Caring For the Poor in the USA

Not everyone is poor for the same reason, and I don't automatically dismiss someone as a "failure" or "loser" because they are poor, but nor do I automatically have sympathy for what we call the poor here in the USA.

Our somewhat-free markets have enabled most of the poor of yesterday to be the middle-class or even wealthy of today. Sure, there is some "luck" involved - I do not believe in some spiritual event in which people choose their parents and all that comes with it (genetics, parents' financial status, parenting ability, etc.) However, even being born to poor parents, one is not likely to be poor for very long into their adulthood if they:



1) Avoid committing or abetting serious crime.
2) Avoid substance abuse.
3) Avoid raising children out of wedlock.

and especially if they...

4) Go as far in their education as they can reasonable afford, even if that is only completing high school.
5) Get a job, whatever that is, and be a reliable employee or marry someone who fits this description.
6) Spend less than they make, saving, investing, and insuring with the difference.

Even if poor in the USA, the poor in the USA have:

1. National defense and very stable governing system. They don't have to worry that tomorrow an invading army or a coup will change everything.

2. Health care, even if only the nearest emergency room.

3. Food. Most of the poor in this country are overweight at least, some are obese.

4. "Free to them" education through high school, and mostly-subsidized education beyond that.

5. Freedom of association and religion, which enables networking with a support group and charitable organizations.

6. Somewhat-free enterprise, through which they can be their own boss and even become wealthy.

7. Decent shelter. People not living in shelters have, almost invariably, chosen not to. (Most of the "poor" in the USA have working air-conditioning.)

8. Police protection and legal services.

9. Fire protection and emergency services.

10. Access to clean running water and the protection of sanitary sewer and septic systems.

11. Utilities such as electricity, natural gas, telephone/Internet/cable communications.

12. Animal and vector control services, protecting them from threats to their health.

13. Roads, sidewalks, bicycle trails, heavily subsidized public transit systems.

14, Various other infrastructure improvements and protections such as flood control.

15. Recreation and entertainment such as public beaches, parks, libraries, museums, etc.

16. Various public air programs.

17.  For the senior citizens, medical insurance and Social Security payments

Being poor in the USA usually puts someone way ahead most of the world.

Many of these things have come to be expected by some of the poor, and some of them even demand more, as if they are entitled to have other people pay their way through life.


I do have sympathy for anyone who is poor due to an illness or injury they did not bring upon themselves or they acquired in defense of the innocent or otherwise heroic action, or because they have been victims of serious crime, or they were left poor as a result of a disaster, or they just came to the USA.

I'm not so sympathetic to someone who is poor because they do or did abuse substances (including severe overeating), have committed serious crimes or associated with those who were committing serious crimes, chose to have and raise children out of wedlock, have bought things they couldn't afford, or have been lazy and dependent.

The Bible records my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ commanding His followers to care for the poor. He did not say Rome should tax everyone, regardless of whether they followed Jesus or not, to redistribute the money for charitable purposes. I do believe in the separation of church and state - it does not prevent anyone from voting according to their religious beliefs or elected officials from using words like "Jesus" and "Christmas" or require removing crosses from county or city seals. Rather, it keeps the federal government from adopting or starting an official church and it should also keep the government out of charity.

Charity should be local and personal. Notice that good missionaries don't simply fly over a village and drop supplies. Caring for the poor is more than handing over a check in a manner that encourages people to be dependent on taxing people they don't even know to subsidize their laziness and self-limiting behaviors. Caring for the poor means having a relationship with them, knowing who they are, knowing their problems, knowing their strengths, cheering them on when they make the right decisions, discouraging from making the wrong decisions, dressing their wounds, and protecting them from bad influences and those who would cause them trouble. It means mentoring them, being an example to them, helping them to become self-sufficient (in most cases), and in turn, people who will not only be able to engage the free market in trading goods and services, but do so with enough success that they will provide charity to others.

Government does a horrible job of caring for the poor, especially when the incentive for continued employment by everyone from the top level politicians to the front-line program workers behooves them to keep as many people poor and dependent as possible.

Charity should be the domain of voluntary associations and person-to-person, family-to-family interactions. Will everyone have all of their needs met? No, we will always have poor people until Jesus Christ returns, but people will be better off with private charity than when the government takes money from successful people and gives it to strangers, regardless of the behavior of those strangers.