Monday, November 25, 2013

Optional Blog Post (Extra Credit) - Thanksgiving Week

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/linda-tirado/why-poor-peoples-bad-decisions-make-perfect-sense_b_4326233.html

9 comments:

  1. I feel as though I have gained a new perspective from reading this article. Like Nickel and Dimed, the writer Linda Tirado gives a deeper understanding of what the poor go through. It seems as though Poverty is an endless cycle, as Lynda explains, one impossible to get out of. She describes getting turned down at job interviews because she didn't "fit" the look. This is unjust. She also talks about making poor financial decisions, however I found it interesting she says, "It is not worth it to me to live a bleak life devoid of small pleasures so that one day I can make a single large purchase." I agree with her reasoning. Poverty seems like an endless black hole that is impossible to come out of. Linda explains in her lifestyle as to why that's so true. I was happy to later read that her article gave her the publicity to get her voice heard and that people donated to her fund. I'm not sure of a solution to poverty, however by understanding poverty we can better discover how to fix it.
    Eleanor Hall
    Period 3

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  2. I thought that this article was sort of an eye opener. We read Nickel and Dimed over the summer, which gave us a view of poverty from the outside. But this was unique because of the insider view. First of all, although I'd realized this in the past, it just reassured me that just because people are poor does not necessarily mean that they are stupid or any less than anyone else. This woman went to high school like we all did, and she is literate and if she hadn't been writing about her financial situation, I would never have guessed that she was living in poverty. One quote that struck me was, "Nobody gives enough thought to depression. You have to understand that we know that we will never not feel tired. We will never feel hopeful. We will never get a vacation. Ever. We know that the very act of being poor guarantees that we will never not be poor. It doesn't give us much reason to improve ourselves. We don't apply for jobs because we know we can't afford to look nice enough to hold them" Just because poor people have a lot of external problems does not mean they are immune to internal problems, like depression and hopelessness. Yes, she is able to get food and get by, but that doesn't mean that she is in any way happy. Poverty is an area in which people are poor, but I think that far past the "poverty line" are people that still don't have enough money for a good life. Her insight was unique and she made me really think more than Barbara Ehrenreich ever could.
    Jennifer Giri
    Period 3

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  3. Leah Braley period 6
    I think this article really gives us an interesting perspective on the lower class and how they live, especially on the thought process that they go through. The way that the author shows how everything that happens effects her next decision is very interesting, and makes a lot of sense. Like how she says that the closest planned parenthood is 3 hours away which is a lot in gas for someone in her situation, so she may never be able to go to one of these. This shows us the fact that a lot of poor people know they are lower class, they don't try to deny it or make excuses, she is able to say "I make a lot of poor financial decisions" or how she says "I smoke. It's expensive.". I know that we read Nickle and Dimed over the summer, which was essentially about the same topic, but this article seemed more informative to me. She had a more layed back tone, but was able to communicate the topic she was writing about and show her opinion while also making me think.

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  4. I cannot decide how this article sits with me. I am a firm believer that the Welfare system in America is abused and that there are alternative options for the poor and opportunities to work their way up and achieve "the American Dream" or something to that nature. However, it is difficult to argue against the choices and reasoning that this person in particular makes. She does not make excuses for her actions; instead she accepts them, stating blatantly "I smoke. It's expensive." I respect her acceptance of herself and taking responsibility for her actions. I believe one should do whatever it takes, work as hard as they have to to get by, which is exactly what this woman is doing. However, I feel like this is a rare case. More likely than not, the poor will make excuses and put blame on others for their misfortune, whether it be the government or an individual. They will simply live off of Welfare rather than try to get themselves out of their situation. Welfare must be reformed in order to repair this crumbling system.
    Skylar S.
    Period 2

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  5. To all of the posters: Thanks for taking the time to offer your comments-very insightful!

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  6. I’ve never been a believer of the notion that “people live in poverty because they don’t know how to keep themselves out of it.” But all the same, I’ve never had this deep of an insight on the decisions these people have to make day to day. I can’t stand the people think things like, “this is America, where life blossoms and pockets prosper, isn't it? People are in poverty because they are incapable of keeping themselves out of it and even worse at escaping it.” The idea that opportunity is just around every corner and people are making their own choices not to take advantage of it is not just silly; it’s sickening. When living in poverty, nothing is for certain. A lot of the time, planning is impractical, because there’s no reliable order of events to base a long term decision off of. There’s no better option than to live moment by moment, and do whatever is necessary to eat dinner that night, even if means not having a guaranteed breakfast the next morning.
    Aaron R
    Per 6

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  7. My problem with the essay is she seems to have no hope. She has decided she is destined to "be this way" forever. I don't like how she sees the need to "lock in" her fate. Life isnt a game show, you dont need to "lock in," however i feel if the author continues to think as she is, she will be like that forever. After reading the comments on the article, i realized there were many people in similar situations who overcame great, maybe even greater hardships and who now live a very happy and successful life. I think there is hope for the author, even if she doesn't.
    Ben Greenvall
    Period 6


    I think that poor people make poor choices..... that does not mean they made a bad decision, they chose the options that were available to them, that does not mean they made a bad choice at all.... they made the choice best for a poor person.


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  8. The second paragraph was a comment that spoke to me on huffington post. Thought i would share it in my response.
    Ben

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