About 88% of us have little or no idea what the other 12% plus is enduring, even though many of them are hard working people, and still cannot afford a roof over their heads. Especially around Thanksgiving, when millions travel long distances, by car or planes to share meals with their families, the people they love. We are so busy with our organized lives we hardly ever give a thought about our brothers and sisters, who are part of the 12% plus population.
My Thanksgiving resolution is to do something nice for someone who belongs to the 12% plus in America; a trusted organization, in my area, which has a clean record of doing good for the down-and-out, will be my target. I highly recommend that you watch the documentary by the DW (Deutsche Welle), to get into the spirit of giving; it worked for me. Please see the link shown below.
DW reports:
"Homelessness, hunger and shame: poverty is rampant in the richest
country in the world. Over 40 million people in the United States live
below the poverty line, twice as many as it was fifty years ago. It can
happen very quickly."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHDkALRz5Rk
Despite the good intentions of President L. B. Johnson's war on poverty, the truth is it was and is a total failure. "The War on Poverty was declared by President Lyndon B. Johnson
in his State of the Union Address on January 8, 1964: This
administration today here and now declares unconditional war on poverty
in America. ... In January 1964, President Johnson gave Sargent Shriver
the task of developing a bill to wage the war against poverty in the
United States. The bill was presented to Congress in March, 1964."
Like all the many other wars we proclaim against this or that, the war on poverty is a disgrace for our nation, as it is an utter failure by any measure. We always have money for external adventures, and buying the good will of other countries/regimes, but when it comes to the needs of our fellow men, we suddenly have the urge to reduce the national debt, by cutting necessary social services.
I am not suggesting to start a fund for the unfortunate brothers and sisters among us but I am suggesting an individual act of kindness by all of us, and by all means urge the people in your circle of family and friends to do the same.
Thanksgiving has come and is gone now but the perils of poverty are an ever present problem for too many of us; it is never too late to act and give a little. We in the 88% group have so much to be thankful for.
Germany has about 680,000 homeless, some are working the problem.
ReplyDelete"Almost 680,000 people in Germany are homeless. Many of them dream of having a place of their own. The initiative "Housing First," which started in the US, aims to make this dream a reality."
https://www.dw.com/en/from-sleeping-bags-to-their-own-homes/a-51491931
In Germany, anyone who has less than 60% of the average income of the region of their domicile, is considered at risk of poverty. Overall, Germany has 20% falling into this category, according to the German Parity Welfare Association's report, published 12/12/2019.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what the US percentage would be using Germany's yardstick?