A National Disgrace
The truth about child poverty in America17 total reviews
Comment from Phyllis Stewart
Interesting. What will solve this problem is families with fathers who work at jobs that are plentiful again. Lyndon Johnson destroyed the inner city, on purpose I might add (overheard when he thought the mike was off) by not giving welfare to women and children with a MAN capable of work living in the home. He threw dads out of the homes, since money had to come first. No wonder young black men have no hope. THey don't know how to be men. THey don't have good role models who work at a job. LBJ started the war on poverty, which he fully intended to lose. Why? It's what he said (overheard): Make them dependent on govt and they'll always vote for us (dem).
He started it, but Clinton was the only Dem prez who made some effort at reversing the damage, just not NEARLY enough, for he left the 'no father at home' rule in place.
Democrats love big govt as long as they have the power. Republicans trust us to live our own lives, make our own choices, and trust the natural workings of a capitalist economy. Such economies make nations and all citizen richer. It's regulations put in place by Dems that prevent it from working correctly, so then the Dems can blame the system, instead of their success in breaking it everywhere they can find a spot for ridiculous regulation.
Opponents can spout facts and opinions all day, and not agree, bec people have their minds made up, and no longer even want to hear other thinking. It's painful to change what you believe in, and most people would rather be in a "Safe zone" where they didn't even have to hear a different idea. We can't solve a single problem this way. THis country is doomed. I gave up years ago. Rome fell. Every successful nation or empire fell into ruins. It's our turn. C'est la vie.
reply by the author on 26-Jul-2016
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Interesting. What will solve this problem is families with fathers who work at jobs that are plentiful again. Lyndon Johnson destroyed the inner city, on purpose I might add (overheard when he thought the mike was off) by not giving welfare to women and children with a MAN capable of work living in the home. He threw dads out of the homes, since money had to come first. No wonder young black men have no hope. THey don't know how to be men. THey don't have good role models who work at a job. LBJ started the war on poverty, which he fully intended to lose. Why? It's what he said (overheard): Make them dependent on govt and they'll always vote for us (dem).
He started it, but Clinton was the only Dem prez who made some effort at reversing the damage, just not NEARLY enough, for he left the 'no father at home' rule in place.
Democrats love big govt as long as they have the power. Republicans trust us to live our own lives, make our own choices, and trust the natural workings of a capitalist economy. Such economies make nations and all citizen richer. It's regulations put in place by Dems that prevent it from working correctly, so then the Dems can blame the system, instead of their success in breaking it everywhere they can find a spot for ridiculous regulation.
Opponents can spout facts and opinions all day, and not agree, bec people have their minds made up, and no longer even want to hear other thinking. It's painful to change what you believe in, and most people would rather be in a "Safe zone" where they didn't even have to hear a different idea. We can't solve a single problem this way. THis country is doomed. I gave up years ago. Rome fell. Every successful nation or empire fell into ruins. It's our turn. C'est la vie.
Comment Written 24-Jul-2016
reply by the author on 26-Jul-2016
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Phyllis, thanks for the kind review and thoughtful comments. Interesting about LBJ, I was not aware. I'll have to check it out. Thanks for the information - as an independent, I am not beholden to any political party or ideology, I am only interested in the truth. Bill
Comment from Nika2016
I wrote almost the same article to my local paper. The child poverty rate in the surrounding area is 45%!....Subsidizing school breakfasts and lunches helps the kids most. These are the only meals some kids eat.
During the years you cited, tech companies made record profits while paying little or no taxes to America! They offshored jobs and offshored profit, while using American investment dollars draining wealth.
As for food stamps, housing, Medicaid and TANF, these subsidies provide additional dollars to rural and city businesses as people spend...millions ...Look at these as profit generators for private business and tables turn...
Excellent essay! Keep writing!
Shine on!
reply by the author on 24-Jul-2016
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I wrote almost the same article to my local paper. The child poverty rate in the surrounding area is 45%!....Subsidizing school breakfasts and lunches helps the kids most. These are the only meals some kids eat.
During the years you cited, tech companies made record profits while paying little or no taxes to America! They offshored jobs and offshored profit, while using American investment dollars draining wealth.
As for food stamps, housing, Medicaid and TANF, these subsidies provide additional dollars to rural and city businesses as people spend...millions ...Look at these as profit generators for private business and tables turn...
Excellent essay! Keep writing!
Shine on!
