Why You Shouldn’t Be Quick To Judge

“Poverty is like punishment for a crime you didn’t commit.”

 — Eli Khamarov, writer

This week we have been learning about poverty and the effects and struggles of Americans living in poverty.  When I hear the statistics, my heart breaks.  The numbers are alarming.  Today over 46 million people are living in poverty.  

Those living in poverty did not ask to be in such a dire situation.  Many are hard-working people like you and me that just can’t seem to get ahead.  Many were never given the opportunity to succeed.  For example, children who grow up in poverty in a low income, high crime neighborhood can’t escape it.  They can’t even get a good education and graduate from high school.  College isn’t even a possibility. I think it is inevitable that the cycle continues to repeat itself generation after generation.

Without an education, the poor have no option but to get a job making minimum wage.  A single parent or even a two parent household certainly cannot support a family on minimum wage.  There are bills to pay and mouths to feed on less than $10 an hour.  

The fact is that these low-paying jobs are important to all of us.  The employee flipping burgers behind the counter at McDonald’s, is making your cheeseburger for dinner, a burger that you could make yourself at home.  These individuals have the low paying jobs that many of us don’t want.  They are not lazy.  They are doing everything they can to get out of poverty.

With millions of Americans living below the poverty line, we should remember that it could be someone sitting next to you in class.  There are many factors that can lead to poverty, and many of those are out of our control.  So I think it’s important that we not be quick to judge people.