American Nightmare
Merriam-Webster defines poverty as “the state of one who lacks a usual or socially acceptable amount of money or material possessions.” The key phrase in this definition is “socially acceptable”. People have different versions of what amount of income is socially adequate and what is not. A person in poverty depends on several factors such as racial background, living environment, immigration status, and health conditions. Many people are aware of the problem and want to contribute towards figuring out a solution; however, many do not know how to go about essentially fixing it. We are blessed to be living in the land of opportunity. People have battled through so much just to achieve their version of the American Dream and achieving that becomes extremely difficult when having to survive under terrible means. Freedom should not cost you all of your other basic rights. Although the United States of America is a developed country, there are several areas of the country living in deep poverty which can be combated by providing free healthcare, job equality, and raising minimum wage.
There has been a negative correlation between a person’s income and health status. It does not matter whether the person makes 200,000 dollars a year or 20,000 dollars, free healthcare should be provided for everyone. This means that the care should be at least satisfactory or else it defeats the purpose of closing the gap between the poor and rich. Some may even say that free universal healthcare is a basic right; however, according to the article Annals of Oncology, “the United States, Mexico, South Korea, and Turkey are the only member nations of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development that do not recognize universal health care as a basic human right.” Nonetheless, many would agree that it is something we all deserve even though it is not guaranteed to us in our Bill of Rights. Being rewarded for hard work is one thing but that should not lessen the chance for equal opportunity and this includes health care access as well. This article continues to explain that unfortunately, “inequality inherently leads to opportunities lost, poverty, and often compromises on moral principles to access basic necessities.” We are one of the richest countries in the world and ironically, we spend a lot on healthcare; however, “among 16 high-income nations, the United States ranks low in avoidable mortality, suggesting unbalanced access or improper utilization of proven treatments”. As income inequality increases in America, so does health care inequality. According to Deaton, the author of the article “The U.S. Can No Longer Hide from Its Deep Poverty Problem”, in the United States, “life expectancy is falling; mortality rates from drugs, alcohol and suicide are rising; and the long historical decline in mortality from heart disease has come to a halt.” Many people are having to choose between staying alive or becoming homeless. Poverty could decrease significantly for a lot of people living in the United States with the help of free quality healthcare which would encourage one to make their health a priority and can truly use the money for other expenses such as paying utility bills, car payments, and rent. When finding solutions to free healthcare, the government should focus on healthcare equity. Some areas of the United States are poorer than others; therefore, the poorer areas should receive more aid. The government can slowly begin to provide healthcare for all by replacing the private insurance system with a public healthcare system, offering the same healthcare to everyone plus charged premiums varying with income.
Along with free healthcare, having job equality would help end poverty for current and hopefully future generations to come. Providing full employment economy can be extremely effective, but in order for that to exist there must be job opportunity for all. There needs to be room for growth in these jobs because growth is compulsory for change. When there is no room for growth in anything you do, you will eventually lose interest in it. Most people within the poverty line can feel stuck because there is nowhere to move. Everyone has heard of the saying “you are who you surround yourself with”; well, this saying correlates to the bigger issue here. People who are within the poverty line have a lack of motivation and support from others to continue to strive. For example, “only 16 percent of children raised in poor areas become economically successful adults. But children relocated away from poverty show markedly better outcomes,” states Michael Anft in How to Change the Story About Growing Up Poor in America. It is no startling fact that there is a grand issue of job inequality taking place right under our noses to this very day. People do not realize that solving this issue on its own can help so much. According to Jessica Milli in The Impact of Equal Pay on Poverty and the Economy, it would have a huge impact on many families and eventually the “poverty rate for all working women would be cut in half, falling from 8.0 percent to 3.8 percent… and the very high poverty rate for working single mothers would fall by nearly half, from 28.9 percent to 14.5 percent.” These numbers should be enough to open eyes and instigate the desire for change. When there is an increased amount of employment opportunities for all, the economy is in a better position along with the millions of families that will no longer have to be in poverty.
Another prevalent proposed means of helping remove poverty from the sates is by raising minimum wage. Many adults both young and old work minimum wage jobs to help support their families. Just because someone did not obtain a degree does not mean that they are insubordinate or incapable of carrying out duties and achieving their goals. Everyone should be able to take care of their own families and pay bills on time without having to have a lower quality of life. Although, this becomes quite strenuous when they are only compensated very little in comparison to many other higher paying jobs. According to the Center for Poverty research, “the annual earnings for a full-time minimum-wage worker (of 40 hours each week) is $15,080 at the current federal minimum wage of $7.25.” Someone who is working full time should not be living insufficiently because ultimately it just does not make sense. It is quite clear that increasing the minimum wage is not going to be the sole solution towards the vast problem ahead; however, it is taking a step. This idea, if done well will aid the heads of low-income households which will ultimately contribute toward a more developed quality of life for all.
Everyone deserves a chance toward pursuing the American Dream rather than having to constantly battle the American nightmare. If having access to free universal healthcare, job equality, and raising the minimum wage will help people remove themselves from the poverty line then those are the steps we need to take. Amount of income should not hold people back from achieving their dreams and supporting their families at the same time. Why have people accepted the fact that coming to the sates as an Immigrant translates to start off poor, work really hard, and then become rich. I believe that it should not be that way. Working hard should be compensated for a reasonable salary. Immigrants are humans; they are the building blocks for any great nation. This country would be nothing without them so why is it okay for us to leave them in the shadows undertaking all the jobs that no one wants to do. Then they try to go after their own dreams while not reaching as far as the sky merely due to financial reasons. All things considered financial security needs to come first before pursuing any dreams; it is that simple.