You can lift yourself out of poverty

Boy are you dim sighted. Put yourself in their shoes for just a moment. When you have parents that are divorced, what do you think that teaches a child? Even I have noticed that most African Americans have a higher divorce rate than White people, but then I understand that when they were slaves, they were forced to leave homes and families cause they were sold to different masters, and forced to take on other families. How does one stop this vicious cycle? By breaking their own bonds yet again. Change happens when a individual decides that it is needed, and to some, it will never happen because they are looking for change in the wrong places. Not everyone knows all the government programs out there, and some of those programs like to stay lost in a sea of programs cause government money not used to its efficiency tend to go back to the congress and they will use to for other programs. Education is NOT free, I should know cause my out of pocket expenses must come out first before Pell and Hope pick up the tab, and student loans are harder to pay off when you know no jobs are guaranteed when you do graduate. I am a prime example.

Courts cannot find the fathers is yet another example of why the fathers are not held responsible. Go through the processes of this and you will clearly see the red tape a mother has to deal with to get what she needs! Mothers ARE working, you just don't hear about it, and sometimes mothers even leave their kids alone at home cause they cannot afford babysitters. I have heard many stories of this! Families will not get involved cause they would be disgraced and they would never have approved, and yet, aunts and grandmas take in their kids cause the mothers cannot find enough work to support their own kids. How sad. I, myself used to get food stamps when I had my toddler and baby, cause my husband was gone in the military and I was left without shelter or money (posts will not allow you to stay unless your husbands are directly stationed there, mine was in South Korea). No family support as I was taken to my husbands advanced duty station where I was left on my own. My babysitter almost let my kid drown, my baby got out of her sight and went into busy traffic when a cop woke her from sleep. I ended up having to quit my job and stay home to keep my kids or I would lose them.

As you can see, I have walked in a lot of people's shoes. I do understand a lot more than people realize.

This is by no means justification for them, cause they are smart people, they just need some guidance as to what is available to them and get them to think outside their own bonds to get out of poverty. There are NO KNOWN programs for this here in good ole Augusta, and if there are, they need to advertise this more, but cannot cause as I said, some programs are intended to stay lost so that the money will go to the pockets of others who are not doing what is necessary to keep this program alive.

With all of the entitlements out there, and if you are low income you qualify for grants . The middle income people have to pay,pay,pay....

justis, please call Phil Graham. I think he would be a sympathic shoulder you could cry on.

justus4: The government is NOT RESPONSIBLE for your family; YOU ARE. People don't have to play 'monkey see, monkey do' in order to make the world go round, but they DO need to develop a sense of pride in their workmanship and ability to use their talent to better themselves. If your best friend asked you to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge, would you do it? By the same token, because you see the government making poor judgments are you going to do so as well--or are you going to try and correct the problem as any good citizen would do? Seems to me you would fit the former category and jump off the bridge just because someone else did.

Justus when you speak out that the government need to be there for all citizens is quite laughable if it were not so serious...The way I look at it is if people want to live, eat, and raise a family then they must work for it not sit around all day waiting for someone else to pay....Government is meant to help out those who are in dire straits. A short term help instead of a way of life that generations upon generations have come to expect...Kinda like saying there is a money tree in the neighbors backyard lets just pick some off of it we are due it anyway...One day that tree is gonna die and then what will you and others do then?..

justus4 and DE2 make the short comings of socialism perfectly clear. As long as a government subsidy is available, those that feel entitled will fall back on it. It ceases to be a "fall back" measure and becomes a way of life immediately. The vote buyers in congress have bred up this entitlement mentality and only tough measures will fix the problem. If no government subsidized people have the right to vote (excluding retirees that have paid into social security and medicare) a solution to this social disease will be found post haste. Don't look for any improvement in the near future.

Justus reminds me of one of those fools that didn't want to leave the plantation; he's trying to get back to it on a daily basis.

