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Lindsay Metcalf
on Jun 19 2013 - 06:00 AM
My top five most important moments of the summer so far
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mara williams
on Jun 18 2013 - 06:00 AM
Hey, manchild, mama says: clean your room, wash the dishes, don't drink and drive.
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Emily Parnell
on Jun 16 2013 - 06:00 AM
Eating fresh, local produce is good for body and soul
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Jim Cosgrove
on Jun 13 2013 - 06:00 AM
I just want to buy some pants. Please, turn down the music.
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Our seven year old has asked if she can build a restaurant in our front yard and serve meals to the homeless. She wants to call it “Eating House for the Poor.” She’s even drawn up a design and an action plan.
I love her gentle and generous spirit. The idea sounds great to me, but there’s a little issue with the city. It’s not easy explaining zoning laws to a child.
But what has been surprisingly easy is talking with the kids about poverty and what it means to be poor. They seem to get the concept – not so much the “why” of poverty, but the reality of it. For them, the solutions are simple.
“You always tell us to share, so let’s share some of what we have with them,” our daughter says.
Sounds simple to me. And logical. And Buddha-like. And Muhammad-like. And Christ-like. And…well…human-like.
According to history and most world religious texts, the poor have always been with us and always will be with us. As long as there are imperfect human social structures, there will always be those “with” and those “without.” I just happen to think it’s our obligation and honor to understand and care for the poor, not make them scapegoats for larger issues.
According to some modern-day pundits and part-time Facebook philosophers, the poor have simply chosen to be poor. Their poverty is merely the consequence of their own bad choices.
“They’re lazy,” they say. “Can’t they just pull themselves up by their bootstraps?”
I've heard these lame arguments far too many times. Indeed there are people who manipulate every social structure. For every person gaming the system to get food stamps to feed her children, there is a person benefiting from corporate welfare, hiding his millions offshore, and paying no taxes.
I have worked with "poor" people much of my adult life – on the Navajo nation in western New Mexico, in the barrios of Central America, and in a job placement program in Kansas City. I have met very few lazy poor people. Most are bustin’ a hump. Many work more than one crappy job and still come up short and then are forced to swallow their pride and line up at the food pantry to bridge the ever-widening gaps.
The reality is that the system is broken. Despite what you may have heard, the opportunities available to me are not available to all. I hear too often that these "lazy folks" just need to get a job. Really? What jobs? The ones that have been shipped off shore?
Sure, there are lazy people who refuse to work (I've met some who have comfortable corporate jobs, too), but from my experience they are the exception and not the norm. Most people have an innate desire for work and purpose, and then there are those who have been beaten so far into despair that they don’t know how or what to do. It's easy to talk about someone else’s motivation when you've got three square meals, a hot shower, and a roof.
Once again, I defer to the wisdom of children. Their natural instinct is to offer a hand up without asking a bunch of questions. Because that’s what neighbors do for each other. And as Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers so appropriately taught us – we’re all neighbors!
Critics may say, “This sounds like socialism!” Call it what you want, but I’m a social being who believes in nurturing my children to be responsible citizens who contribute to a healthy, civilized social structure. I prefer to call it right and good. I prefer to teach my kids to love and then stand out of the way and follow their lead.
How do you teach your kids about poverty? Or what do they teach you?
Well, I must be a socialist too, because I believe along the same lines as you do. It is wonderful that your daughter has such a big heart. Serving others is the only way to break this cycle of our future generations' constant sense of entitlement.Great blog, Jim! I try to teach my kids, even though I'm not sure it sinks through, that there are lots of kids who would love to have three meals a day, a roof over their heads, etc. I'm glad your daughter has such a loving spirit. Too bad not everyone does.You and Jeni are doing the right things in raising your daughters, Jim. Any time they want to volunteer at St. James, just let me know and I will sign them up!Another great blog, Jim! My parents taught me about sharing with my siblings and with those in need. I've taken my kids to more food pantries and kitchens than I can remember. I'm also a big believer in taking food to my church for their pantry, because when you're hungry, nothing else matters. I salute your lovely daughter for her kindness - I think she got it from her parents. :)
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