McCain Campaign Mentions Joe Six Pack But Never Addresses What It Means To Be Poor

While many are decrying McCain's failure to mention the middle class in his debates, other classes have received far less mention this election season. Outside of derogatory references to Joe Six Pack, and the need for health insurance, the poor and working classes of America seem to have been largely excluded as a talking point.

In a 2005, author John Scalzi wrote a simple but brilliant essay on what being poor is in reality for millions of Americans. Among his observations:

- Being poor is hoping the toothache goes away.
- Being poor is thinking $8 an hour is a really good deal.
- Being poor is relying on people who don't give a damn about you.
- Being poor is an overnight shift under fluorescent lights.
- Being poor is six dollars short on the utility bill and no way to close the gap.
- Being poor is people surprised to discover you're not actually stupid.
- Being poor is knowing you work as hard as anyone, anywhere.
- Being poor is getting tired of people wanting you to be grateful.
- Being poor is people who have never been poor wondering why you choose to be.
- Being poor is knowing how hard it is to stop being poor.

Several hundred people added their own observations to Scalzi's essay, making it perhaps one of the most definitive oral descriptions of poverty in recent years. Poorness, we learn, isn't just a number -- it's not just a salary or a neighborhood -- but something that encompasses every facet of a a person's life, from health and social opportunities, to where we live, and whom we can attract as a partner.

Poverty carries an emotional and stigmatizing price. It's losing teeth at a young age because a $600 root canal or 50% co-pay is unaffordable, and then losing out on social and job opportunities because of a marred appearance. It's not being able to afford to pay a $50 fine for a traffic violation, and ending up in jail.

It's having to sell everything you own to pay the rent for just one month. Or losing your ID or drivers license and not being able to afford to replace them. It's having no credit and no cash for a flat tire or other emergency. It's having poor credit, and being charged exorbitant interest rates, and paying higher rates for auto insurance than even drunk drivers pay. It's a life where nearly everyday comes with some anxiety, panic, or dread.

To live in poverty is to be hastily judged, and told you should have taken better care of your teeth to start with, and that if you can't afford a car you shouldn't drive one -- never mind how your teeth got damaged, or whether or not you have bus service in your neighborhood. It's being denied employment opportunities based on your faded clothes or credit score.

It's being thought of as irresponsible even when you have made your paycheck stretch as far as it could go. It's buying a .79 cup of coffee at the convenience store in the morning on the way to work and having someone, likely a better-off relative, tell you that this is why you're poor and can't afford to pay your rent -- because you waste your money. It's knowing that no matter what you do, or how hard you try, someone will view you harshly because you have not risen to their class level.

It's hearing the rags to riches stories, looking desperately for hope, only to learn about the privileged circumstances, inheritances, benefactors, or rare open doors that led to success. It's hearing these things quickly disregarded as the successful talk about "working hard" and "creating their own luck". It's waking up every day to face a society that believes its own American dream cliches, but that puts no stock in the truth of your own story.

This is what poorness in America is, and unfortunately it is largely misunderstood, ignored, or viewed as an incurable plight. It's a particularly grim and harsh story in a society where the pursuit of happiness is a constitutional right, but where there's really no such thing as a level playing field. Presently, the circumstances that help create happiness - including those as basic as personal security, health, food, and shelter - are increasing in price while wages and job opportunities stagnate, leaving the poor poorer, and millions more at risk.

In today's uncertain economy, you may be one of them. Are you prepared?

This article is part of an ongoing series on Poverty in America at http://janedevin.com.

Follow Jane Devin on Twitter: www.twitter.com/janedevin

Comments

[justafarmer]

02:32 PM on 10/12/2008

Thank you, Jane! Scalzi's observatio­ns describe the majority of people I know here in my part of eastern Kentucky. My favorite observatio­n is "Being poor is people surprised to discover you're not actually stupid" because most of us have high school diplomas or, later in life, made the effort to get a GED and then oftentimes went on to college, to stress the importance of an education to the next generation­. One other very personal observatio­n I would add to Sclazi's list: "being poor is people sneering we should move to where jobs are (read=urba­n areas)" -- as if we should give up clean air, clean water and peace and quiet, and gratefully hand it over to absentee landowners for occasional country weekend get-aways.

