Just Watched "America's Poor Kids" On BBC 2, page 1

Pages: << 1 2 >>
ATS Members have flagged this thread 14 times

Topic started on 6-3-2013 @ 04:07 PM by alldaylong

I was both shocked and moved after just watching "America's Poor Kids". I had no idea that this degree of poverty and despair was so common in the US in the 21st Century. There appears to be very little help for those who have feel below the breadline.
The most disturbing aspect is that children who are effected by poverty seem to be suffering psychological issues by their plight.
Very sad and moving stories where portrayed. My heart goes out to them.

reply posted on 6-3-2013 @ 04:10 PM by ararisq

Originally posted by alldaylong
I was both shocked and moved after just watching "America's Poor Kids". I had no idea that this degree of poverty and despair was so common in the US in the 21st Century. There appears to be very little help for those who have feel below the breadline. The most disturbing aspect is that children who are effected by poverty seem to be suffering psychological issues by their plight. Very sad and moving stories where portrayed. My heart goes out to them.

The follow-up question then is - does the government spend more to give to these people - propping them up OR do we need to sit back and rethink the direction we are heading where we are quite literally annihilating ourselves with free-trade, fiat currency, and perpetual inflation?

reply posted on 6-3-2013 @ 04:23 PM by alldaylong

reply to post by ararisq

The only honest reply i can give is, there has to be more to life than this. The capitalist system has a lot to answer for. In a modern world, poverty such as this should have been left way behind in the annals of history.

reply posted on 6-3-2013 @ 04:31 PM by WhiteAlice

reply to post by alldaylong

As much as I guarantee that I'll be weeping like a baby throughout it, I'll have to check it out. The psychological issues of hunger and environment on children are pretty prolific. A very dear friend of mine grew up in a deeply impoverished environment (both of his parents were drug addicts) and the psychological toll was pretty heavy. He has reactive attachment disorder even though his life situation is very supportive at this time. It's hard to shake that stuff. I think the stat on child hunger was 1 out of 4 children as of last year here in the US. Pretty sobering. .

reply posted on 6-3-2013 @ 04:36 PM by skuly

I tryed see if it was on youtube so everyone outside the uk could see it
but the only thing i could find was the panorama video from last year and it's
been removed anyway.

But found it on the bbc iplayer.

BBC IPLAYER America's poor kids

Works for me but i'm not sure about outside the uk so
you might need to use a proxy.

I did see the america's poor last year and just had to stop watching half way
through so i don't think i could watch this one.

edit on 6/3/2013 by skuly because: sorry

reply posted on 6-3-2013 @ 04:37 PM by SirMike

Originally posted by alldaylong
I had no idea that this degree of poverty and despair was so common in the US in the 21st Century. There appears to be very little help for those who have feel below the breadline.

Are you joking?

There are literally dozens of programs administered and funded by the state and federal government for poor children. To name just a few off the top of my head: section 8 subsidized housing, food stamps, supplemental food stamps for women/infants/children (WIC), Medicaid (free health care), S-CHIP (more free health care), low income subsidies for electricity/gas/phone, free school lunches, free daycare, free preschool, and free college educations for “disadvantaged” children.

Single parent households comprise the vast majority of poor children and its like the government does nearly everything in its power to subsidize them.

One child born to a single mother, OK, you made a poor choice but a common recurring theme with American child poverty is multiple children from multiple fathers (or sperm donors as I like to refer to them as) .. and the taxpayer just keeps on paying. Where’s the disincentive to stop?

reply posted on 6-3-2013 @ 04:38 PM by hotel1

Your thoughts match mine almost exactly, and it is extremely rare for a TV show to get to me. As to what is to be done about it I have no practical suggestions.

edit on 6-3-2013 by hotel1 because: (no reason given)

reply posted on 6-3-2013 @ 05:32 PM by Neopan100

reply to post by SirMike

I have to agree with you...I think we have to cut them loose--maybe then these women will quit having children. We must stop this generational dependency on govt help. It will never cease...also a lot of people on these programs use and abuse them to benefit themselves and don't feed or care for their children. Anyone can buy the link card from Tina down the street..she gets 50 bucks for whatever she does..and you get 200 bucks worth of groc on the govt dime..If people would see that there is going to be NO help maybe they wouldn't be all willy nilly with sex..

reply posted on 6-3-2013 @ 05:37 PM by RedbeardedFoo

The greatest trick the devil ever played was convincing everyone he didn't exist, the 2nd greatest was convincing the capitalists of the world that Trickle Down Economics was actually proven. what a load

reply posted on 6-3-2013 @ 08:31 PM by WhiteAlice

reply to post by SirMike

Yep, because every single mother out there had children out of wedlock. Gotcha. We won't count the ones from divorce because that's inconvenient to your specific ideology. About 43% of marriages end within the first 15 year and that tends to make a lot of single mothers. Toss in the fact that there are a lot of "dead beat" dads out there (like my ex-husband) who act as if paying child support is somehow an immense burden while leaving the mom to face all the expenditures of raising the child on her own. From what I can tell personally, the state doesn't do anything to try to actually get them to become legitimate. My ex owes me around $20k in back child support from the last 5 years and the state does nothing. It's not that he can't do it. He just avoids it like the plague. One little thing different in my scenario and I'd be on food stamps, too.

