves or buy devices to do it for them. In some rural > areas the institutions and activities that our grandparents would > have recognized are still present. One thing that is often missed is > how the social interconnections and culture were destroyed in many > areas by two things: television and the automobile. People don't talk > to each other, they look at the same TV. People don't talk to their > neighbors, they drive somewhere. In some poorer areas, esp. rural > areas, the indigenous social interconnections are still present and > despite low income, these "poor" people lead very rich lives--in many > cases much richer than those of the "wealthy".
A minister of my acquaintance says there are two ways to be wealthy: One is to have a lot of money, the other is to have few needs. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Join modern day disciples reach the disfigured and poor with hope and healing http://us.click.yahoo.com/lMct6A/Vp3LAA/i1hLAA/UlWolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
