Kelvin

“I know what it’s like to live in poverty,” he declared. “Help the homeless. Spare change?”

As I passed him his shoes caught my eye. They were in good condition and bore a familiar logo.

He was wearing Jordans.

Now I’m not judging that man or using him as a universal example for all homeless or impoverished. But, I would have to agree with Travis when he states, “When adults suffer from poverty, often it is self-inflicted. … perhaps they remain uneducated or unemployed rather than being productive…”

I’m kidding of course, except for the last part, but that is “elitist” of me. I have some friends that have several kids and they do not make a lot of money. They have a little girl who has unfortunately had many health problems in her young age, which is sad enough, her being so young. But they do not have the funds to pay for all of the expenses, so they work with their doctors and the hospital and have worked out payment plans and even been comped services by both their doctor and the hospital. There are ways to work within the system to get the help you and your kids need. People who do not want to try and want everything handed to them want others to pay for their misfortunes and difficult life.

My wife and I have insurance for ourselves and our daughter, and have received treatment without incedent. However, we have received numerous solicitations from Kentucky’s Medicaid Program reminding us that our daughter may qualify for state-payed health care (which, in fact, all three of us do by a large margin).

It is difficult for me to understand some stories that I hear about parents being unable to find treatment for their children (after which I am aked for money). Seems like fabrications or, again, a reason for the state to intervene.

“You are an idiot.”

-Dr. Richard Kimball on Left Blog

Heh.

I find arguments about poverty in general, and remedies for its American variety in particular, quite tedious.

In short, to blame the scourge of poverty on the conservative defense of free markets is so ignorant of world history that it should, I would think, disturb the conscience of those push that argument (see: Left Blog). Of course, that’s not the case. Hence, the left’s open embrace of Hugo Chavez and other assorted characters whose currency is not economic development but anti-Americanism and the mirage of socialism.

I’m sure that in twenty years we’ll be listening to leftists rattle off 101 excuses as to how the American empire impeded Chavez’ march to a socialist utopia, just as today we listen to the left blame hunger in America on Ronald Reagan and other conservatives.