Comment Written 24-Jul-2016
reply by the author on 24-Jul-2016
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Nika, many thanks for the awesome six star review. I am very flattered and it is greatly appreciated. Bill
Comment from Jay Squires
What a powerful entry in the non-fiction contest. Your facts and your arguments are cogent and reasoned, your appeal carries the weight of intelligence and emotion, well-balanced.
It is a tad long. I say that because, while it is as long as it needs to be to convey the message you want conveyed ... phew! ... there are a ton of numbers the reader is forced to digest.
Please don't get me wrong. You are a superb writer, trained in the craft (it's so obvious), but I can't help but feel it would be more effective if you could hone it down 500 or so words.
Here are some specific considerations for you to review ... very few for the length of the piece.
According to Think Progress, a study done by economics at Northeastern University [... study done by ECONOMISTS ? at Northeastern ...]
SNAP is approximately 3%, according toThe New York Times, [Space needed between "to" and "The".]
poverty for another....7.8 million children." [I realize this is a quote, but just as a FYI you never should use a four dot ellipsis except at the end of a sentence.]
In 2015, twenty seven S&P 500 companies [In 2015, TWENTY-SEVEN ...]
where it belongs - at the feet of the corporate freeloaders in our country. [An EM dash in the US should be two dashes side by side with no space before or after (word--word)]
reply by the author on 24-Jul-2016
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What a powerful entry in the non-fiction contest. Your facts and your arguments are cogent and reasoned, your appeal carries the weight of intelligence and emotion, well-balanced.
It is a tad long. I say that because, while it is as long as it needs to be to convey the message you want conveyed ... phew! ... there are a ton of numbers the reader is forced to digest.
Please don't get me wrong. You are a superb writer, trained in the craft (it's so obvious), but I can't help but feel it would be more effective if you could hone it down 500 or so words.
Here are some specific considerations for you to review ... very few for the length of the piece.
According to Think Progress, a study done by economics at Northeastern University [... study done by ECONOMISTS ? at Northeastern ...]
SNAP is approximately 3%, according toThe New York Times, [Space needed between "to" and "The".]
poverty for another....7.8 million children." [I realize this is a quote, but just as a FYI you never should use a four dot ellipsis except at the end of a sentence.]
In 2015, twenty seven S&P 500 companies [In 2015, TWENTY-SEVEN ...]
where it belongs - at the feet of the corporate freeloaders in our country. [An EM dash in the US should be two dashes side by side with no space before or after (word--word)]
Comment Written 24-Jul-2016
reply by the author on 24-Jul-2016
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Jay, thanks so much for the wonderful review and very kind words. Thanks for also taking the time to offer the very helpful suggestions. I have edited accordingly. Bill
Comment from djsaxon
Bill, you possess a compelling and erudite pen, my man. Scratch the skin of a pragmatist and expect to find an idealist. Scratch the skin of a cynic and expect to find a romantic. We all live in hope. The testament is so well articulated, and patently well researched. I was guilty of smiling at the reference to DAVE. I LOVE that movie. I am, happily going for the six pack. Some Fanstorians won't complete the journey. It is a very long post, but how could it not be? Continue to raise the quill, my friend. Cheers - DJ
reply by the author on 24-Jul-2016
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Bill, you possess a compelling and erudite pen, my man. Scratch the skin of a pragmatist and expect to find an idealist. Scratch the skin of a cynic and expect to find a romantic. We all live in hope. The testament is so well articulated, and patently well researched. I was guilty of smiling at the reference to DAVE. I LOVE that movie. I am, happily going for the six pack. Some Fanstorians won't complete the journey. It is a very long post, but how could it not be? Continue to raise the quill, my friend. Cheers - DJ
Comment Written 24-Jul-2016
reply by the author on 24-Jul-2016
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DJ, many thanks for the awesome six star review and incredibly kind words. I am truly flattered and greatly appreciate it. Bill
Comment from beizanten
Interesting so that is what Pragmatism is, thanks for the info. Interesting and quite attention grabbing beginning. Well written and interesting. I like how you mention idealist and pragmatism and how they clash but can become compatible.
Great proverb: "The heart is only half a profit."
reply by the author on 24-Jul-2016
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Interesting so that is what Pragmatism is, thanks for the info. Interesting and quite attention grabbing beginning. Well written and interesting. I like how you mention idealist and pragmatism and how they clash but can become compatible.