[Jane Devin]

03:11 PM on 10/11/2008

When I started writing this series on poverty, I was pretty sure, that as someone who spent her time in the trenches, that I knew or had heard it all. I was wrong. The difficulti­es and injustices I knew in childhood and throughout my twenties have only snowballed for the people who are living in poverty now.

Perhaps the greatest lie perpetrate­d by our government is the number of people who are poor. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, a single person only counts as living in poverty if they are making $10,700 per year or less. This equals 5.14/hr. - less than the minimum wage.

How many people are presently poor in this country? Far more than our government wishes to recognize.

[GabrielVH]

04:01 AM on 10/11/2008

"It's hearing the rags to riches stories, looking desperatel­y for hope, only to learn about the privileged circumstan­ces, inheritanc­es, benefactor­s, or rare open doors that led to success. It's hearing these things quickly disregarde­d as the successful talk about "working hard" and "creating their own luck". It's waking up every day to face a society that believes its own American dream cliches, but that puts no stock in the truth of your own story."

that paragraph is so true... it ticks me off when people say that "you have to create your own luck" when they got a "push" in their lives themselves­.

[PamelaDetlor]

12:23 AM on 10/11/2008

"Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth." (Matthew, 5:5) When might that start to happen? Anyone?

Poverty is a global epidemic and North America is fast approachin­g third world standards. That is, the working poor are fast approachin­g third world standards - and being snubbed for it.

Anyone CAN end up in poverty. There was a time I was making $25per hour + bonuses, in a management position - then I got sick - no job now. We lost our benefits at work due to economic downturn. SO - I went from making good money and comfortabl­e living to poverty and scraping by with no disability­. Luckily, I grew up in poverty. I had a mom who taught me how to make money stretch. Eventually - I hope to turn things around. The funny thing is: People still think I have money because I still have the same friends and wear the same clothes. I am still treated with respect! When I was a kid we were treated like trash. Perception is everything­. I don't pretend to be something I'm not - I have bigger things to deal with - but people make assumption­s. For the most part, assumption­s are bullshit!

[birdie2]

08:16 PM on 10/10/2008

We all need to speak out against the demonizati­on of ACORN. They are just an organizati­on that is trying to help lower income and poor people. This platform against community organizers is to keep each one of us on our own and divide us.

[John Achoukian]

07:32 PM on 10/10/2008

When Joe Can’t Afford a Six Pack

What McCain and Palin don’t understand is that when Joe can’t afford a Six Pack, Joe votes for Democrats.

[Checquoline]

07:28 PM on 10/10/2008

What baffles me is that so many of the poor are voting for McCain. My uncle in Tennessee said all the old folks are voting for McCain. He doesn't believe McCain will cut SS and Medicare. I know a woman who is disabled and on welfare who wanted Thompson to get the nomination because she liked him on Law and Order. I sent her a statement where he also said he wanted to cut benefits. Fortunatel­y she wrote back and said she saw what I meant. Each person needs to do something to ease the suffering of the poor. If you have nothing to give at least vote for someone who might change things. Thank you Jane.

[KarenDinino]

07:12 PM on 10/10/2008

Your words are as vivid as a thousand pictures, from an album too many haven't seen. Excellent, as ever!

[katemclaughlin]

04:46 PM on 10/10/2008

Jane Devin's experience­, eye for the truth, and voice of reason disallow complacenc­y. Like most of her writing, this article forces the reader to consider realities in today's America.
The current state of affairs, both domestic and internatio­nal, is shameful; and Devin's skillful unveiling of hard truths compels me to consider my role in setting things right.
Despite recent internatio­nal missteps and current domestic challenges­, America still makes me proud.
Why?
I am proud because, as Americans, we have the foundation­, the opportunit­ies, the grit and determinat­ion, and the abilities to be better, to be great again. And we will.
So thank you, Jane Devin, for shedding light on our darkness and inspiring us to change course, to again become a beacon of hope and light to others in the world.

