Attitude

I've been thinking about poverty. The hows and whys and what maintains it. Just to be clear, I grew up poor. My father worked in the mills until he didn't. When textiles went south in the fifties, so did my fathers job. He lost his health and never had a decent job after that. The one thing that I never had was a "poor" attitude.

I started working when I was fifteen and never stopped until I sort of retired. That is my status today. My blog is my job but I don't make a penny from it. 

If a person is living in poverty, it seems to me, that the second worst thing one can do is to accept it as their way of life. The worst thing is to pass that attitude along to their kids. When kids accept poverty as their station in life, it takes away their hope. It also takes away their pride and ambition.

When these kids go to school, if they show any intention to learn, they are scorned. They are told to "keep it real". You are here. You are poor. You are a victim. Just stand by with your hand out. Scam the system when you can. "The life you have is the life you are going to have."

The worst thing is that it doesn't need to be that way. The "War on Poverty" seems to have addicted people to poverty. And this has nothing to do with the hue of ones skin. It has to do with attitude. It has to do with family. The more solid family units we have in low income areas the better the living conditions. 

I have to admire Orientals that come to America. Many don't even speak the language. They work as a family. They live as a family, many time in overcrowded conditions. They pool their resources. Soon, they own houses and businesses. They have an attitude aimed solidly at success.

When faith and family come back to impoverished areas conditions will improve. The government can't do it. Most certainly, the loud mouthed race baiters can't do it. Young people have to recover their pride. Then they can do it. They just have to feel the need.