Great proverb: "The heart is only half a profit."
Comment Written 24-Jul-2016
reply by the author on 24-Jul-2016
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Beizanten, thank you very much for the wonderful review and the incredibly generous six stars. It is truly appreciated. Bill
Comment from Hayley Solomon
If I hadn't squandered my six star allocation, six would undoubtedly be yours. I am entered into this category and while mine is (I hope) a well written, anecdotal memoir, yours! Yours is substantive, incredibly well presented, excellently espoused and, more importantly, genuinely 'good'. I mean good in all of its senses.
You restore my waning faith in the American population and remind me not to generalise. I am with you the whole way in your thought processing. Well done.
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reply by the author on 24-Jul-2016
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If I hadn't squandered my six star allocation, six would undoubtedly be yours. I am entered into this category and while mine is (I hope) a well written, anecdotal memoir, yours! Yours is substantive, incredibly well presented, excellently espoused and, more importantly, genuinely 'good'. I mean good in all of its senses.
You restore my waning faith in the American population and remind me not to generalise. I am with you the whole way in your thought processing. Well done.
This rating does not count towards story rating or author rank.
The highest and the lowest rating are not included in calculations.
Comment Written 24-Jul-2016
reply by the author on 24-Jul-2016
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Hayley, thanks so much for the incredible review and extremely kind words. I wish you the best of luck in the contest. Bill
Comment from mfowler
I found your essay fascinating from two standpoints. You've argued a powerful case against greed, especially the amoral greed of political machines, interest groups, megalith corporations. You've contrasted the rich to the ever burgeoning scourge of poverty, especially among America's poor. You've back your arguments with great research and an array of statistical material. All excellent, and from where I'm sitting, all factors impacting on injustice and the poor across the globe. The second fascination is the way this all started, as an explanation of your repressed idealism in a world of pragmatism. I'm with you all the way on that one, buddy. And then you eulogise that excellent film 'Dave', and it does illustrate the idealism being played out in realism. Yet, we know it's just Hollywood. And that is what I found unusual. The beginning was highly personal and engaging, but I felt the tone shift as your political and social frustrations were exposed. This would have been fantastic if you could have brought us back to the personal, the tale of the conflicted pragmatist/idealist to close out your essay. I'm being picky as your writing is terrific. I' commenting as a reader of an entry in a contest. Just my opinion for what it's worth. Despite that, I really enjoyed your ideas and your work.
Typo:
the negative impacst...impacts
This rating does not count towards story rating or author rank.
The highest and the lowest rating are not included in calculations.
reply by the author on 24-Jul-2016
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I found your essay fascinating from two standpoints. You've argued a powerful case against greed, especially the amoral greed of political machines, interest groups, megalith corporations. You've contrasted the rich to the ever burgeoning scourge of poverty, especially among America's poor. You've back your arguments with great research and an array of statistical material. All excellent, and from where I'm sitting, all factors impacting on injustice and the poor across the globe. The second fascination is the way this all started, as an explanation of your repressed idealism in a world of pragmatism. I'm with you all the way on that one, buddy. And then you eulogise that excellent film 'Dave', and it does illustrate the idealism being played out in realism. Yet, we know it's just Hollywood. And that is what I found unusual. The beginning was highly personal and engaging, but I felt the tone shift as your political and social frustrations were exposed. This would have been fantastic if you could have brought us back to the personal, the tale of the conflicted pragmatist/idealist to close out your essay. I'm being picky as your writing is terrific. I' commenting as a reader of an entry in a contest. Just my opinion for what it's worth. Despite that, I really enjoyed your ideas and your work.
Typo:
the negative impacst...impacts
This rating does not count towards story rating or author rank.
The highest and the lowest rating are not included in calculations.
Comment Written 23-Jul-2016
reply by the author on 24-Jul-2016
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mfowler, many thanks for the wonderful review and thoughtful comments. I really enjoyed reading your comments. I understand what you mean about bringing it back to the personal at the close. Interestingly, in my original version I actually did exactly that, but then I ended up editing it out. I felt it was getting too long, and I wasn't sure if it would take. Funny, the editing decisions we make as writers. In retrospect, maybe it would have been better if I left it in.
Thanks so much for pointing out the typo (impacst). I couldn't correct it fast enough. I must have been bleary eyed from sorting through all that research to let that one slip by.
Thanks again for your great review.
Bill