There’s always been some thought and consideration on whether all men are created equal. It seems to be a standout topic that many have their own opinions on. I am here to argue that no, all men in America are not created equal. My opinion may bother some, mostly because it’s something that we as Americans should take pride in. That by living in this country you are able to achieve any dream you have and there is no segregation or tolerance for making others feel little. Although, especially in this time, things have changed including our rights. There are families living on the streets or in their cars, barely able to afford food. Sad thing is, they work 5 times harder than any wealthy man or women out there. It seems that hard work is no longer the thing that opens your passage into wealth and success, it starts as early as when you’re born. Most who are born into rich families, continue to have money once they grow up and are on their own. Those unfortunate children that are born into poor families, most likely can’t afford college or a chance to make a better life for themselves, so they continue to do what their parents did. As said in the documentary, Hard Times Generation, “ The number of kids in poverty in America is pushing towards 25%, 1 out of 4”, (Pelley). That proves that things are not getting better, but taking a different turn for the worse. What seems to be the most intriguing part of this whole debate is the fact that those who don’t work hard at all make more money than the hardest workers around. In an article, American Dream Differed: Homeless & Working Two Jobs in NYC, it tells how the number of working homeless New Yorkers has risen dramatically in recent years. Between November 2012 and July 2013, the num...
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...r King but aspires to be a school teacher. This warms my heart because even though she is barely getting by and can’t even afford transportation, she believes in herself when her kids don’t even believe in her. Tammy Crabtree represents the American dream and hope that low wage workers have. These hard working people show that the American dream can still live. They continue to carry on this pride in their country as we all should.
Works Cited
Del Signore, John, “American Dream Differed: Homeless & Working 2 Jobs in NYC”. Gothamist, 18 Sep 2013. Web. 12 Dec 2013.
Enrenreich, Barbara. Nickel and Dimed. Holt: New York, 2001. Print.
Pelley, Scott, “Hard Times Generation: Family Living in Cars”. New York Times, 4 Jun 2012. Web. 12 Dec 2013.
Smith, Peter, “Homeless: Can You Build a Life from $25?”. The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Feb 2008. Web. 12 Dec 2013.
Today in the U.S. there is a large percentage of people that are homeless. There are so many questions when one sees a homeless person, for example why doesn’t he or she get a job and get out of the streets? People that make comments like the one just made probably doesn’t really know anyone that is homeless so they do no understand what they go through. In the book “ Tell Me Who I Am,’’ Elliot Liebow tries to explain what the cost and gains are for women living in a homeless shelter.
Poverty is one of the largest contributor’s to homelessness. While part of society may find success in an economic upswing, others who were already in an unstable financial situation will find themselves running to keep up or floundering in the throes of debt altogether. When an
Haymes, Allan. "Without Rent Control, a Homeless Generation." New York Times (1923-Current file): 1. Jan 09 1987.ProQuest. Web. 12 Mar. 2014 .
Here in Tahoe, we are lucky enough to experience a great quality of life, and only a few have to face the horrible life of poverty and homelessness. However, nationwide, even right outside the basin, homelessness is a growing epidemic across the country. There are many ways one can become homeless; for the most part poverty. There are also different concentrations of homeless in different types of terrain, such as urban or suburban areas. Last, there is the ever- growing homeless population, and how much money it costs us for others to live in poverty. These are the questions we ask ourselves about homelessness, and the only way we can help is to know the facts about this lingering subject.
Hambrick, Ralph S., and Gary T. Johnson. "The future of homelessness."Society 35.6 (1998): 28-37. Web
According to a recent New York Times article, there are people in New York with multiple jobs that still cannot afford to pay the rent on a apartment in the city. Therefore, many remain homeless and must find relief in one of the city’s shelters. (nytimes.com) The New York Times states that, “Advocates of affordable housing say that the employed homeless are proof of the widening gap between wages and rents — which rose in the city even during the latest recession — and, given the shortage of subsidized housing, of just how difficult it is to escape the shelter system, even for people with jobs….the jobs aren’t enough to get people out of homelessness” (nytimes.com). What we see modeled in New York City is a disturbing ...
Hill, R., & Stamey, M. (1990). The Homeless in America: An Examination of Possessions and Consumption Behaviors. Journal Of Consumer Research, 17(3), 303-321.
"Overview of Homelessness In America." Homelessness In America. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2013. .
"Overview of Homelessness In America." Homelessness In America. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 May 2014. .
Ehrenreich, B. (2011). Nicke and dimed: On (not) getting by in america. New York, NY: Picador.
Homelessness can happen to anyone unexpectedly. Many poor people are at the risk of homelessness. The cost of living and trying to find affordable housing can be very difficult. Many who are homeless are in poverty, have a mental illness, or addictions. Homelessness happens from personal, as well as structural factors. Many aren’t able to make enough for rent, as well as, utilities, food, and other expenses each month. More than 6 million Americans pay more than half of their income towards rent (Reamer, 1989). The trend is once someone becomes homeless, it is likely they will be homeless repeatedly. To end homelessness, affordable housing will have to be created because it is peoples largest single expenditure (Anderson, 2013).
Ellis, Blake. Counting the Homeless in America’s Poorest City. CNNMoney. Cable News Network, 12 Feb. 2014. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. http://money.cnn.com/2014/02/12/pf/homeless-count/.
The homeless stand down was an eye-opener experience for me. I had the opportunity to interact with several individuals, and one family. Initially I conducted some interviews with them to help complete the questionnaire; and the remainder of the time, I escorted the individuals and helped them choose items that were necessary for them. As I talked to each of them, I realized that the present state of these individuals were a product of the current economic situations. According to the National Homeless Coalition (2009), work factors are one of the many reasons why individuals are homeless. One of the individuals that I spoke to informed me that he was working a regular nine to five job at a construction site, but now due to the economy he is only working a couple of shifts and even those shifts are inconsistent.
This great nation of awesome power and abundant resources is losing the battle against homelessness. The casualties can be seen on the street corners of every city in American holding an ?I will work for food? sign. Homeless shelters and rescue missions are at full capacity. There is no room at the inn for the nation?s indigent. Anyone who has studied this issue understands that homelessness is a complex problem. Communities continue to struggle with this socio-economic problem while attempting to understand its causes and implement solutions. The public and private sectors of this country are making a difference in the lives of the homeless by addressing the issues of housing, poverty and education.
The homeless can be seen everywhere. The man pacing back and forth holding a sign that reads Anything Helps, God Bless, or the woman sitting outside the store with a 7/11 Slurpee cup hoping to collect enough change to buy a sandwich and a bottle of water. Society as a whole is faced with the sometimes hard decision of putting something in that cup or pretending to not see it and go on about their day. Deciding to toss some spare change into that cup isn’t as easily accomplished by people who believe hand-outs aren’t helping these people but rathe...