The Baltimore Sun/ article "Poverty Politics" 2/08

Here are excerpts from a very powerful article on social inequity

POVERTY POLITICS (BY D. MAC KINNON)

BOTH PARTIES EXPLOiT tHE DESTITUTE AND HOMELESS INSTEAD OF GIVING THEM RESPECT AND A PLACE AT THE TABLE.

Homelessness and poverty are among the most misunderstood , patronized and politically expedient issues.

As one who grew up on welfare and was often homeless as a child, I admit to being protective of a class of people that is shunned by all but a rare few in society.

John Edwards, in his quest for economic just for the poor of AMerica, began and ended his presidential campaign in the crippled Ninth Ward of New Orlenas.

He has brought much needed attention to an issue that begs for a constant media spotlight.

Neither the democrat nor the republican nominee is ever going to make ending poverty central to his or her campaign, because it's impossible.

Tonight, across this country 200k men and women who wore our uniform, will go to sleep under bridges and on grates.

O'Reilly rebuffs: Poor households in America have lots of stuff. 97% have a color tv, 78% a dvd player, 80% an air conditioner, 73% a car or truck, 63% cable or satellite tv, and 43% of poor households in the u.s. own the home they are living in:

McKinnon-O.R.'s "welfare queen" attack on the poor is as misleading as it is hurtful. Does He know what crushing poverty is really like?

 Does Mr. O'Reilly know what it's like to continually have your phone, electricity and your gas shut off for nonpaYment? Does he know what it's like to be continually evicted from your apt.? Does he know what it's like to go without heat for days or weeks in the dead of winter?

(p.s. i've experienced all of this)

Sometimes, tv and dvd is the only escape the poor have. Beyond the front door, they often face crime lawlessness, gang and drug warfare, and a horrific life that only those who live it can imagine.

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My comments (elana's comments)

wow, what an article! eye opening for so many. to see the entire article go to www.sunspot.net, and look for the february article "poverty politics"