I think America has gone to great lengths in assisting the poor within our society, but we haven’t gone far enough. Welfare checks, food stamps, etc., aren’t the way to go.

This simply entrenches the welfare ideology. It doesn’t end the cycle of poverty.

Opportunity welfare, such as Pell Grants and Small Business Association loans (which do not simply give people checks) will encourage kids to get a college education. Investing in the educational system is a sound investment.

Poverty often occurs in cycles, and the only way to truly break the cycle is to earn an education. Unfortunately, many poor people in America don’t have adequate opportunities to get college educations. A 60-hour work week at minimum wage only makes roughly 15 thousand dollars a year-barely enough to support a student, let alone a family. It is surely not enough to go to college.

Many people from poorer families go to work right after high school. Even those who did well in high school don’t always qualify for scholarships. The federal Pell Grant isn’t sufficient. The most anyone can get from the Pell Grant is $2,025 per semester. For many, this is not always sufficient. That much doesn’t even cover tuition at many schools, let alone living expenses. Not everyone can get the Pell Grant.

The solution to America’s poverty should include, but not be limited to, free tuition for state colleges.

Many politicians will not hear our cries because the poor are not a large enough constituency by themselves. There are not enough poor kids who want to go to college to make a huge electoral difference. How long will the cries of the American poor go unheard?

Let’s fight for free tuition in state colleges.

For America’s poor, the end of a day means you’re another day older and that’s about all.

Those willing to help are constrained by an unjust social system. We do have food kitchens and homeless shelters, but once a person leaves and enters the real world they’re still poor. We can give the poor welfare checks but until we provide them with a college education, the cycle will continue. Something has to give.

I heard it once said, “The world would take people out of the ghetto, but God takes the ghetto out of the person.” This simply means that we can give welfare to the poor, but unless the poor change their hearts, it won’t last.

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