Being Poor Is Needing That 35-Cent Raise

37 million Americans.

Overall, the nation's poverty rate rose to 12.7 percent of the population last year. Of the 37 million living below the poverty level, close to a third were children.

Over 12 million children live below the poverty line, but what does it mean to be poor?

Being poor is knowing exactly how much everything costs.

Being poor is getting angry at your kids for asking for all the crap they see on TV.

Being poor is having to keep buying $800 cars because they're what you can afford, and then having the cars break down on you, because there's not an $800 car in America that's worth a damn.

Being poor is hoping the toothache goes away.

Being poor is knowing your kid goes to friends' houses but never has friends over to yours.

Being poor is going to the restroom before you get in the school lunch line so your friends will be ahead of you and won't hear you say "I get free lunch" when you get to the cashier.

Go read the John Scalzi Chicago Tribune editorial, BEING POOR.

Being poor is knowing where the shelter is.

Being poor is people who have never been poor wondering why you choose to be so.

Being poor is knowing how hard it is to stop being poor.

Being poor is seeing how few options you have.

Being poor is running in place.

Being poor is people wondering why you didn't leave.

There is a segment of the American population which does not know what it means to be poor and the daily struggles just to get by. I wish it was not so, but when it comes to poverty many are naive or really do not care. I fault the people in power, what ever happen to the war on POVERTY? Why has issues dealing with poverty has become a partisan issue? Which national leader has poverty on top of their agenda?

As you see, there are many question but no answers. In 2004, we had a national campaign which focus on Vietnam, denying homosexual their civil rights, and fear of evil. I do not remember if the candidate I voted for John Kerry even had a policy on ending American poverty. I do remember hearing about Democrats need to reach out to so called middle class voter but what about the voters who live under the poverty line? As Democrats keep on trying to reach swing voter, Republicans are making middle and working classes poorer.

Yes, it is class warfare.

I also might be naive or a bleeding heart liberal but I want poverty to be at top of our agenda. It is a moral issue not a political issue.

It is time to stop running in place and hoping things get better.