The third section of the book The American Way of Poverty by Sasha
Abramsky was very intriguing, as it took a more personal approach sharing some
stories of those affected by poverty. But the part I found personally most
fascinating was how Abramsky wanted her audience to take a closer look at poverty,
specifically those who have been convicted of nonaggressive offenses and its
effects on those individuals in our society. For example, we pass a homeless
man on the street begging for change, but most people would not give the man
money and say he would spend it on drugs or alcohol. Although criminal offenses
should be punished if the offender is found guilty, the problem with our
society is that we label those in poverty. Our culture labels these individuals
because we believe that This wrongdoing can really affect those who are being
labeled, because they are more likely to be convicted of these nonviolent
offenses than individuals labeled as upper class. The author also suggests that
as a country, we need to recognize the poverty epidemic and admit that it needs
to be the primary focus of our attention so we can start to resolve the issue.
Instead of continually overspending our tax money on things such as
incarcerating people convicted of nonviolent offenses and overspending on
keeping them in jail. In lieu, we should put our tax dollars towards helping to
fund homeless shelters, programs to assist those in poverty, and organizations
like the Salvation Army or Good Will. With the gap between the rich and poor
continuing to divide, more individuals will find themselves dealing with the
hardships of living in poverty. This is due to the rising costs of living,
which is based on inflation. This section of the book was my favorite because
it aims to open the eyes of society and realize that we need to stop this
problem for our future generations before its too late.
Test Question- What is one example of a negative stereotype
that society has placed on those living in poverty?
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