Author of Viral ‘Poverty’ Essay Apparently Isn’t as Poor As She Led Readers to Believe

This Is Why Poor People's Bad Decisions Make Perfect Sense

Many of you read this thread about a female who posted online about why poor people make bad decisions in life and how it wasn't their fault they find themselves in the situation they are in.

Here is the truth about the author of that piece.

The Blaze

Angelica Leicht of the Houston Press learned, among other things, that Tirado is a Democratic activist who went to private school and speaks Dutch and German:

The real Linda owns a home, thanks to some pretty generous parents. Her LinkedIn profile states she’s been a freelance writer and political consultant since 2010, and has worked in politics since 2004, a claim backed by 27 decent connections.

She’s married to a Marine, has met President Obama while interning for a politician (who obviously wasn’t disgusted by those rotten teeth), and has plenty of time to visit Las Vegas on vacation. And blog about her privileged life on Wordpress.

And then we have her confession:

National Review Online noticed that Tirado offered a clarification on the matter “tucked within her gofundme page” (bold added):

And that is the answer to the question many of you have asked. How is it that someone with such clarity and evocation has any right to assert that they are poor? It is likely untrue. Well, it is and it isn’t.

You have to understand that the piece you read was taken out of context, that I never meant to say that all of these things were happening to me right now, or that I was still quite so abject. I am not. I am reasonably normally lower working class.

I am exhausted and poor and can’t make all my bills all the time but I reconciled with my parents when I got pregnant for the sake of the kids and I have family resources. I can always make the amount of money I need in a month, it’s just that it doesn’t always match the billing cycles.

So she isn't really poor at all. This was another leftist writing about how they FEEL and not writing about reality.

The reality is that decisions usually amount for what happens to people in life. Some people make good decisions and some people make bad decisions. Yes there are instants of injury/illness that just happen but SOCIAL decision can and do have a huge impact of a person's life.

WJBK

Regardless of whether she was writing for herself or not, there are those whom her letter described perfectly. So even if it doesn't apply in the matter which it was applied, that's not to say it doesn't apply period. Because it absolutely does in numerous cases.

So perhaps instead of addressing the letter from herself personally, it should have been "From The People".

Either way, "check your privilege" has rarely been a more fitting catchphrase.

reply to post by AfterInfinity


Why don't you click the last link in my post and address that before replying.

reply to post by Carreau


Yeah, too funny.

Gotta love the manufactured crap of Progressives.

Carreau
reply to post by AfterInfinity

 

Why don't you click the last link in my post and address that before replying.

I did.

I am a strong believer that in America, you can pull yourself up by your boot straps and make a real go at success.

Why do I believe that? Because, I am the grandson of a day laborer, The son of a man who grew up in an area called aliso village housing projects in LA (do a google search, image if you wana see it).

Everyone of my fathers Kids has found success, how?

By following his example, He worked his ASS off, while watching friends fall to drugs and crime, he worked.

Two, three jobs at times, he watched those around him fall to the "ghetto" lifestyle, and said not me, not my kids.

Everyone of his children have made 6 figures in their life, My father himself went on to own 4 homes, with a combined value of over several million.

THIS is where the story changes though,

You see, Society, or atleast American society, is supposed to be based on the belief that if you work hard you will get your piece of the dream.

Well my father did, and his kids are all better for it, The problem becomes where Society has changed to the point that Greed trumps all else.

My father lost every single gain he ever made in his life due to the greed of banks and corporations, He lost his home, he lost everything.

Why? Work outsourcing, and the housing crash, he lost everything to Banks who would not negotiate on loans.

Yes, bad choices where made, but where they worth losing a lifetime of savings and 401k (oh yea that was lost with the company failing)

The sad fact is, that sometimes you can make all the right choices, and the society that we have allowed to happen will still crush you under its greed.

AND yes, My fathers kids are all still striving (he now lives with me after losing everything), but its not because the society we have is a perfect Capitalist bastion.

IT is DESPITE the system we have, not because of it.

TO Blame it all on the poors choices is as one sided as blaming it all on society.

The blame falls to both equally, and both need to do their part to lift people out of poverty, BOTH the people in it, and society as a whole.

After reading the article in question, I decided I don't care if she is actually poor or not- her descripton of the experience is accurate. I've been there, I recognize this. I watched the second video too, but that doesn't change my opinion. I guess I never had the luck of some celebrity coming to guide and aid me.

I'll be honest, I only got out because I got lucky and had a "prince Charming" that pulled me out of the tough spot I was in... and I gained the luxury to think more, and make better decisions. But that doesn't happen to everyone.

Carreau
I am exhausted and poor and can’t make all my bills all the time but I reconciled with my parents when I got pregnant for the sake of the kids and I have family resources. I can always make the amount of money I need in a month, it’s just that it doesn’t always match the billing cycles.

Why are so many "exhausted and poor people having kids? Seriously?

As far as income not matching billing cycles, a basic bit of third grade math can take care of that.

The great personalities that "Speak for the poor" and "represent the lower middle class" always seem to point out the clear and simple shortcomings that they practice of their own volition and yet still manage to blame on everyone else.

People need less "FEELING" so politically progressive and trying to " Identify with the poor".

More of them should focus on "ACTING" like fiscally responsible adults and setting an intelligent example.

reply to post by badgerprints


Yes and no.

