"…[T]hey have become great and rich…they do not judge with justice the cause of the orphan,…and they do not defend the rights of the needy…shall I not bring retribution on a nation such as this?"
-- Jeremiah 5:27-29
"A population that does not take care of the elderly and of children and the young has no future, because it abuses both its memory and its promise.
-- Pope Francis
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Fifty years after President Lyndon Johnson declared a War on Poverty, the United States is still not a fair playing field for millions of children afflicted by preventable poverty, hunger, homelessness, sickness, poor education and violence in the world’s richest economy with a gross domestic product (GDP) of $15.7 trillion.
Every fifth child (16.1 million) is poor, and every tenth child (7.1 million) is extremely poor. Children are the poorest age group and the younger they are the poorer they are. Every fourth infant, toddler and preschool child (5 million) is poor; 1 in 8 is extremely poor. A majority of our one- and two-year-olds are already children of color. In five years children of color who are disproportionately poor, nearly 1 in 3, will be a majority of all children in America and of our future workforce, military and consumers. But millions of them are unready for school, poorly educated and unprepared to face the future. Nearly 60 percent of all our children and more than 80 percent of our Black and nearly 75 percent of our Latino children cannot read or compute at grade level in fourth and eighth grade and so many drop out of school before graduating. Seventy-five percent of young people ages 17-24 cannot get into the military because of poor literacy, health or prior incarceration.
The greatest threat to America’s economic, military and national security comes from no enemy without but from our failure, unique among high income nations, to invest adequately and fairly in the health, education and sound development of all of our young.
We call on President Obama and America’s political leaders in every party at every level to mount a long overdue, unwavering, and persistent war to prevent and eliminate child poverty and finish the task President Johnson and Dr. King began. Two- and three-year-olds have no politics and we must reject any leaders who for any reason play political football with the lives of millions of our children and our nation’s future. If America is to lead in the 21st century world, we must reset our economic and moral compass.
While remembering that children do not come in pieces and that hunger, homelessness, violence, and parental attention all affect childhood well-being, building on best practices and sound research about the crucial importance of early childhood development, the first step to prevent and alleviate indefensible and costly child poverty is to build a quality early childhood continuum of care from birth through age 5 so that every child, regardless of the circumstances of birth or lottery of geography, is ready for school and has a fair chance to reach their God-given potential. We know if we properly support children in their early years of rapid brain development, not only will they benefit, but so will all America. This is not only the just but the smart and cost-effective thing to do. Nobel laureate economist James Heckman estimates a lifelong economic rate of return of 7 to 10 percent each year for every dollar invested in quality early childhood programs. Former Chairman of the Federal Reserve Ben Bernanke told CDF conference attendees in 2012: “Very few alternative investments can promise that kind of return. Notably, a portion of these economic returns accrues to the children themselves and their families, but studies show that the rest of society enjoys the majority of the benefits, reflecting the many contributions that skills and productive workers make to the economy.” And MIT Nobel laureate economist Robert Solow in his foreword to a 1994 CDF report Wasting America’s Future was prescient when he wrote: “For many years Americans have allowed child poverty levels to remain astonishingly high — higher than for American adults; higher than for children in nations that are our competitors; higher than from the entire period of the late 1960s and 1970s, a period when we had less wealth as a nation than we do now; and far higher than one would think a rich and ethical society would tolerate. The justification, when one is offered at all, has often been that action is expensive: ‘We have more will than wallet.’ I suspect that in fact our wallets exceed our will, but in any event this concern for the drain on our resources completely misses the other side of the equation: Inaction has its costs too…As an economist I believe that good things are worth paying for; and that even if curing children’s poverty were expensive, it would be hard to think of a better use in the world for money. If society cares about children, it should be willing to spend money on them.”
If America’s dream continues to fade for millions of poor, near poor and middle class children and families; work and wages continue to decline; and education and basic survival needs — including adequate food and housing — continue to be ravaged to protect the powerful interests of the top 1 percent that has cornered 22 percent of the nation’s income, then America will miss the boat to the future. More importantly, we will miss a great opportunity to show the world a living and just society in a majority non-White and poor world desperately in need of moral example.
To those who claim our nation cannot afford to prevent our children from going hungry and homeless and prepare all our children for school, I say we cannot afford not to. If the foundation of your house is crumbling you must fix it. Education is a lot cheaper than ignorance. Preschool education is a bargain compared to prison and we should be ashamed that America is the largest incarcerator in the world. And consider how many good jobs a quality universal early care system would provide at a time of rampant unemployment and declining wages. A quality universal pre-K system (and I hope kindergarten system) is a win-win for everyone.