I think we should go back to the days of you only vote if you you either, pay income taxes or own property. If you you don't pay income or property taxes then you really aren't contributing to the system so why should you have a say in how the money is used? After all you don't have a say in how companies spend money unless you're a stock holder and isn't that what we really are as tax payers ... stockholders in the the Government?

Education is the key to getting people out of poverty, but the problem is you can take a horse to water but can't make em drink. Anyone living in poverty can get an education-plenty of opportunity but there is no personal incentive and I don't know how to motivate someone to better themselves.

'We the sensible people of the United States, in an attempt to help everyone get along, restore some semblance of justice, avoid more riots, keep our nation safe, promote positive behavior, and secure the blessings of debt-free liberty to ourselves and our great-great-great-grandchildren, hereby try one more time to ordain and establish some common sense guidelines for the terminally whiny, guilt ridden, delusional, and other liberal bed-wetters. We hold these truths to be self evident: that a whole lot of people are confused by the Bill of Rights and are so dim they require a Bill of NON-Rights.'

ARTICLE I: You do not have the right to a new car, big screen TV, or any other form of wealth. More power to you if you can legally acquire them, but no one is guaranteeing anything.

ARTICLE II: You do not have the right to never be offended. This country is based on freedom, and that means freedom for everyone -- not just you! You may leave the room, turn the channel, express a different opinion, etc.; but the world is full of idiots, and probably always will be.

Justus and DE...you guys do know that before the "WAH on Poverty" the single family rate among blacks was SINGLE (meaning somehwere between 1 and 9) percent. If you don't believe it check out what the incredible Dr Walter Williams and Thomas Sowell have to say.

ARTICLE III: You do not have the right to be free from harm. If you stick a screwdriver in your eye, learn to be more careful; do not expect the tool manufacturer to make you and all your relatives independently wealthy.

ARTICLE IV: You do not have the right to free food and housing. Americans are the most charitable people to be found, and will gladly help anyone in need, but we are quickly growing weary of subsidizing generation after generation of professional couch potatoes who achieve nothing more than the creation of another generation of professional couch potatoes. (This one is my pet peeve...get an education and go to work....don't expect everyone else to take care of you!)

ARTICLE V: You do not have the right to free health care. That would be nice, but from the looks of public housing, we're just not interested in public health care.

ARTICLE VI: You do not have the right to physically harm other people. If you kidnap, rape, intentionally maim, or kill someone, don't be surprised if the rest of us want to see you fry in the electric chair.

ARTICLE VII: You do not have the right to the possessions of others. If you rob, cheat, or coerce away the goods or services of other citizens, don't be surprised if the rest of us get together and lock you away in a place where you still won't have the right to a big screen color TV or a life of leisure.

ARTICLE VIII: You do not have the right to a job. All of us sure want you to have a job, and will gladly help you along in hard times, but we expect you to take advantage of the opportunities of education and vocational training laid before you to make yourself useful. (AMEN!)

ARTICLE IX: You do not have the right to happiness. Being an American means that you have the right to PURSUE happiness, which by the way, is a lot easier if you are unencumbered by an over abundance of idiotic laws created by those of you who were confused by the Bill of Rights.

ARTICLE X: This is an English speaking country. We don't care where you are from, English is our language. Learn it or go back to wherever you came from! (Lastly....)

ARTICLE XI: You do not have the right to change our country's history or heritage. This country was founded on the belief in one true God. And yet, you are given the freedom to believe in any religion, any faith, or no faith at all; with no fear of persecution. The phrase IN GOD WE TRUST is part of our heritage and history, and if you are uncomfortable with it, TOUGH!

justus4. The above is for you and all the liberals that think the govt. owes them something.

Pat, I suppose you think the author has the answer to the question about how to motivate people out of poverty? I am not in poverty anymore, and be grateful I am no longer on government assistance! I was once homeless with kids, and never again! I picked myself up and will never live in my car again. Those on welfare should pull some community service for their money. No shows get no money for welfare. Isn't that going to fly? It would not cost the government to support that kind of program, and yet has structure to motivate the people huh? Like I said, perhaps you should think outside the box more.

