Re: [UC] Re: poor is a state of mind

[Cozzzmik]

Karen, the issue is more complex than that. Of course the poor are not inherently inferior and are very capable of "study, hard work and respect for learning." But being poor certainly re-arranges ones priorities. All of your time and energy is spent just trying to make it through the day, trying to feed and clothe your children, maintain a roof over your head. It's a daily hussle. That's hard work. Who has time or energy to study and learn after all that?  Most severely impoverished people who make it, make it with the help of others relieving some of their daily burden so that they can afford the time and energy to study, learn and improve their lives. It's a social issue, not a lack of personal integrity, or lack of trying issue. cee.   In a message dated 3/12/2004 3:17:54 AM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Your assertion is true only if the underlying assumption is that the poor are inherently inferior and therefore  incapable of study, hard work and respect for learning. Karen Allen >From: "William Zardus" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Reply-To: "William Zardus" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: Re: [UC] Re: poor is a state of mind >Date: Fri, 12 Mar 2004 04:19:58 +0000 > >Being poor is much worse when you are being >told on every level that if you work hard that's >how you get ahead. > >Societies with caste systems work surprisingly well. > >We have an underclass of people being told they >can achieve all sorts of things when the opposite is true >and that's how you end up with a tremendous >percentage of minority men angry and in jail >and that percentage continues to grow even now. > >And all the TV shows that extol the great fortunes >and immense wealth of the select few able to >rise above their circumstances, tend to increase >the frustration. > >WRZ > >----Original Message Follows---- >From: L a s e r B e a m <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Reply-To: L a s e r B e a m <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: Re: [UC] Re: poor is a state of mind >Date: Thu, 11 Mar 2004 09:30:07 -0500 > >[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: >> >>[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: >>>My father tells a story about what it is to be poor.  I won't go into a >>>long description of how he grew up, but I will say that he never had >>>shoes that fit, and he was happy to get a new pair of pants as his >>>(only) Christmas gift. ><snip> >