After Dr. King’s assassination riots and looting broke out in cities across America including Washington, D.C. where I had moved from Mississippi to help prepare for Dr. King’s Poor People’s Campaign. I went into schools to talk to children to tell them not to loot and jeopardize their futures. A young Black boy about 12 looked me in the eye and said “Lady, what future? I ain’t got no future. I ain’t got nothing to lose.”
The Children’s Defense Fund has spent the last 40 years trying to prove that boy’s truth wrong in our economically and militarily powerful and spiritually poor nation. And we willnever stop until we succeed. It’s time to give him and the 16.1 million poor children like him today a fair chance to succeed and to keep Dr. King’s dream — America’s dream — for him and the millions like him alive.
This article hit very close to home for me as I am a Child Development Minor, also I am currently writing an honors thesis which compares US Maternity Policies to Norwegian Policies. In doing research for my thesis it is easy to see the importance of investing in the early years (and the costs of not doing so). It is also clear that the United States is FAR behind other Countries in its policies regarding children. We are currently the only Developed Country that offers no paid maternity leave, which results in American children entering childcare at a much younger age.
ReplyDeleteIn my ECE classes I learned that the early childcare system in the United States has its trifecta of issues all resulting from a lack of funding. Referenced in the following article: http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSQCA98.PDF
The three self-sustaining issues are as follows: quality, affordability, and compensation but the catch is that with our current system we only get two. Quality childcare with teachers who have degrees and an understanding of child development must have higher compensation which makes childcare unaffordable. Low quality programs are more affordable and more fairly compensate teachers (who do not have to have degrees) but overall the quality is low. It is an endless loop that the US cannot afford.
I believe that investing in a quality universal preschool is a worthy investment. With the recession many preschool programs like head start as well as state specific programs have lost a lot of their funding and many have had to close. These cuts will hurt us more later than they are already doing now. I personally would rather pay it forward to improve the lives of the next generation. Maybe 2014 is the year that the US will invest in children and finally be careful with what they cut.
Overall our country needs to act on the issue of poverty. Taking away the extreme expense of childcare while simultaneously increasing the quality of childcare would free up more money for lower income families and increase school readiness in children coming from poverty situations.
~Devon Patton
Great points, Devon! #gps
Delete"Education is a lot cheaper than Ignorance."
ReplyDeleteThis quote is a very powerful statement that really stood out to me in the article. As I read over the statistics of the poverty numbers in the United States, I was astonished and ashamed. 16.1 million children are suffering from poverty and the younger they are, the more poorer they are. The numbers are continuing to increase, when in every aspect they should be decreasing. If education is taken more seriously, more early childhood programs will be available. Which in turn will result in more jobs, perhaps for the family members of those children who are suffering from poverty.
Our work as Ella Baker Trainers and advocates for children are pushing to get these numbers down. Our five "starts" in our mission of the Children Defense Fund Program ensures that each child has a healthy, head, fair, safe and moral start. As we train our college students, (future teachers and principles) we instill within them the hopes that they will take each aspect back to their community to serve their children. The more young people we train and prepare, the more children we will be able to reach. As freedom schools is continuing to grow, we are making a steady progress to declining the number of uneducated young children.
"It's time to end child poverty in Rich America with urgency and persistence"
ReplyDeleteThe Rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer". This classic quote is something that popped into my mind while I read this post. There are more poor and extremely poor children in American than anything. Too often have I experienced seeing the side affects of students who come to school hungry. They usually are the problem students or students who have a hard time focusing in the classroom. Its time for America to do something about these issues. I like what Mrs. Edleman stated on the post by saying "If America is to lead in the 21st century world, we must reset our economic and moral compass."
We must deprogram our current mindset as a nation and start to reprogram it so that our focus is on the important things first. Our Children! The statement that the young an made about his future, "Lady, what future? I ain’t got no future. I ain’t got nothing to lose.” is still the mind set of many of our youth. This is what we are dealing with in the school and communities of our youth. As Jessica stated we are advocates for children and we must stand in the gap and be the voice for our youth.
Yes Craig. Thank you for your post. You hit many important points. I know many children in my community as well has that same mindset of "what future, I ain't got no future."As those comments break my heart so bad, I must use that emotion of sadness as motivation to change his/her mindset. I am a firm believer that what you occupy your mind with is what will come into existence. We cannot continue to let our children think as such. Positivity is key to success.
