Child Poverty
Marian Wright Edelman, my friend and founder of the Children's Defense Fund, says it best: "If we don't stand up for children, then we don't stand for much."
In my 35 years as an advocate for children and families, I have never met a child without potential. But I've met plenty of children growing up in extraordinary hardship and lacking the basic tools they need to succeed. Even in the United States, the wealthiest nation in the world, 13 million children still live in poverty and 5 million live in extreme poverty. Too many children are expected to overcome these hurdles, become productive citizens, and compete in a modern global economy without the benefit of sound schooling, decent housing, proper nutrition, and adequate health care.
This is not just an economic problem. It's a moral outrage.
I've been working to better the lives of children for 35 years, and the future of America's children will be a centerpiece of my presidency. The issue is personal for me. My own mother struggled through a childhood of neglect to give her own children the opportunities she never had. My mother taught me at a young age that all children deserve the chance to live up to their God-given potential and make the most of their lives.
For the better part of my professional and public life, I've focused on issues like children's health care, education, foster care and adoption, child care, and education -- all of which have a direct impact on children and their families. I took an extra year in law school to study child development and to work on legal assistance for the poor. Then I went to work for the Children's Defense Fund, where I represented abused and neglected children and children with disabilities. In Arkansas, I was tasked with leading an effort to reform the state's education system, then ranked near the bottom. I started a special program for mothers of pre-schoolers to get their kids ready for kindergarten, and also worked on reforming the state's rural health care system, which helped many poor families and their children. As First Lady, I pushed the effort to expand Head Start and help create Early Head Start, to reform our nation's foster care and adoption systems, and to strengthen child care across the United States.
After universal health care didn't succeed, I helped create the Children's Health Insurance Program, which now covers six million children in need.
Running for president has only strengthened my resolve to find solutions to problems affecting our children. In southern Ohio today, I announced a plan to take on child poverty -- and to end the moral outrage of children living in such neglect.
I have two bold goals: First, we're going to end child hunger by 2012. It's a national crisis and a national disgrace that more than 12 million children in America go hungry every day. I will do everything I can to reduce that number to zero.
Second, we're going to cut child poverty in half by 2020, lifting more than 6 million children above the poverty line.
You can learn the full details of my plan on my website.
These goals are ambitious, but we can -- and must -- achieve them. Child poverty is an affront to our most basic American values. Indeed, our treatment of children is a measure of our decency, compassion, and humanity as a people. It's time for the best of America -- our talent, innovative spirit, and potential for progress -- to be reflected in our children. The children of America are a national treasure -- and a national responsibility. Securing their future will be at the heart of my presidency.
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I agree with you, Sen. Clinton. And, aside from the tensions/pressures placed on our public schools and teachers ... is the modern-day issue that many families cannot survive without 2 working parents (or one working ~ often two jobs ~ single parent) . They cannot afford to physically be there for their children, 24/7.
At very early ages, parents find they must rely on 'institutions' (eg., daycare facilities, early preschools, etc.) to help meet their children's needs ... & so their children may spend most of their waking hours in the presence of other adult caregivers ~ not their parents (a tough situation with obvious pluses/minuses). Apart from the effects on the developing child 's sense of self, family, maturation, security &/or bonding, many modern parents are frequently torn between making ends meet financially & keeping up with the Joneses ... or spending more time at home with their children. It's a very hard situation, as you already know.
Indeed ~ as you've pointed out, in the past ... it does take 'a village to raise a child.'
But how well these children develop can depend upon the quality of the particular village in which they are socialized. I mean, if it's a community (village) that is fraught with high gang or crime problems (for example) or is one that lacks sensitivity to ethnic or racial diversity ... then children growing up ~ surrounded by such attitudes & scenes ~ may be fearful or prejudiced or even desensitized to such important moral concerns like violence. Not easy.
Thank you for reading my POVs here,
K
Don't forget it takes a village of examples too. Bill and Hillary have just finished their second part to "It Takes a Village". It's called "Don't Count on The Clintons".
How's everything over here in Stalag 13. Free speech still in lockdown?
And now a word on Obama:
The Illinois Democrat has missed nearly 80 percent of all votes since September 2007. ... Obama has also missed votes on a Democratic priority, the expansion of the federally funded State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) ...
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/11/02/obama.missed.votes/index.html
and Clinton missed 63% in the same time period ...
http://blogs.reuters.com/trail08/2008/02/13/clinton-leads-obama-in-missed-senate-votes/
"In December, Obama and Clinton each missed 27 of 30 votes...
Clinton missed 18 of 21 votes while Obama missed 10 of 21 roll calls so far this year, though they spent much of Tuesday casting votes related to a bill that ultimately passed, empowering U.S. intelligence agencies to conduct domestic surveillance on terrorism suspects without court orders."
They are both campaigning, so this is a non-issue
This page is too heavily moderated. It feels like the Fox version of "fair and balanced."
How so?!?
I just went out in the backyard and "announced a plan" to stop that pesky Northern Goshawk from attacking the finches and other assorted songbirds that gather around the feeders hanging from my cherry tree.
