Reply #14: Yes that's ignorant, but....

[highlonesome]

I think it's at best naive to say that problem is only -- or even mainly -- poverty in and of itself. Someitmes it's not so much the money as it is the family or lack of it.

We were quite poor for a long stretch when I was growing up, but I was lucky enough to be born blessed with a good mind and into a family tha valued education. My parents made sure my brother and sister and I could all read and write by the time we went to kindergarten. Both my parents read for enjoyment a fair amount too and encouraged it in us, even if it was just comic books.

It's just not that simple. People don't choose to be poor in general, but often being poor is the result of hundreds or thousands of separate smaller choices that all add up to unending multi-generational poverty.

And simply throwing money at it doesn't necessarily solve it. There's some good strong evidence that supports the idea that much of the welfare system undermined family units and made the problem worse.

And it's not just the education system either. Kids have to live in and environment where education is valued. If he's never seen his parents read a book, why would he want to?