DeleteI am not a rich man by any stretch of the imagination. But, even I would spare no expense when it comes to the education of my children. My children have the advantage of having two parents who are college educated to aid them in their learning development. But, I often wonder, what do the children without this luxury do? How do they get answers to questions when they don't have books, sit in classes where very little learning takes place, have little to no access to a computer and have parents that can barely read as well as they do? I guess they struggle, because even potential has a shelf life. I believe that there is only a small window of opportunity for us to maximize the learning potential of every young person. And that window is between the ages of birth and 5. I believe that it is our responsibility to place pressure on ourselves and our government to impliment policies and practices that will best empower the American population to capitalize on this critical moment in the lives of our future leaders.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, studies have shown that there is a direct coalition between the lack of education and the propensity to commit crimes. The most troubling thing is that 12 years of private school education is in many cases cheaper then 4 years of incarceration. But, it appears that the powers that be would much rather see our urban youth locked up than afforded the education and opportunity to compete with their advantaged contemporaries. We conscious Americans have the responsibility of speaking out on this injustice and demanding the support of our elected officials in the pursuit of this noble cause.
Rev,
DeleteI loved the way you described potential as having a "shelf life" I think this is a great analogy because EVERY child is born with potential, but life often closes doors and limits what is available to them. I completely agree with intense interventions in the lives of young children to create positive outcomes later.
I was shocked when you compared how expensive incarceration is! I agree that investing in children is the way to go. To me it is like making the switch to LED lights, they will cost more initially but overall they are longer lasting, better for the environment, and more cost efficient.
There will never be "enough" money to do this, but as a culture we must stop letting that hold us back!
~Devon
Ensuring that every child has access to quality Early Childhood Education (ECE) sends the message that our children come first. All children have the desire and capacity to learn, and ECE utilizes their curiosity and fervor to spark a love of learning that will continue beyond their Pre-kindergarten years. Beyond the scope of education, ECE has the potential to nurture the whole child by providing healthy meals and snacks, arts and crafts, and physical education activities that include dance, sports, and theatre to engage their multi-intelligences. As discussed in Mrs. Edelman’s article, it is quite expensive to ensure that all children are receiving these services; however, it is a financial commitment that should not be tied up in political debauchery. In order for every child to have an equal opportunity to achieve upward mobility it is critical that every state makes ECE a priority.
ReplyDeleteThe state of Illinois has been making strides to give all children access to quality Early Childhood Education. On the Illinois.gov webpage, the Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Development provides links for parents to locate Head Start programs as well as resources for teachers and early childhood providers to improve learning experiences for children from birth to five years. Although this source is a start for improving the educational outcomes of youth from low income families, there is still more work to be done to ensure that children from all socieoeconomic backgrounds are receiving the education they deserve.
Mindy, your last comment resonated with me the most. The jail system is a billion dollar industry! We seem to have an overflow of funds to support those in jail and very little funds to support our most vulnerable populations. We need to start demanding that our politicians put children and families first. In Mrs. Edelman’s column she stated that our children don’t have politics any politics; yet, their lives are always caught up in the midst of it.
ReplyDeleteThe quote that resonated with me the most from this article was:
ReplyDeleteIf America’s dream continues to fade for millions of poor, near poor and middle class children and families; work and wages continue to decline; and education and basic survival needs — including adequate food and housing — continue to be ravaged to protect the powerful interests of the top 1 percent that has cornered 22 percent of the nation’s income, then America will miss the boat to the future.
This part stood out to me the most because as I read this statement I began to think about the little boat that is on the Children’s Defense Fund Logo.
“Dear Lord be good to me the sea is so wide and my boat is so small”
Our children are our little boats to the future. Without them we cannot see the light of a new day. I think that sometimes politicians get caught up on the “now” and the “what”. They are often not focused on the “why” and the “future”. We must be proactive versus reactive. As a teacher I am learning each day that proactive measures help to lead to a successful future. We must always think with the end in mind. Because of the pressure on me to have high achieving students it is a must to be proactive. On a larger scale politicians should do the same. As Ella Baker Trainers we must think: Why do we do what we do? This article provides an excellent example of the why through the various statistics and facts. Now we must ask ourselves, What do we want the future to hold?