I then went into my daughter's room and "announced a plan" that will guarantee my daughter's cooperation in keeping her room clean.
Finally, this afternoon I intend to "announce a plan" for Starbuck's to deliver packages of freshly roasted whole coffee beans (French roast!) to my home for perpetuity, at no cost to me.
I have no intention of following up on any of these - it's enough that I have "announced the plans". Vote for me!
(Do I get a blog on Huffy now? How 'bout it? C'mon!!)
The hypocrisy of Hillary Clinton never ceases to amaze me.
For the good of the party, please drop out now Hillary!
The longer you hang on, with no chance to win, and no mathematical chance, you will only aid McCain and the GOP by tearing down the eventual nominee.
Democrats need to come together and rally for victory!!
**We know you will do the RIGHT THING for the good of the party and country!!**
Stay in and fight Hillary!! Don't listen to these Obama lovers from ObamaPost that don't understand the rules.
You have every right to stay in the fight. I know you know that the system was designed this way -- that the convention in August is a "nominating" convention! They just don't get it because they know nothing about politics. A large majority of these Obama lovers just got involved in politics and don't know a thing about it. They got involved because it is a celebrity-driven race, not because they know and understand politics, and not because they have been involved for a long time, and not because they exert much energy or thought in an effort to learn or understand the process!
Stay in and fight Hillary. You have as much reason as Obama does to stay in -- he is not that far ahead, and he can not reach the magic number anymore than you can!
Super-delegates will most likely have to decide the thing -- and that is how it was designed to happen in a tight race, which this is. The system was not designed to push someone out of the race just because it is tight. You would be a quitter then -- and I know you are not one, and too many people are behind you and pulling for you!
So stay in and let the process play out. What are they afraid of -- that the celebrity might wear off and that Obama might lose?
What are they afraid of -- that the celebrity might wear off and that Obama might lose?
That is EXACTLY what they are afraid of. And i'm sure in their heart of hearts they all know that the medias love affair with Sen Obama will eventually come to an end, and start reporting on some of HIS shady dealings. Oh that it could have happened before 3/4/08.
Much of the downward economic pressure comes from the egregious growth of the labour force at the lowest rung--from excess IMMIGRATION beginning in 1965 and accelerating in the 1990s: The Third World has been allowed to EXPORT to the U.S. its demographic profligacy. Now something like ONE-FIFTH of all children in the U.S. are immigrant children....mostly poor and uneducated from Latin America....
The U.S. need to awaken from its "DIVERSITY" STUPOR and take care of its own--not every fast-breeding lout who can poke....his....under the fence!!!
Senator Clinton,
I have spent a great deal of my career advocating for young children and I am aware of your involvement with the Children's Defense Fund, but I think you should stop emphasizing your 35 years of experience. Whatever it is you have been doing for the last 35 years hasn't been enough. If experience is truly all that matters to you then why didn't you support Joe Biden or Gov. Richardson? Both of those men have more experience than you do and they have won many elections. You have only won one and that was in NY, which is hardly the heartland of America. For that matter, using your logic, John McCain should be President since he has more experience in all of these areas than you do.
In terms of claiming this "sea change" if a woman is elected...We loved Bill but we can't re-elect him through you. You don't get to take credit for his experience because you helped campaign for him, or because you travel for or with him and not because you sleep with him. The first female President should be one who gets there on her own and not because of her husband's connections.
Finally, taking nothing from your sincere good intentions, we like you and we're proud of you for becoming a successful US Senator after everything you've been through the past 20 years. Tread lightly when you belittle the hopes and dreams of every day Americans. These are the dreams that have moved collective mountains throughout the history of the world. Hope is a very powerful thing and when harnessed together we will change things in this country and make the world a better place. This generation.. my son's and your daugher's generation came of age during 9/11 and they know full well what is at stake. We all do.
Hillary keeps mentioning her work with the CDF. Hillary how do you respond to Marian Wright Edelman's comments...
http://www.democracynow.org/2007/7/24/childrens_defense_funds_marian_wright_edelman
AMY GOODMAN: Marian Wright Edelman, we just heard Hillary Rodham Clinton. She used to be the head of the board of the Children’s Defense Fund, of the organization that you founded. But you were extremely critical of the Clintons. I mean, when President Clinton signed off on the, well, so-called welfare reform bill, you said, “His signature on this pernicious bill makes a mockery of his pledge not to hurt children.” So what are your hopes right now for these Democrats? And what are your thoughts about Hillary Rodham Clinton?
MARIAN WRIGHT EDELMAN: Well, you know, Hillary Clinton is an old friend, but they are not friends in politics. We have to build a constituency, and you don’t—and we profoundly disagreed with the forms of the welfare reform bill, and we said so. We were for welfare reform, I am for welfare reform, but we need good jobs, we need adequate work incentives, we need minimum wage to be decent wage and livable wage, we need healthcare, we need transportation, we need to invest preventively in all of our children to prevent them ever having to be on welfare.
Do you know that Hillary doesn't even know how to use a keyboard? When she wrote her autobiography, she actually hand penned it. Like Hillary would be blogging amongst us at HuffPo get real.
