“Cable TV,AC, and an XBOX: What is Poverty Today?” This is the name of an article sent to me recently. As I read the article, I became increasingly troubled by its content and concerned about what would be read between the lines. The premise of the article is to question the material possessions of the 43.5 million people that the 2010 census deemed to be in poverty in America. Poverty, according to the author, insinuates destitution and the majority of those in poverty enjoy “amenities” such as air conditioning, a stove, a refrigerator, a microwave, and a washer/dryer. Many in poverty even enjoy “luxuries” like cable TV, a car (or two), gaming systems, DVD players, and (gasp) a flat screen TV. It was thought that the homes of many of the American poor are in good repair and are not over-crowded.
The conclusion of the article is that “a family in the US that has a decent, uncrowded house or apartment to live in, ample food to eat, access to medical care, a car, cable TV, AC, and a microwave at home should not be considered poor.” The author closes the article stating, “grossly exaggerating the extent and severity of material deprivation in America won’t benefit the poor, the economy, or society as a whole.” I would say to the author, grossly underestimating the extent and severity of material deprivation in America as well as grossly misunderstanding of poverty won’t benefit the poor, the economy, or society as a whole.
Let me be clear that I am not writing this response with political motivation. My goal is not to represent a democratic or republican stance; I’m actually registered as an independent. If, however, being liberal in defending the poor makes me look liberal politically, I’ll be a liberal on this issue!
So why were my feathers ruffled by this article?
One reason is that it grossly simplifies poverty as merely a lack of material possessions. Ruby Payne, in her bestselling book “A Framework for Understanding Poverty,” defines poverty as a lack of resources. Certainly those resources include one’s finances, but they also include emotional, mental, spiritual, physical, and relational resources. Additionally Payne points to resources such as support systems and a knowledge of hidden rules as resources often absent for those in poverty. These resources overlap and really cannot be seen independently. To isolate one resource and say that people are not poor because they have the means to afford material possessions is a misunderstanding of the complexity of poverty.
Payne goes on to explain the “hidden rules among classes,” which shape expectation and behavior. When talking about money Payne says,
“One of the biggest difficulties in getting out of poverty is managing money and just the general information base around money. How can you manage something you’ve never had? Money is seen in poverty as an expression of personality and is used for entertainment and relationships. The notion of using money for security is truly grounded in the middle and wealthy classes.”
Another reason I was troubled by this article is that it breeds implicit stereotypes and assumptions about the poor. Stereotypes included in the article include a mismanagement of money, an unhealthy lifestyle, among others. Even where there might be truth, there is no effort to explore underlying reasons. Perhaps behind mismanagement of money or unhealthy lifestyles are a lack of education and a lack of role models. Ruby Payne points out that the two most significant factors in a person rising above the poverty line are education and positive relationships. Where those are lacking, poverty will persist. Instead of discounting the reality of the poor, it might serve them better to establish relationships and teach impoverished neighbors about finances and health.
To say that the overwhelming majority of the poor in the United States are well-housed, have one (or two) cars, are able to obtain necessary medical care, and have ample food does not line up with what I have experienced as I lived on the Westside of Chicago and what I see on a daily basis with low income neighbors in Winston-Salem. Admittedly this is a personal and subjective observation, but my heart has been pierced by neighbors who have empty kitchen cabinets. I have seen bedrooms with no beds. I’ve picked up the kids whose parents had no personal mode of transportation. I’ve received phone calls from neighbors who are desperate for dental care because their teeth are literally falling out. I could go on.
While I have no political motivation in my response, there is a deep theological motivation. This world is broken. Sin has distorted God’s intention for all of creation and created a chasm not only between man and God, but also man and others. Great disparities exist between the haves and the have nots. Those in both groups are subject to the fall and the sin bends that come with each socioeconomic group. There’s nothing inherent about being poor that makes a person view money incorrectly. Sin affects everyone! Mis-spending can happen just as easily for a middle class neighbors straining for the American dream as it can the poor (mis)managing their meager amount of money.
I am disheartened by this article and the mentality behind it because it shows an insensitivity and lack of compassion towards the poor or the lower rungs of our society. For the Christian this should troubling for two reasons. One, it reveals a lack of grasping the central message of Christianity. That Christ - who possessed all wealth - became poor so that through His poverty I might become rich (II Cor. 8:9). I should have a care for the poor because the physical reality of the poor points me to my own spiritual reality. Two, the language of the Bible insinuates that a mark of true worship and faith is a person’s concern and care for the poor. Repeatedly God says that true worship and faith inevitably will translate into caring for the poor and oppressed (Isaiah 58, Matthew 25).
When I am guided by my own theology, I would rather be liberal is caring for the poor than not. I would rather broadly care for the lower rungs than tightly hold onto resources questioning whether someone is poor or not. That’s just me. What do you think?
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