This was a great article to read before returning back to school after several snow days. It reminds me of my why. I find it hard to balance educating children based on what they truly need and what the district says they need to learn in a set amount of days. I find myself influenced by the teachers in the classroom whose fires are dimming or have been snuffed out by years of toiling. I am reminded how important it is to go against the grain to provide children with the tools for them to be successful.
ReplyDeleteWe often react to situations instead of being proactive about them. I think it starts before children and babies arrive. It needs to start with the women and men who are planning (or not planning) to have children; proper prenatal care is vital in order to ensure an impactful first 5 years. According to the Harlem Children’s Zone and the Village of Promise the first 5 years are the most important in a child’s life and sets the foundation for their success in school and adulthood. Parents without this knowledge are weaponless in a battle to end generational poverty.
How can I impact society with this knowledge? Knowing that children are the most impoverished in society and that proper tools and education can eradicate that, I can empower my children in my class and future classes to take advantage of the tools set before them and show them how to use the tools they have to survive and thrive in whatever situation they may face. Reading being the most valuable tool available to my children I can encourage them to understand that whatever reading level they are on that they take full advantage of it in order to increase their reading skills. Literacy skills are not only lacking for our 4th and 8th graders but for our collegiate population as well. Just last semester my professor had to tutor 2 decorated ROTC students who could not pass the test to become officers in the Army due to their lack of literacy skills; they graduated in December. I think that in my realm of service change starts within my own classroom and then spread to my school, my district, and up the hierarchy from there. Change may be slow but progress is progress.
I agree with Mindy's post and Michelle's reply we do do need to demand politicians to support our families and children. Children are not asking to be here and it is not their fault that they are born into poverty. The quote that stuck out to me was "Every fifth child (16.1 million) is poor, every tenth child (7.1 million) is extremely poor". I thought about "Children are being born to Children". We have young teens having babies and they do not have a salary to take care of themselves let alone children. Our government needs a support system to educate our young adults on adulthood in high school. We need consistency. One speech a year will not be enough to reach out to our youth. I have noticed that our priorities as a nation are completely thrown off. Our nation places so much attention to the unnecessary topics such as celebrities babies instead of how to take care of babies. If our nation would change, then our children would have a better chance.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, education is the key to everything. As the article stated, our young adults are unable to enter the military, get jobs, and simply read on grade level because of the lack of importance of education. As one of the richest countries in the world, it is very difficult to hear that we cannot “afford” an education for children. However, we expect them to be the future that carries the weight of the world on their shoulders and we expect them to do it well. Year after year the importance of education has been drilled into the ground and here it is 2014 and there has been little to no changes. Each and every child should have the right to quality education but I would say that each child does not receive this right. Understanding that our children are the future we must work towards educating them in efforts to better their lives in the near future.
ReplyDeleteAs Ella Baker Trainers, it is our duty to reach out to Servant Leader Interns and make them want to bridge the gap, make them want to push towards literacy and education, and wanting them to serve as the next teacher. Getting Servant Leader Interns excited about the impact that they can have on scholars and others around them can go a long way in decreasing these ridiculous statistics. Over the past week I have explained Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools Program and they have become more interested in the movement than they have been in quite some time. These words not only made me feel good about the work I am doing but it encouraged me to reach out and speck to more individuals about Children’s Defense Fund and what it is all about.
Yes Mindy! I think you have hit this article on the head. As a whole we have become so comfortable where we are currently that we are falling behind. It seems as though the problem is visible but there is nothing that we are doing as a whole to fix it. Great post Mindy!
ReplyDeleteWhitney Houston once elegantly sang, “I believe the children are our future Teach them well and let them lead the way Show them all the beauty they possess inside Give them a sense of pride to make it easier Let the children's laughter remind us how we used to be…”. After reading this article and taking some time to digest it is personalized meaning, those were there words, which came to mind.
ReplyDeleteI too, as Whitney Houston did, believe the children, poor, middle class, rich, white, black, Asian, Latin, and bi/tri-racial children, therefore making all children our future. However, as I reflect on America’s history context and its current reflection of consumer driven politics society, it begs the question of who makes up the “our”. Yes, they who believe in freedom cannot rest and therefore, we have such organizations and programs in place as the Children’s Defense Fund, Freedom Schools. Yet, although we (meaning those of like collective minds, whom share the same passion or we would not be EBTs) see these young minds as ours, it has become painfully obvious the political leaders of our nation do not see children suffering from hunger, homelessness, violence, lack of parental attention, and living in poverty as one of their own suffering. For me, personally taking the opportunity to switch my perspective on the ‘why’ has provided clarity of the inadequate and unfair developments of health, education, and sound development of children in America.