If you have a fixed amount on the bills and suddenly find yourself stuck in a job where you work variable hours, then no matter what the math is, you can sometimes find yourself a little short just because your monthly paycheck winds up a few hours shy. That's where I am and have been for five years now. Still things are manageable for the most part.

And as far as excusing her for what she did?

No.

I don't care if she described others perfectly. She wrote as though it were her own experience, and it's just not. That's a lie. That shows lack of integrity. That's part of those poor choices we talk about.

And as far as losing everything even when you do everything right? Yeah, that happens, and would even in a completely unbiased system. With great reward also comes great risk. You can't escape that, and even if we moved to true free market capitalism, you would still face that possibility of losing it all. The only way to try to fix it is to move toward a more managed and less free system where everything is managed for you and no one ever risks failure, but then, no one ever gets to truly experience the reward of taking a risk, either. You cannot have one without the other.

badgerprints

Why are so many "exhausted and poor people having kids? Seriously?

If that is a serious question, I will attempt to give my honest answer, as someone who has been there-
Emotional needs, in my opinion, are underestimated in the American culture.
I find the need for affection, human contact, family, to be a huge influence in our choice making, as one of the basic human needs (note I said NEED not luxury or choice- I mean essential drive that has the force to overcome many other concerns .) When your life is hard, having another to share it with, or to be living it for can enable you to get through another day without hanging yourself.
You take a ray of sunshine wherever you can get it. The thought of your baby's smile can get you through a day which otherwise would end with a rope around your neck.

The idea that "feeling" and our emotional needs, is somehow irrelevant in life is false, I think.

reply to post by Bluesma


So truth be damned I guess.

The ends justify the means.

reply to post by Bluesma


Yes, but at some point, you have to stop and understand that as much as you might love to see your baby's smile, is it worth putting your baby through what makes you need to see that smile?

To many people these days are ruled by their emotions without regard for their reason. We are trained by our educational system to think with our emotions, and this is what it gets us.

ketsuko
reply to post by Bluesma

 

Yes, but at some point, you have to stop and understand that as much as you might love to see your baby's smile, is it worth putting your baby through what makes you need to see that smile?

To many people these days are ruled by their emotions without regard for their reason. We are trained by our educational system to think with our emotions, and this is what it gets us.

I see what you mean, but I still remember the logic I had at that time-
What my baby would have, is what I had lacked- he will be LOVED.
From my point of view, that is huge. I hadn't had that. I think that is underestimated by those who have.
It is weird how, when you have not been loved, you begin to think that is the one most important thing in the world, and that it makes all other concerns meaningless.

Besides, as I tried to say, but apparently didn't word well; I am talking about a drive which overwhelms much objective or "rational" thought. In the same way a person dying of thirst might be incapable of philosophical contemplation, a person in dire need of family, affection, human relation, might be also. it is not a matter of "thinking rationally".
Deprive a person of their basic essential needs for survival and of course they can't think real rationally.

To go further with this, my opinion is also that our culture devalues all states of powerlessness.
Not many americans would even have any comprehension at all of the statement that "fragility or weakness is valuable". (yes, in some other cultures, that idea exists).
Childhood is considered a sadly necessary state we must all go through, but hopefully, we can be pulled out of as quickly as possible.
It is "bad" to be needy, to be vulnerable, to be weak, to be dependant.
Right?

I believe that we all have a side to us that remains vulnerable, needy, weak and dependant, all our lives (and it is the source of much beauty). But the culture which dictates to us that we must reject it causes many to then need to project it upon someone else.

Following so far?

The rich may point at the poor and call them that,
The Republicans may point at the Democrats,
One sex may point at another,
Or one nation at another,
Many different possibilities...
But when you can look at another and say, "Tis they, not I" suddenly you feel relieved of that part of you.
Now you are the opposite.
Well, having kids makes you feel relieved of that part of you which is needy, which is dependant, that is weak. You can have compassion for it, (for that is allowed when it is your own kid) and you can give them the hugs you need, and live it through them.

It is late and what I try to explain here is rather deep, psychologically, but I tried.

It's very simple, if you can't afford children don't have them.

Do you know who can't control their sexual urges? Animals.

So she accepted money from strangers who read her article,believed it was her struggling and took pity? On her part that is just shameful. I read her full article and at no point believed it was anything but a personal account of her own life. What became of the money? She should return every penny or donate it to a charity benefitting those she wrote of.

reply to post by Carreau


We are ALL animals,and we are all someones child. With logic like that you reinforce the "children are commodities" rule that seems to be a favorite of societies elite. So only the rich should procreate? Hmmm only animals should mate,but only rich procreate. How exactly does that work?

reply to post by AccessDenied


You don't have to be rich to afford a child.

Bluesma
After reading the article in question, I decided I don't care if she is actually poor or not- her descripton of the experience is accurate. I've been there, I recognize this.

Yeah well... I care if she is poor or not if she is trying to bilk money out of people. I was supportive, but this looks like a scam now, and if it is true, it discredits any good points she had. What a selfish, dishonest thing to do. Not to mention, completely counter productive for those people she is apparently advocating for who still must live that life.

reply to post by Carreau


Humans are animals.

reply to post by kaiapathy


Do you really need me to explain it to you?

reply to post by kaiapathy


Now you are posting under two profiles in the same thread. Why Bluesma?