Why is Hillary not returning money from this law firm as she reaches out for women's votes?
Sen. Hillary Clinton has declined to return $170,000 in campaign contributions from individuals at a company accused of widespread sexual harassment, and whose CEO is a disbarred lawyer with a criminal record, federal campaign records show.
The federal government has accused the Illinois management consulting firm, International Profit Associates, or IPA, of a brazen pattern of sexual harassment including "sexual assaults,” “degrading anti-female language" and "obscene suggestions."
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/02/29/718538.aspx
Here is a link to a post from my humble little blog regarding childhood poverty and the scapegoating of our nation's public schools:
http://aplacetorespond.blogspot.com/2008/01/were-number-one-erin-childhood-poverty.html
Senator Clinton voted for the No Child Left Behind Act, an act which has conveniently pumped billions into private hands in the name of so-called "failing" public schools, while simultaneously wreaking havoc and destruction in our schools and harming most the very children its engineers claimed it would help. The achievement gap between poor and minority students and their more advantaged peers has been a Golden Goose of profiteering and opportunism for business interests.
Now she says she would do away with the law. Good. Perhaps in the future she will listen to the teachers and parents in the trenches rather than the self-serving ideology of far-removed think tanks and business interests who disseminate ideology masquerading as educational research.
That's so inconveniently true it's downright misogynistic. (I know, censored.)
You mean Every Child Left Behind? How many times do we have to hear Sen. Clinton say, if I only knew then what I know now (Iraq, NAFTA and now No Child Left Behind)?
Of course if the liberals had come up with this....you would have thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread.
"Senator Clinton voted for the No Child Left Behind Act, an act which has conveniently pumped billions into private hands in the name of so-called "failing" public schools, while simultaneously wreaking havoc and destruction in our schools and harming most the very children its engineers claimed it would help."
Name one government program that has not produced this kind of result!
Especially with schools....it is and should be treated as a local issue. Why the federal government is at all involved in public schools is beyond me. I agreed with Dole back in1996....the Department of Education should be eliminated. What has the DOE done to improve schools? One size fits all solutions have not worked. But most of our uninformed voters cried against that proposal in kneejerk fashion.
Someone care to prove me wrong?
Tell me Hillary, what about all of those children stuck on the crescent city bridge, while your longtime family friend prevented them at gunpoint from crossing out of flooded New Orleans to get help?
Clinton Accepts Aid From a Divisive Figure
NEW ORLEANS, May 19 — Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, who has cast herself as an ally of African-Americans in rebuilding this city, this weekend accepted fund-raising assistance from a family friend who is controversial with many black and white victims of Hurricane Katrina.
The friend, Sheriff Harry Lee of Jefferson Parish, has been close to former President Bill Clinton for many years, and he is popular among some Democrats here. But Sheriff Lee has a long history of making divisive and derogatory remarks, sometimes aimed at residents of neighboring New Orleans, which is predominantly black, and his relationship with many black political leaders is turbulent.
Sheriff Lee drew notoriety shortly after the hurricane when some of his deputies helped prevent hurricane evacuees, most of them black, from crossing the Crescent City Connection bridge into Jefferson Parish. Sheriff Lee defended the move, saying his office had “a duty to protect our people.”
Sheriff Lee was a host committee member for a fund-raiser here Friday night for Mrs. Clinton’s presidential campaign. The event, which the senator attended, was closed to the news media. A Clinton campaign spokeswoman declined to comment on Mrs. Clinton’s views of Sheriff Lee’s actions in 2005 or on his fund-raising support.
Phone messages left for Sheriff Lee were not returned. A Clinton adviser declined to discuss his role, citing the personal nature of his relationship with both Clintons.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/20/us/politics/20commence.html?_r=2&scp=2&sq=Milestones%3A+Hillary+Clinton&st=nyt&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
It is truly disgusting what this Sheriff did to these poor refugees, who were not only black, but white, asian, elderly and children. The police stood on bridges with machine guns drawn at these poor people who were just trying to escape the flood and get help. See the news footage of the Sheriff Lee's stand off against these refugees, black, while, young, old. It is really disturbing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSsgwajStCo&feature=related
This is a person that you and Bill consider a longtime friend and fundraiser. You did not reject or denouce this guy, even after this tragedy. We judge you by the company you keep.
Senator Clinton, do you think there's a difference in the way child victims are treated by the courts when they're impoverished, as opposed to children who are middle and upper income? Are impoverished victims more likely to be confronted and faulted for their own victimization?
Are defendants more often encouraged to take a plea when the child victim is middle and upper income?
Of course, this is all predicated on the fact that the accused is also impoverished.
I'm curious about why you remained with Edelman for less than a year.
Social Darwinism makes an exception for children. If adults are in poverty its their own damn fault. They made their bed. Let them lie in it. But children, the reasoning goes, are innocent. Its safe for politicians to say, awwwww look at da widdo baaabyyyy. At what age do we let them starve? Do we feed them untill they are 10. 12?
what is hillary running for, a beauty pageant or president of the united states? whats next sen. hrc you going to solve world hunger to? hell clinton is using the right wing agenda using the fear card what a shame
Well, how old are you?
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