First off, love the Whitney Houston reference Eric. When I was reading this article, it does make you think about not only the children all around the world, but the ones in your own community that are poor and it's not their fault. This article really brought out the numbers and that was a true eye opener in my book. To know that 1 of 8 is extremely poor and the 5th child is poor just really provided a "Wow" moment for me. And as I saw in earlier post by Craig and Jessica, I too know children that feel like they don't have a future or their only way is to try to be a rapper or something belittling the idea of a good education. Really great article and a clear eye opener.
DeleteGlancing at the title there are a few words that draw my attention: child, poverty, and America. It's disappointing that our Nation does not consider our children's needs since they're the future. The children and families that are fighting these battles are mostly minorities being deprived of a quality and progressive education . Furthermore, early or childhood education programs in many states are being cut due to lack of funding while the the prison industry has become one of the fastest -growing industries in the United States. This clearly shows how misplaced our priorities have become.
ReplyDeletePreschool education is vital to a child's cognitive development which is vital for any child to succeed whether in school or in life . While teaching transitional kindergarteners I witnessed that my kids were unprepared for school as a result of not receiving a preschool or a "quality "preschool education. At times it can be challenging , but quality educators are persistent and see the greater potential in every child , even though the world may not.
Shantel this was article was just fuel to the fire as to how America does not value our children's future, yet alone their education. The fact that children are suffering is a disservice. We need to develop more head start programs but most importantly we have to get our parents and communities to also advocate and educate children away from school.
Delete"If America is to lead in the 21st century world, we must reset our economic and moral compass"
ReplyDeleteI could not agree more with this quote. There are many issues facing this country, and child poverty is among one of the biggest. The article discusses how opponents to change have argued that it is simply too expensive. That couldn't be further from the truth. I would argue that it has nothing to do with "the bill" that would accompany new programs that help these 16.1 million children in poverty. I think that as a nation, we are unwilling to take a look in the mirror and admit to our problems. So many are quick to blame individuals for societal problems, and what that has led to is a culture in which poor education, gun violence, and sickening economic disparity is tolerated. Rather than "reset our economic and moral compass," we as a society deflect blame, or claim it would be too expensive to fix problems.
As the old saying goes, the first step to fixing a problem is admitting there is one. Obviously, those reading this response are well aware of the problems discussed in this article, but is your average American? I would be interested to see how random people on the street would respond if asked "how many children in America are poor?" My guess is that very few would have any idea, and that is very disheartening. Our news outlets focus on politicians and speeches, but what needs to be discussed with a much higher frequency is the alarming issues facing our children. I firmly believe that if more Americans were aware of the numbers discussed in this article, we as a nation could start taking steps to save our children's future.
"To those who claim our nation cannot afford to prevent our children from going hungry and homeless and prepare all our children for school, I say we cannot afford not to. If the foundation of your house is crumbling you must fix it. Education is a lot cheaper than ignorance. Preschool education is a bargain compared to prison and we should be ashamed that America is the largest incarcerator in the world. And consider how many good jobs a quality universal early care system would provide at a time of rampant unemployment and declining wages. A quality universal pre-K system (and I hope kindergarten system) is a win-win for everyone." I loved this part of the column. As a pre-K teacher EVERY DAY I see the benefits of a quality program. My boss is also the owner of our center. She goes beyond the call of duty to ensure that low income families can still enroll their children in our program. She searches scholarships for middle income families so that they do not have to pay for their entire care out of pocket since they cannot receive as much aid through other sources. I wholeheartedly believe she is setting our kids on a path of success. There is a visible differences between the children who come to school regularly when compared with kids who miss a lot of days. It is easy to predict their futures in elementary school if the patterns continue. I completely side with Mrs. Edelman that it is far more costly to allow children to go without quality educational programs because of a lack of money.
ReplyDelete-Claricha
Each day I work with twelve and thirteen year olds who struggle through the school day, searching from some form of success. Many of the roadblocks they encounter in a 7th grade ELA class come from a missing or cracked foundation. Each grade blames the grade before them--high school blames middle school, middle school blames elementary, etc. Like Mrs. Edelman, I truly believe a preschool education helps children become "ready for school [to have] a fair chance to reach their God-given potential." With that foundation, children are allowed to continue to learn, feel success, feel safe in an academic setting, and have a thirst for knowledge.
