For anyone in poverty or anyone who has been in poverty: Hello everyone! I am writing a research paper about poverty and its connections to social issues. I think that my paper would have something missing if I didn't include testimonies of others who have experienced poverty firsthand. I would love and appreciate any advice or comments no matter how small.
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I remember losing a job because my car broke down and I worked 20 minutes away. There's no public transportation where I live. I needed a few hundred more dollars to fix it, but couldn't get the money because I lost my job. One of the reasons poverty is linked with crime is because it's a way to get the things you need. Sometimes it's desperation. What if rent is due, or you need food, medicine immediately? Your hours got cut, someone got sick, etc. Yeah, there's programs, sure but it's not nearly enough to live off, assuming you can actually get them. I had to leave home when I was 17. I was on my own, and there are limited job opportunities for teenagers. But I did alright I worked as much as I could and I scraped by. When I was 19, I broke my leg and ankle requiring surgery. I couldn't work for over 3 months. No income coming in, no one to help me. I needed food, rent, the necessities. I'm not proud of this but I stole $3000 from my deceased grandmothers (remarried) husband. He inherented around $90000 when she died. He was a miserable senile old drunk who didn't care about me (or anyone). My point is, I was in a tough spot and if I was law abiding, I would've starved on the street unable to walk. It's may not be ok, but it's understandable. And it's something that needs to be fixed.
This was meant to be a reply to the first post, but I hope it helps Ponyo
If anyone says crime is ok if you’re poor, take a seat
It's not that 'it's ok'. I remember losing a job because my car broke down and I worked 20 minutes away. There's no public transportation where I live. I needed a few hundred more dollars to fix it, but couldn't get the money because I lost my job. One of the reasons poverty is linked with crime is because it's a way to get the things you need. Sometimes it's desperation. What if rent is due, or you need food, medicine immediately? Your hours got cut, someone got sick, etc. Yeah, there's programs, sure but it's not nearly enough to live off, assuming you can actually get them. I had to leave home when I was 17. I was on my own, and there are limited job opportunities for teenagers. But I did alright I worked as much as I could and I scraped by. When I was 19, I broke my leg and ankle requiring surgery. I couldn't work for over 3 months. No income coming in, no one to help me. I needed food, rent, the necessities. I'm not proud of this but I stole $3000 from my deceased grandmothers (remarried) husband. He inherented around $90000 when she died. He was a miserable senile old drunk who didn't care about me (or anyone). My point is, I was in a tough spot and if I was law abiding, I would've starved on the street unable to walk. It's may not be ok, but it's understandable. And it's something that needs to be fixed.
Poverty is often used as an excuse for criminal or anti-social behavior.
When you live at or below poverty level, you cannot participate in most social activities, like sports clubs, or festivals, or at it's basest level, just go out for a coffee with friends, because you can't afford it, so you become socially isolated, which can lead to depression.
And it's hard to make friends when you can't participate in activités where you could make friends. Even in your immediate community, it's difficult to make friends because, to paraphrase Eric Clapton, "no one wants to know you when you're down and out". It's not their monkeys, not their circus, and everyone is afraid to be taken advantage of when you got nothing to give back but friendship for the price of a cup of coffee and a chat.
Poverty isn't limited to the uneducated living in cities, it happens to the well-educated living in rural towns, too. It happens to the young, middle-aged, and the elderly. The elderly are probably the most vulnerable because their pension doesn't reflect inflation, which, in Europe in 2023 rose by 20% for food alone.
When you're poor, you don't go to the grocery store and just buy on a whim. You have a budget and a list of essentials to buy because you've planned out what meals you will make to feed your family that you can on that budget. And then it comes to items like shampoo and toilet paper- especially toilet paper--and for a minute, your logic is that you won't need to buy toilet paper if you buy less food...
