Robert Rector at NRO today looks at America's poor in light of John Edwards's continuing "Two Americas" presidential campaign. He notes that many of America's poor are not really poor by historical and worldwide standards:
Overall, the typical American defined as poor by the government has a car, air conditioning, a refrigerator, a stove, a clothes washer and dryer, and a microwave. He has two color televisions, cable or satellite TV reception, a VCR, or DVD player, and a stereo. He is able to obtain medical care. His home is in good repair and is not overcrowded. By his own report, his family is not hungry, and he had sufficient funds in the past year to meet his familys essential needs.
There is also this interesting tidbit: "The typical poor American has more living space than the average individual living in Paris, London, Vienna, Athens, and other cities throughout Europe. (These comparisons are to the average citizens in foreign countries, not to those classified as poor.)"
Of those children that are truly poor, Rector notes, many could be lifted out of poverty by their parents working more and the presence of their fathers. (In addition to the factors of work habits and marriage affecting poverty, I would add alcoholism.)
If we as Americans and Christians want to help alleviate the effects of real poverty, we can support and pray for missionaries in third-world countries who are meeting the material and spiritual needs of those who really lack opportunity to escape their poverty. Or, we can become such a missionary ourselves.
