The Poor are (mostly) just lazy, right?! A 5 Step Guide to Talking About the Poor

A common belief among many middle-class Christian American's is that those who are poor remain poor because they won't work to "improve themselves" (read "they're lazy).  I have heard popular financial radio hosts and politicians often say things similar to, "there is no reason someone should be poor in America unless they have a mental illness or an addiction."  In full disclosure, I believed this for quite a while.  Not anymore...

Here is my simple 5 Step Guide everyone should follow before the speak, Facebook, tweet or write another word about poverty in America. 

1.)  Do not use your car for ANY reason for 2 weeks - not for an emergency, not to get to work, not to take the kids to school, not for any reason.  Use Public Transportation or have a friend drive you instead - good luck figuring out the bus schedule! (Most poor people don't have reliable transportation, so getting around is a challenge.)

2.)  For one week, do not eat breakfast or lunch if you have to pay for it.  If there are so many "free" meals available for poor people, this should be easy right?  Not paying for it includes ANY food in your house that you or a family member spent money on.

3.)  Work at a place that feeds or gives resources to the homeless/poor every night for one week.  Remember, it "should be easy" for poor people, so clearing our your schedule should be no big deal, right?  And, make sure you talk to non-volunteers while you're there.

4.)  Only spend $120 for one week on EVERYTHING.  This would include fuel, food, entertainment, supplies for work or school...EVERYTHING!  (How this number was chosen: individuals of low income status have about $400 per week to live on - this includes living expenses.  Assuming you would spend about $280 for rent and utilities (which is probably low), you're left with $120.  source)  

5.)  Don't use your cell phone for two weeks.  People always complain about poor people having cell phones, so give it a try.  Remember, it's "easy" to live without these things, right?

After you've done all five you are qualified (in my mind at least) to talk about breaking the cycle of poverty in America.  Hopefully, we can stop seeing people as "the poor" (a problem to fix) and instead, start seeing them as people.  Once we've spent a little time dealing with (some) of the same challenges other people deal with, we might have a different perspective.  If you don't try all 5, at least try one or two - it's eye opening.