But that's not a viable alternative to it being all single moms with children must've had their children out of wedlock and that's what's bringing down our nation.

reply posted on 6-3-2013 @ 10:41 PM by calstorm

reply to post by SirMike

A few months ago I would have called you out for having no clue what you are talking about.

Having been a single mother of 3, (All 3 by the same father whom I was married to BTW. He walked out on us.)
I know how close to impossible it is to get any help. If only I could have got help with daycare, but $1200 a week for 3 kids for day care ($400 per child) when you are only bringing in $250 a week at a minimum wage job means you CAN'T work.
Sure, I got cash assistance and food-stamps, but help with electricity? Yeah right! Rental assistance is a 4-6 year waiting list.

Recently, though I learned there are places in the U.S. (specifically the east coast). Most places in California though, good luck.
That was several years ago, and i am sure it is even tougher to get assistance now with more people trying to get on.

edit on 6-3-2013 by calstorm because: (no reason given)

reply posted on 7-3-2013 @ 04:21 AM by WaterBottle

lol,, isn't that the program that claimed US children were eating rats to survive?

But being poor sucks in the US. The neighborhoods you have to live in is very depressing and the odds are stacked against you.

reply posted on 7-3-2013 @ 07:50 AM by chasingbrahman

I am convinced that there is a psychological state unique to those raised in poverty. Children don't evolve while worried about where food will come from or whether they'll ever get to wear shoes. But the real crime is the parents having the kids while living in abject poverty. They disgust me like nothing else.

reply posted on 7-3-2013 @ 08:48 AM by MOMof3

Unless you have been there, you should not judge people stuck in poverty. Poverty is a force like gravity, that is very hard to get out of unless you are very lucky. I lived as child during the 50's and 60's with a single mother of four kids. Trust me, it is not a life she chose. All we could think about was where the next meal would come from. There were not gardens or fields to reap from, as in the days of old. There were no domestic violence laws, and we were in hiding from an abusive father and husband, who really wanted to kill us. I am 61 now, worked low wage jobs all my life and never could rise above it. But I have been a good wife, a good mother, mostly a good person, and when the most important moment of my life appears, Death, I can say I tried. But I will never believe intelligent thinking people CHOOSE to live in poverty.

reply posted on 7-3-2013 @ 09:13 AM by Flavian

reply to post by SirMike

Whilst i agree with your sentiments SirMike, at the same time it isn't the childrens fault is it? They didn't ask to be brought into the world (and in such appalling circumstances). They still need the help and support from society at large.

Or we simply condemn them to starve and generally have horrible lives (because of "sperm donor" parents).

This really isn't just an American problem though. Most major Western societies have this problem and it is even more endemic in the developing world. A true taint on this "Golden Age" for mankind.

The problem in America though is that it can be more pronounced than it is elsewhere. I will never forget my last trip to the US - Texas rubs that comparison into your face - travelling near to Dallas where you see tin shacks and then the next neighbour is in a mansion........and so on.

I see nothing wrong with people being able to make huge amounts of money. However, there is something grotesque about the way that in the era of maximum endeavour and ability, we have the greatest ever disparity between rich and poor.

reply posted on 7-3-2013 @ 09:17 AM by BoogieMan911

America's Poor Kids

YouTube Link

I'm watching it now.

Star and Flag in advance. This looks good.

edit on 7-3-2013 by BoogieMan911 because: (no reason given)

reply posted on 7-3-2013 @ 10:29 AM by TheDoctor46

reply to post by SirMike

I agree with what you are saying. Its the same here in the UK. Single mothers get all the help, Milk tokens, Benefits, Free maintained housing etc. It seems the normal for teenagers to have children so they get all this, And most of them play the system. How do i know? Because they have told me!. I feel so sorry for the children though who did not asked to be born into poverty. To the Op. I will watch this documentary on iplayer later today, Thanks for posting about this

reply posted on 7-3-2013 @ 11:09 AM by CX

I watched this, certainly eye opening.

Here in the UK, i have mixed feelings about those who claim to be in poverty. We have so much help here, the benefits system is there and there are many other grants and funding if you look around.

What gets to me is when i hear people saying they don't have the money to feed their kids, but they sit there guzzling half a dozen pints of beer a night down the pub. A friend of mine a little while ago sat at a bar, moaning about how the hell was she supposed to pay ten pounds for a school trip....then she went a little red as she ordered her third glass of wine.

You see it everywhere, nice 50in flat screen TV, but can't afford shoes for the kids.