Tuesday, March 2, 2010

The Genocide of The Poor in America

The physical and mental sufferings of the underprivileged in America should be considered a form of genocide. It is no secret that The United States of America has a history of oppression, genocide, racism, and corruption, but in regards to the current status of our country; the needs of the oppressed are often overlooked. In the so called land of opportunity those without a history of wealth or those without the privilege of having fair skin, find it hard to advance in a society that does not care about their hardships. The poor are under attack from all levels, but their plight continues due to the inability to bring forth awareness in regards to their issues. Human suffering is often looked upon as laziness when in fact this country was built on human suffering. The poor do not ask for much, all they ask for is an opportunity to reach their highest potential, but when public schools in rural and urban districts are under funded, and the Criminal Justice System criminalizes their suffering one can only consider their suffering a form of genocide.


Public schools in America are being under funded while drop out rates continue to rise in poorer communities. Professors at Public Universities have to fight for tenure, while private institutions continue to receive public and private grants. A quality and cheap education is essential for those who must work while they attend school, but students who attend public universities continue to see their tuition rise every semester. In addition, the interest on student loans continues to rise without concern for the students. In Cuba students in medical school attend school for free as long as they work in hospitals in poor communities. Sadly, Americans are terrified of communistic education policies such as those in Cuba. The price of Higher Education in America will continue to rise if action is not taken by those affected by these policies. Public Higher Education is being sacrificed to ensure that private schools can earn record profits. An individual may not be born into wealth, but he/she can create wealth with academic success. Preventing the poor from an opportunity at Higher Education is a way for those in power to maintain their power. If the masses of poor people were to gain academic credentials the power structure would shift drastically, but in order to maintain this power structure poor people must be shut out of academia.


Employment is an essential need for an individual in this society in order to live comfortably. In order to gain adequate employment one must keep a clean criminal record. In regards to poor people this requirement is often hard to maintain since they are often in contact with police officers. Economically deprived neighborhoods are stigmatized as high crime environments by various police departments throughout The United States. Although, those who live in these environments do not engage in criminal activity anymore than any other neighborhood throughout The United States; these neighborhoods are under intense scrutiny daily. With higher chances of having police contact poor people of color have a higher probability of having criminal records. A good percentage of African-Americans who are currently incarcerated are serving time on victimless and drug related charges. When they return to society from incarceration they are then branded felons and become part of a permanent under caste. Their ability to gain reputable employment is substantially decreased. The injustices that are attached to being a convicted felon are astronomical and inhumane. The rights to vote, live in public housing, and carry licensed weapons are also surrendered. With a high percentage of blacks incarcerated and labeled felons blacks around the nation experience a substantial loss in representation when it comes time to vote. Employment disparities continue to surface and more poor blacks continue to be incarcerated. The suffering of the poor must be considered a form of genocide.

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