Essay On Poverty In America

In the United States, about 43 million people are considered to be in poverty. In simpler terms, this would mean about 14 percent of people living in America are below the poverty line. The poverty line is considered to be the cut off of where a family’s income is lower than their cost of living, depending on the size of the family. So, does this mean that the families below this “line” are unable to have adequate food and housing, and are living on the streets? Or, does it simply mean that they do not have extra money to spend on unneeded luxuries? The argument of the real meaning of poverty is a popular issue in the United States and around the world. Determining the true definition of poverty does not seem to be possible, but stating one’s opinion on what it means is the basis of this essay. In my opinion, I view wealth as the ability to pay your bills on time, be able to buy the necessities of life, have a couple extra dollars in your pocket to spend on that candy bar you’ve been staring at in the store, and to be happy with the life you’re living at the end of the day. Wealth does not always need to mean money. In dictionary terms, wealth means “the

I believe this is how it should be explained, rather than how a person or family is compared to their well-off neighbor, or the top ten percent of wealthy Americans. Just because one does not own a fancy sports car and seven houses by the beach doesn’t put them in the “poor” category. America has fallen victim to teaching its citizens that looking down on each other because of income is normal and okay to do. The standard of poverty should not be categorized by who has the better car or prettier house, but by the standard of living of a family. A family that lives on the street and cannot put food in their mouths should be considered in poverty and helped by others, not compared to another family with only one beach house and a normal