Wealth and poverty are two concepts that I have been trying to fully understand my entire life. Questions as what does it mean to be rich? Who are the poor? What role does the price of a college education really have when it comes to benefiting students for our futures?
In the area where I grew up in California it was the general consensus that after graduation teenagers should attend either a four year university or (what has now more prevalent) a two year community college. I soon learned after doing research on schools that the costs are shocking. It especially bothered me that in our society today college has become something that is required. Not only is it difficult for many students to be able to decide what they want to the study , but the task of financing is even a greater burden. How (with these preconceived beliefs) is it possible for people who choose not to attend a college to ever be “successful” in life? The term “successful” when implied in today’s world can mean a number of things, but is more and more commonly generally associated with monetary success.
The question raised in class was why do most of us choose to attend a school such as American University where the high cost of private education can put us as students (or in some cases our parents) into a significant financial debt? Personally, the answer I have heard many students say is they choose this path for the opportunities associated with a city as well known as Washington D.C. Unlike the fancy cars, large houses, or expensive clothes, an education is priceless. No one can ever take away someone’s education. It will always be their own asset won by their efforts, and it is their job to make of it what they wish.
Taking a look at the makeup of Washington D.C., the gap between the “rich” and “poor” is some of the most divided in any city within the United States. According to a report released by the Institute for Economic Development, the poverty rate in the District rose from 16.9 percent in 2008 to a staggering 18.9 percent in 2009. That means some 106,500 people were living below the federal poverty line ($21,800 for a family of four in 2009). It also puts D.C. among the very poorest states in the nation, surpassed only by Mississippi, when compared to 2008 data. When one considers that this is our nation’s capitol, these numbers of those affected by poverty everyday are shocking.
It is a possibility that the large demographic of poverty stricken individuals has to do with the level of education and knowledge they were able to receive. Without the opportunity for a full K-12 education, it is only hurting these people in the long run when they have to locate jobs to pay for things like shelter, clothes, or food that other people in society, i.e. the rich or middle class, have worked for and invested hours into in order to provide for their families
In D.C. particularly, homelessness and poverty resulted from a complex set of circumstances which make it difficult for certain people to obtain food, shelter, and other basic needs. Only a concerted effort to ensure jobs that pay a living wage, adequate support for those who cannot work, affordable housing, and access to health care will bring a significant reduction to homelessness and poverty.
http://www.ers.usda.gov/Data/Povertyrates/PovListpct.asp?Longname=States&ST=US&SF=2A
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