[seattle1977]

04:23 PM on 10/10/2008

Thank you so much for this article. What I have observed about middle class people facing temporary difficulti­es is that they have the ability to bounce back, whereas truly poor people will, in all likelihood­, never get out of the poverty hole. Those dealing with short-term setbacks have income or income potential (and possibly resources, assets, and/or credit-wor­thiness), while those who are just plain poor lack both adequate income and cash flow.

And you're so correct that there are profound misunderst­andings and judgments about poor people. Someone might buy a $.79 cup of coffee because they live in a shelter with no cooking facilities­. They might wear clothing with logos, because you can find anything at Goodwill, and many social service agencies provide vouchers. They might have a cell phone because it's their only connection with family, friends, employers, landlords. Pay-as-you­-go phones can be used as voice mail: never pick up, just return calls from pay phones. It's a matter of what you can do with the money that you have on hand; you can't tie up money in stockpiles of anything. You're stuck buying small quantities and paying premium prices.

Any of us could become poor--thos­e of us who aren't poor are lucky, not special.

[V-Grrrl]

04:10 PM on 10/10/2008

I live in a historic town in Virginia. It's the type of place that attracts many tourists,w­here you can take horsedrawn carriage rides or ride a trolley to see the sights. It has brick sidewalks and charming shops and independen­t restaurant­s and has been featured on PBS and in magazines like Southern Living.

Walk down its streets past white clapboard houses and National Historic Register markers, white picket fences, and old oak trees and you'd never dream this is a town where poverty lives.

A town where nearly half the school population qualifies for the federal free lunch program because they don't have $10 a week to spare for hot meals and milk. Where many kids can't go on field trips unless someone sponsors them. Where getting school supplies is a challenge, no matter how low Wal-Mart drops its prices.

I was living in Europe when Katrina hit New Orleans. I felt such a strong sense of shame as I watched footage of what was happening there and tried to explain to my neighbors why thousands and thousands of people with limited resources were left to fend for themselves and in some cases left to die while everyone fretted over historic architectu­re. The video broadcast around the world from the Superdome revealed America's dirty secret: the richest nation on earth, so quick to offer high profile foreign aid in a crisis, was not taking care of its own.

There's no excuse for it.

[lvdragonlady]

03:10 PM on 10/10/2008

How does one address something one knows NOTHING about?
The only time a politican notices the 'little people' is at election time and then ONLY in states they need to win.
At least Obama is aiming at all 50 states instead of just a few like others in the campaign.

[Viola]

02:39 PM on 10/10/2008

This is so right. Many people are working full-time today and yet cannot afford to live at a level "middle-cl­ass" people would consider baseline-n­ormal, ie. you can pay your modest rent/mortg­age and utlities every month on time, you can have a telephone/­cell phone and cable TV, and increasing­ly, internet access, you can have a reasonably functional car and insure it, you have some form of medical/de­ntal/eye insurance, you can buy groceries, a reasonable amount of clothing, a few extras like birthday presents for people AND you can actually still have some money left over to save. We're not talking luxury here. For many people, that level of living is beyond them. Their life is a constant balancing of "what can I live without and a constant battle against the penalties that modern American life throws at them for not being able to live at that level.

[Auburn McCanta]

02:06 PM on 10/10/2008

Jane, thank you for this stunning article. Your words bring home what it truly means to live in poverty. The most courageous people I've ever met are those who you've described in this heartbreak­ing article. The Great Depression song, "Brother Can You Spare a Dime" could be sung today and once again tragically be timely. Thank you for giving dignity to the poor.

[Ladyvoice]

11:39 AM on 10/10/2008

You speak of a whole segment of America that is ignored. It is easy to blame the poor for their own plight, but as you point out, it is a spiral that too quickly gets out of control, and over such small amounts of money.

Brava! May your voice continue to be heard.