[Winona Online Democracy] Hello Kathy, I hope you know I compltely agree with your points! If we placed voting on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, it would be too high up on the pyramid for most people, it would be luxury they simply did not have. I fear that too many people, liberals as well as conservatives assume that people who do not vote are satisfied with the system and feel no need to let their voices be heard. That is not accurate and scary. A more ethical and efficient division of the world's resources would mean a much more democratic government and higher voter turnout. (Incidently, I also think that a more democractic and just government would look different than or current system.) Thanks you for your excellent points. Dwayne =========== >X-Originating-IP: [209.83.83.87] >From: "Kathy Seifert" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: [Winona] Are Poor People Just Plain Lazy? >Date: Sat, 11 Nov 2000 18:44:13 CST >Mime-Version: 1.0 >X-OriginalArrivalTime: 12 Nov 2000 00:44:14.0050 (UTC) >FILETIME=[ADE62420:01C04C41] >Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Precedence: bulk >X-MIME-Autoconverted: from 8bit to quoted-printable by kranzmedia.com id >SAA18147 > >[Winona Online Democracy] > >I'd like to respond to Mr. Voegeli's question about poor people. I think it >was in regard to limited voter turn out or lack of involvement in the >political arena. Having grown up in a single-parent, female-headed >household, I think I am qualified to say that laziness isn't the issue. >Lack of resources is. When a significant amount of one's energy is spent >fulfilling both breadwinner and nurturer roles and making sure there is roof >over one's head, enough to eat, fuel for the furnace, warm coats and boots >to keep out the snow, there's not always a lot of energy left over for civic >involvement. And, yes, we watched some TV, too. It was free if you could >afford a TV. > >As a social worker I've found that poor folks will get involved if someone >cares enough to let them know that what they have to say is important. My >experience is that people simply don't see the political process or >democracy as an arena in which they would be welcomed or valued. It takes a >lot of courage to walk into a room of others who think "poor=lazy." Maybe >they simply choose not to waste energy to convince others that they aren't >lazy because they know better. > >I'm including a press release from the Children's Defense Fund that gives >some data about children living in poverty. Maybe someone else out there >has some better data about the realilties of poverty in the U.S. All I know >is that it's important that organizations like CDF exist to give a voice to >poor families who are often too over-burdened to speak out for themselves in >the political arena. > >Washington, D.C. - Child poverty in America dropped from 13.5 million >children in 1998 to 12.1 million in 1999, according to the U.S. Census >Bureau figures released today. While the percentage of children living in >poverty in America is at its lowest level since 1979, the percentage of poor >children in working families continues to climb with 77% of poor children >living in families where someone is working. The Children�s Defense Fund >(CDF) hopes the downward trend continues but believes that 12.1 million >children in poverty is still too high and that too many of America�s >children remain at the bottom of the nation�s agenda. >�We are very glad that 1.4 million children are no longer poor, but we are >very sad that 12.1 million children are still poor and a great majority of >them in working families,� said Marian Wright Edelman, founder and president >of the Children�s Defense Fund. �It is shameful that more children are >living in poverty now than 20 years ago. When has there ever been a better >time for this nation to invest in its children than when it has huge federal >and state surpluses, billions in tobacco settlements, billions in welfare >reform money, millions in unspent child health money in the states, and 8 >years of prosperity? If not now, when?� > >The Census figures show that more families are struggling to stay afloat in >the workforce, and that the percentage of poor children living in working >families continues to rise�up from 61% in 1993 to 77% in 1999. > >�Child poverty is America�s dirty little secret,� said Edelman. �We must get >it out in the open and clean it up now. Every politician making speeches >about Leaving No Child Behind needs to be specific about how they will >provide for nearly 12 million children without health insurance, for the >12.1 million still living in poverty, and for the millions still not getting >quality child care or a decent education and a fair share of our nation�s >prosperity.� > >The Census Bureau defines poverty as an income below $13,290 a year, or the >equivalent of $1,108 a month for a family of three. > >Kathy Seifert > >_________________________________________________________________________ >Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. > >Share information about yourself, create your own public profile at >http://profiles.msn.com. > >---------------- >This message was posted to the Winona Online Democracy Project. >Please visit http://onlinedemocracy.winona.org to subscribe or unsubscribe. >Please sign all messages posted to this list with your actual name. >Posting of commercial solicitations is not allowed on this list. >Report problems to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > ********************************************************** Dwayne and Denine Voegeli Social Studies and Science Teachers Winona Senior High School 901 W. Gilmore Ave. Winona, MN 55987 USA Home Voice Mail: (507) 453-9012 School telephone number: (507) 454-9509 E-mail address: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Personal Web Page: http://www.jarviscomputer.com/voegeli High School Web Site: http://wshs.luminet.net/ A Web Site About the City of Winona: http://winonanet.com/home.html "Education is not preparation for life, education is life itself." -- John Dewey *********************************************************** ---------------- This message was posted to the Winona Online Democracy Project. Please visit http://onlinedemocracy.winona.org to subscribe or unsubscribe. Please sign all messages posted to this list with your actual name. Posting of commercial solicitations is not allowed on this list. Report problems to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