ReplyDelete-Tristan
Tristan I really do agree with you here. It's very interesting. I work in an elementary school and we hear very similar rhetoric within grade levels. And after working for several months with Kindergarten students, I've found that many of the issues are foundational. Kids show up to Kindergarten and simply to not know how to "do school." And with the overemphasis on assessment, it's difficult for a child to feel success in an academic setting when they are constantly being assessed. So as an educator, I struggle with helping my students progress and feel proud of their successes while at the same time ensuring that I have a job! And unfortunately, we aren't evaluated on growth!
DeleteThis is a side note, but I think to myself sometimes, why aren't we evaluated differently. I think about Freedom Schools and why it is successful, and I think about the fact that we change how people FEEL about school. What if we were evaluated on how many of our kids LOVE coming to our classrooms every day? What if we were evaluated on how many of our kids feel safe in our schools. What if we were evaluated on how many of our students felt they and everything they come to school with (cultures, languages, families, challenges, successes) were embraced and respected in our classrooms? That's when we will see the real change. Sorry I went on a tangent, but I just got inspired while typing a response to you and needed to get that out...because you mentioned very key things. Kids need to "feel" success. Kids need to "feel" safe. Kids need a "thirst" for knowledge. Those are all things that can't be measured by numbers on a paper. So are educators being evaluated on the wrong things? Food for thought.
I found this article particularly striking for several reasons. Mrs. Edelman states, "Preschool education is a bargain compared to prison..." and I completely agree. I would argue that the majority of political actors that make major decisions regarding quality and comprehensive early childhood education would also agree. The question, then, is why do our political leaders continuously promote an agenda that does not support high quality early childhood education? What are the underlying factors and motives that allow politicians to consciously propagate a cycle of poverty and miseducation? Politicians understand that education is both powerful and political. For many of them are in their positions of authority and influence due to generations of wealth and education, and young children of color breaking that door and entering into their cycle of privilege is scary. What about their children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews? It's personal. So what do we do as educators for social justice?
ReplyDeleteWe must continuously fight. I watched President Obama's State of the Union Address on Tuesday night and I was a bit disappointed. Not that I don't think our President is well-intentioned. He is. He means well. But it's saddening that he's been delivering the same rhetoric regarding early childhood education for years and has failed to deliver. While I agree that most of it has been due to his focus on rebounding our economy and political hangup, another component of this issue results from the lack of any president to invest strategically in comprehensive early education reform. I was further disappointed that when President Obama mentioned creating a task force to focus on early childhood education, he listed several agents of change but excluded the most important group involved in educating children - teachers! What good is it to have all these committees with no input from educators! So we're once again back at politicians, businessmen, and other big money actors making policies for teachers. And guess what, businesses need custodians, caterers, and other folks to do work that some might consider "menial." And as long as these are the people called to make decisions for children, we'll always have a 12-year-old something thinking s/he doesn't have a future - because the system is continuing to do what it was designed to do.
Our country must do better.
"I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." ... someday
If the United States were a Fortune 500 company and one took a close look at her business model, it would appear that her CEOs are incredibly short-sighted and unaware of the facts as they stand. How can we ever hope to maintain a position of global leadership without substantive (and holistic) investments in the future? I find it ironic that within our capitalistic profit-driven economy, we find inadequate investments in measures that over the long term save the most money (this irony of course excludes the moral question, the WHY of it all, a question many of our leaders have failed to address). America's choice of building costly prisons and amassing weapons of mass destruction over common sense investments in the lives of children underscores the truth that the nation has lost its way and her priorities are misplaced.
ReplyDeleteThe article reminds me that the present day injustices have deep historical roots, that the young boy, whom Mrs. Edelman speaks of, is perhaps a 52 year old man today, wondering why change has been so slow to arrive… nostalgic, nonetheless, of the movement and spirit of activism that permeated the era of his youth. As a nation we have ahead of us, truly, a stack of odds and a long walk to Freedom.
Mindy!!
ReplyDeleteThat struck me! Although I have an alternative view on the prison system, I agree, I would rather spend those dollars on the children. The irony that struck me behind this notion is that of which in most cases our children who are going without are expected to end up in those prison systems. So its almost as if they economy see their money going to end result, eliminating the middle man; putting money where they expect them to end up instead of where they are. This only makes me shake my head. NO, "Economic status, parental education, and race should not inadvertently determine a child's future," however through the lack of knowledge and care for these communities they are smacking on the label and setting up the funnel to prison. We have to wake up and address this. Awesome Mindy!