The people that have lived all of their life on welfare and food stamps will never get out and work, they are lifers. They are slaves to the system of government give-aways. People that bring children into this world should first have jobs that will provide for their family. People that work for what they receive are more appreciative for the things they buy with money they earned, they have more self-respect. They don't boycott or riot every time something happens they don't like!! Regardless of color!!

What incentive is there to work or improve your situation when you do not have the desire or initiative? Are you crazy there are too many free handouts to go to work. Why work and improve your situation when you can get it all for free. I don't want to hear anything about the lady with multiple kids b/c nobody forced her to lay down and make all of those kids. It all comes down to choices made in life.

johnrdupree if it were not for God our Creator you wouldn't be here to worry about writing a comment on the legalities of the phrase "Under God" or any other religious reference now would you?

If we want people to get off welfare here are the base steps. 1. Do not provide any money. All bills will be given to the welfare department and they will write the checks. This will stop the boy friend from showing up on welfare day to get the check. 2. Do noy provide food stamps or credit cards. We need to provide what was provided in the 1950s, bulk flour, sugar, cheese, cereal, lunch meat and bread. This will prevent people from trading stamps and cards for drugs, nail polish and other things. What it will do is provide a healthy nutritous diet. There now we have taken care of the family but they don't have a dime in cash, how long before they get a job do you think?

30+ years ago, I got divorced. I had a 4year old. My ex didn't pay child support, he vanished. I filed and got food stamps and welfare. I was on it 3 months. I found a JOB. I put my child in day care. I was earning less working that I was receiving on "the dole". My friend was shocked that I would work for less than I was getting "on the dole". She is still in poverty. I run my own business and am in middle class. My child has her own business.
I taught my child working is an honor to self and family and she is teaching her children work is an honor. If more people felt and taught that working is an honor,We worked our way out. We are happy.

The LTE and the comments so far miss the fact that "Ms. Mitchell worked briefly at a hotel last year, but she said she quit because she didn't like her boss. She worked at an IHOP restaurant after moving out of Gilbert Manor, then quit because of car problems. Staying home and taking care of her children is cheaper than working and paying for day care. She said she'd like to return to school someday, but only after her 2-year-old daughter starts kindergarten." See: http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/070608/met_464683.shtml

Sounds like someone who should lose her children, then be allowed starve to death, NLA. You don't want to work? You don't eat. I hate a leech. Dregs of society.

So many of these welfare slaves have nice cars with thousands spent on tires and rims and the women still go to have their nails and hair done every week? Priorities, some people cannot comprehend!!

ww1949 - Nice job on the article. Some inaccuracy in the "UNDER GOD" and "IN GOD WE TRUST" but overall a good entry.

How many years prior to the years of government handouts did people survive without government handouts. At one time, it was considered embarressing to accept a handout, even if it came from a neighbor. In some communities, neighbors supported eachother. The Amish get together and raise homes and barns for neightbors. They do not need government assistance to do these things.

I would support a government handup (limited time frame), but not a government handout (lasts forever).

DE this letter was about the fact that most people dependant on the gov't is because they breed and don't work... by choice. The system is designed to help those in need, like what you did. A 22 yr old with 4 kids, different dads living off the sytem and gets pregnant again is examples of what the writer is talking about. And truthfully, I don't even blame the deadbeat dad's. A woman can, unless raped, close her legs or using free prevention that is offered, can protect herself from getting pregnant 4 times by different people!!!!!! They cause their own poverty to be able to get handouts!!! Just because you did the right thing and picked yourself up doesn't mean squat for the #'s, hundreds off thousands more breed more and live off the system guaranteeing them to be poor forever. Did you not read that this letter was not about the people who have trouble through no fault of thier own, but they choose this crappy lifestyle??? Assistance is a hand up not life long handout!!! And to call the letter dimsighted??? You my dear either did not excel in basic reading comprehension or are just dim sighted yourself. Why don't you think outside the box!!!!!

And a big AMEN to those who are tired of these leeches too!!!!!!