I have a friend at work, Lavonne. She is 37 and had to get a tooth pulled this week. She doesn't have dental insurance and was informed all her teeth would have to be pulled. She needs dentures. She told me that her mom never took her to the dentist growing up. Lavonne grew up in a financially poor family and continues to live at the borderline of the poverty level.
In 1964, President Lyndon Johnson declared war on Poverty. Since then, hundreds of billions of dollars have flowed from the U.S. government to small and large towns across America. Our government has provided free food, repaired dilapidated homes, and provided jobs for those in need.
But somehow it is still not enough. We have far from put an end to the cycle of poverty in America even though we are a very wealthy nation. As long as the money-grubbing Republicans are in charge, the poor are going to be stripped of public services that they do receive.
The Republicans are all about helping their rich friends get richer. The poor do not fit into the equation for them. The Republicans see poor people as people who are lazy and people who can't hold a job. The Republicans seem to believe that the great American dream can be had by anyone and that the playing field is level.
They can delude themselves all they want. Children living in poverty are at risk of low achievement, behavior problems, and health problems. It is critical that policies affecting their families enhance children's well-being rather than leaving them behind.
While we are forcing the single mothers off welfare to work, what is happening to the children? Are the children receiving adequate healthcare, emotional support, early childhood education?
It seems to me like they are being ignored. There are government programs here and there to help them just so we can keep them off the streets so we don't have to face their plight. But as a society, we are not truly concerned with their well being. No one wants to think of the nine-year old alone who is eating Ramen every night for dinner while her Mom works.
I would like to see federal funds absolutely poored into helping poor children. A new war on poverty should be started and focus on the children. It is our best possible chance to end the cycle of poverty in America.
John Kerry had the right idea with his "Kid's Come First" bill that would provide healthcare to all unisured children. We have an obligation as a society to take care of these children. Then, we can provide high quality daycare with low teacher student raios so the children can receive the attention and learning that is so imperitive in the first few years of life. We can provide parents with classes on how to parent and the means to provide their children with the adequate nutrition, exercise, life skills, and emotional support.
It would save so much money in the future. But it is just not in the hearts of Republicans. For all their screaming and hollering about Life and Christianity, the reality is they don't give a damn about the children after the child is born. The Republicans worship the almighty dollar. And that protecting life concept is all well and good until they have to put their money where their mouth is.
I look forward to the day when Democrats are once again in power. Because I believe they will begin another war of poverty just an Johnson did back in 1964. It is a war worth fighting.