The Poor Among Us......Who Are They?

While watching one of those programs about the Rich and Famous and how they live, I was appalled to say the least. This particular program was showcasing their homes.. The program was obviously filmed before 2009, I could tell this by a statement made by the narrator, concerning one of the homes being made ready by early 2009. However, it was filmed within the last few years. I'm setting up the timeline, because I feel it is germane to the subject. Well, anyway, this program was showcasing these homes, because of their size and worth.

Now, although, this program was filmed, a few years ago it's no less reprehensible. You see, our economy has been on a rapid downward spiral for sometime now, at least for the last five years. So even if the program was filmed a few years ago it is unconscionable that these people would flaunt their wealth at a time when the world was suffering to the extent that it was. Here are some figures to put this in perspective.

According to the UN, the 3 richest people on earth have more than the 48 poorest nations.

2.5 billion people live on less than $2 per day!

In the US, in the last 700 days, 6.5 million people have lost their jobs. And over 21% of children under 18 live below the poverty line.

So you tell me, where is the conscious thought or even the rationale, behind flaunting such ostentation. The program put the spotlight on a man from one of the poorest countries with over 1 billion people. The man was building an edifice over 400,000 square feet, a home, for his family. It was being built as a high rise, several stories high. It has four floors just for his over 160 automobiles. All the homes on this program were valued in the millions, with square footage ranging from around 20,000 square feet, and above.

Maybe, this was before the revelation of the newest Ponzi schemes. Maybe, this was before the gentleman had "made off" with billions of dollars of the rich and famous, (not saying he only "made off," with their money, because we know he "made off" with more, but for the sake of this article, I'm only referring to those ones here). So, maybe, the money was still flowing freely, maybe, maybe, maybe, whatever, the fact remains, the program was aired July, 2009, in the midst of the worst recession in history. It aired at a time when whole families are literally homeless, and in some cases, seemingly, hopeless. Some of those homes could easily house multiple families.

As the statistics has shown, being homeless is not the only problem. A person living on $2 dollars a day can't have enough to provide other basic necessities, such as food, clothing, medicine etc. Substandard living, not just homelessness, is also notable for someone living on that amount. Trying to raise a family, or just living day to day alone, on such a small amount can also leave emotional scars, that could last a lifetime. Not to mention the depths to which one could sink, trying to rise above the conditions in which they find themselves. The drug trade being one after effect of such abject poverty. So when the these people flaunt their wealth at a time like this, is to say the least, shameful.

Speaking to the newly made rich, "some of you came from near poverty levels yourselves, can you even remember those times? Can't you remember from whence you came? Why not reach back, and bring some others up with you. Why not look back to your home town, or home state and search out some of those homeless, or near poverty stricken residences and pay it forward. I'm not saying give away anything. You know the saying, "give a man a fish, you feed him for a day, teach him to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." So you see, most people would relish a job doing anything, moral, legal, or honestly to support their families, rather than a handout, a hand up would be in order here. Make jobs for them. After all, your riches came from just those people, trying to get some relief from their poverty stricken lives by paying to see you do what you do." (I'm just saying)!

Who are the real poor among us? Let's examine this! What about some of the rich, looking at the homeless, and downtrodden, and offering nothing........ poor conscious. Spending all their wealth to impress others.....poor choice. Making a showy display of one's means of life......poor taste. Not remembering from whence they came, and where they can go back to.......poor sighted. So when talking about the poor, poor is not only defined by economics or living standards,other meanings for poor would be..... lacking quality, or value, Etymology: Middle English poure, from Anglo-French povre, pore, from Latin pauper; akin to Latin paucus little. So when considering those meanings, especially little, (too little, done to help),couldn't we say that some of the financially well to do among us, would be considered........POOR! The bible says, "we will always have the poor among us," and we might add, in more ways than one.

So I ask again, Who are the real poor among us? After examining the facts stated herein, you tell me.