Social Class

Being a predominantly middle-class society we are very sheltered to the lifestyles of the extremes. However we are given quite a unique perspective of the extreme lower class in The Glass Castle. After our research I have come to my personal conclusion that I don't konw how sorry I feel for the impovershed who have become the class of poverty. Being born into it and creating it yourself are two entirely different things.

Sorry to say it, but my sympathy for you is non existent when you get involved with drugs, lose all your money in a court suit inwhich they take your dog and your golden retreiver and you are left on the streets. Then, with the only money that you have, you choose to spend it on drugs. People wonder what the problems are with government aid such as welfare. The problem does not lie in the fact of politics and the question of should or should the government not help out its citizens. It is not a matter of liberal or conservative, donkey or elephant, but there are no ways of knowing what that aid is going to. A large percentage does not go towards putting food on the table, but rather drugs in veins.

I do not feel sorry for the people who create poverty. I do, however, feel sorry for the people affected. It goes further than children and other members of the immediate family, although they are the primary sources. It goes out to extended family as well as friends and employers, even though they are far inferior to the children.

People who create poverty for themselves and the people around them have many sources available to them to avoid it. In the case of substance abuse there are such sources as rehab, AA, other counseling groups, therapy, other medications, (and will power maybe?) Whether or not they have the financial means is not important since self admittance to get substance abuse help is either free, payed for by insurance, or given to them regardless, and then asked for payback later. Here's another idea...don't become a drug addict or alcoholic. I'm sorry (not really) if that seems naiive or harsh, but it's true. People may not all be educated, but they are informed enough to see their bank accoutns and wallets and jars above the refrigerator shrinking in quantity. And they are also informed enough to realize that the bulk of that money if not all of it is going towards their substance abuse. Yes yes they may not have the mental stability to stop themselves but the laundry list of options dangling above me will surely help out with some of those issues. If not, then they are too far gone, have missed the warning signs, and all hope is lost. Kidding, but seriously.

In the case of debt, things get messy. I recently became in charge of my mother's debit card since she underwent surgery on her feet and needs me to help around the house as well as go food shopping and run countless errands and prop her feet up and fetch her crystal light, you know, slavery. Anyway I was shown into the wonderful world of debit. It's mezmerizing really, pressing in those buttons and having the money just pop up out of that little slot. I have yet to experience the credit world, but it doesn't sound nearly as fun as making money appear. There's just one problem with this mesmerization, people become obsessed with it. Don't worry everyone I'm not going to take the debit and run to Vegas and get conned by old women selling glass figureins that they "hand made" and are made of "marble." I'm not quite there yet (kidding again) but I can see where this obsession would come from. If you can sign your name to a computer screen or press a button and have your merchandise be payed for or see money come out of a slot, I'll bet you'd stop paying attention to how much you owed just because of the convenience of it. But see again, I do not feel sorry for you. You have the patience and the control of a three year old and you do NOT need that leather couch for five grand. When your debt numbers start climbing into the ten thousands range, you know you've got yourself a problem and a half. Generally, I would think that when one sees any sort of debt that is more than half of their anual salary a red flag (or seven) would wave saying STOP SWIPING ALREADY. So when the government or the IRS comes to take your house and your golden retreiver ask yourself how worth it that little 2 x 4 (I don't really know the exact measurements so don't quote me) piece o' plastic was worth, and your leather couch.

Okay okay I'm aware that there are a million other circumstances ther cause a person to become homeless/impoverished, but in the case of the Walls, IT'S BY CHOICE. Mind boggling. I don't think that one has to live the life that those children were forced into in order to be taught fine morals and principals. Today I went to the mall and bought shoes and a pair of jeans from a brand name store and I scaled down the price of a really pretty dress with some coupons I got in the mail. Does that make me immoral? Or a cultural slave? Or a clone of society? Call it what you want, but I don't consider myself a waste just because I have shoes that will keep my feet warm, jeans, and a dress that I basically robbed from Express with how much I took off from coupons (I almost felt bad. . I'm completely kidding I didn't feel bad at all). I don't think that it means that any of us are of lesser human status or morale because our shirts say the names of stores on them, or we use air conditioning in the summer and heat in the winter. Sure there are other parts of the world that are not fortunate enough to have these luxuries, but is the fact that we have them enough to say we have no values? What about the things that impoverished countries have that we don't? In the world of the material we are obviously ahead, but aren't we lacking in the spiritual? The hopeful? The believing? The connection to religion in our country has dropped to such a point that we are careful to use the word "God" in any context, because it will offend someone.

I'm ranting.

But seriously, the Walls parents had that spirituality that we are missing. Impoverished countries don't have the means or the ability to have what we have, but the Walls' did. They could have connected the two and had both. Ultimately the father robbed the family of all of their money with his alcoholism, the mother was depressed to such a state that she starved her children while feeding herself chocolates and unable to motivate herself enough to work.

I'm sure there is so much more to be considered, but I don't think that impoverished America is doing enough to help themselves get better, or stop it from happening in the first place. Maybe those of us offering help need to offer a wider hand, or speak louder.