Best laid plans

It has been 8 years since my friend and I created this blog with the best of intentions.  On my part I found the research needed to figure out the convoluted state that is this country's financial situation to be a full time job which unfortunately doesn't pay the bills.  On my friend's part she ran into medical issues that meant she had to simplify her life.  So to the 3 current followers of this blog I apologize for the lapse.  I hope you will find the change in focus interesting.

As I was looking at some posts on my Facebook account I ran across an article from a conservative website that talked about another person's Facebook post.  One of the comments intrigued me.  It said essentially that the article was misconstruing the post in order to stir up emotions.  I do find that to be the case in a lot of reporting these days, so generally if I find or hear something upsetting, I then try to find out the whole story.  So I did that with this article and what I found has prompted me to speak out.

The article was about what a local Black Lives Matter leader posted to her Facebook account in reaction to what happened in Charlottesville, VA recently.  She posted 10 suggestions she felt rich white people could do to help.  Now the conservative article reported them as mandates from Black Lives Matter but from what I could find out, the lady who posted them did not mean them to be a statement from Black Lives Matter.  They are just her opinion on what might help our country.  So it was incorrect for the article to report this as a mandate from Black Lives Matter.

I reviewed her suggestions and most of them hinge on "white people who can" giving housing or land to "black or brown people" or building housing and letting "black or brown people" live there for free.  I use "black or brown people" in quotes because that is the term she used in her post.

There are several questions I have about this approach to the problem of generational poverty which seems to be the focus of her suggestions.

1. What is the racial breakdown of generational poverty in the United States? 
I'm pretty sure it isn't just "black and brown people". They may represent a greater number but it isn't exclusive to them.

2. If historical racism is the cause for "black and brown people's" generational poverty, then why do we have so many successful "black and brown people"? 
Unlike other countries, the United States has a fairly mobile population.  The circumstances you are born into, do not determine where you can go or what you can do.  There are stories every day of people rising above their circumstances to become successful in whatever they endeavor to do. 

History has also shown that most immigrants to this country have racist difficulties in their history, it isn't something that just "black and brown people" have claim to. 

In my own history, my ancestors where chased off their land by angry mobs and a governor of the state made a law that they were to be driven from the state or killed (which wasn't rescinded until this century).  Some say this was because they were against owning slaves and the rest of the state was concerned how they would vote.  Regardless of why it happened, it happened and my people were chased out of the country into a inhospitable place, until by their hard work and perseverance, they made it hospitable. Eventually through land purchases it became part of the country again.  So then because of rumors and other issues with the religion they practiced, the government sent an army to this new place to put down a rebellion.  It was even threatened, they would disenfranchise our church and take all of it's assets.  So being oppressed isn't just the purview of "black and brown people".

3. If handouts to reduce poverty were the answer, then why isn't the current welfare system working to get people out of poverty? 
Free housing has already been tried and in most places that housing is not being taken care of by the people who live there. Programs like Habitat for Humanity, which require the recipient to help construct the home, work much better because they provide the recipient with a sense of ownership and pride in the housing they are getting. Working for something brings a sense of accomplishment which goes farther in reducing poverty than anything else.  Handouts only create dependency.

The idea that we each determine our own destiny is what makes this country great.  It is this idea that makes it possible for all of us to succeed regardless of what has happened in the past.  Instead of weakening people by assuming they can't take care of themselves.  Let's empower them by assuming they are capable and figure out what they need to help themselves.

At the same time, we need to understand that we can not force people to succeed.  Ultimately it is their choice, whether they take advantage of their opportunities or not.  If we force an equal outcome it will stifle ambition and creativity.  Whereas, if we provide an equal opportunity, we encourage ambition and creativity and we are all enriched by it.  The communities that are thriving are the ones where people are working together to better themselves and are not waiting around for someone to do or provide it for them.