America, poverty in

A couple of friends of mine recently visited a country in Europe. They wanted to go into a church in a very lovely old city. They were not allowed to go in without making a donation. In fact, they were accosted and harassed about this. When my friends say they wanted to go in to pray, they were told that they were rich Americans and they had to pay to go inside.

I've said this before but I'll repeat it: there is poverty in America.

Poverty in America? you ask. How can this be? Isn't America the richest country in the world? Clearly this is a widespread assumption. But, I have news for you: yes, there is poverty in America. Let's wake up and smell the real world, ok? There are people in America who live in boxes because they have no homes. There are Americans who go without food because they have no money to buy food. There are American children who are starving in this country.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau 35.9 million people in America live below the poverty line, and this includes 12.9 million children. That's over 3 times the population of, say, Hungary.

True, we're not in as dire a situation as other countries. But this doesn't mean all Americans are rich. So, if you see Americans abroad, don't assume they're loaded with dollars. Most likely, they're not. And remember that life is a continuum: America as a whole is better off than, say, Albania, but Albania's better off than Nigeria. Don't judge, and for the love of mike, don't assume that being American means we're rich by default. Do some research, and don't believe Hollywood. Their portrayal of America is most times completely fictitious.