Poverty pervades the suburbs

Poverty in America is not in the inner cities, nor is it the rural parts of America; it is in the suburbs of America. A staggering 15.4 million people living in the suburbs lived below the poverty line according to a Brookings Institution analysis of Census data. The analysis also showed that the people living below the poverty line rose 11.5% from last year. As the economic status of America and the job situation continues, more people are losing their jobs and becoming poorer and poorer. The burst of the housing bubble also contributed to the poverty in the suburbs. The suburban poor are not just the minimum wage earners, but the middle class who lost their jobs in the Great Recession. As there are services to help the impoverish, but they do little good in the suburbs as they are not used to the number of people living below the poverty line. Another reason why these services do little good is that some people do not have the knowledge of where to go for help and some people are ashamed to ask for government assistance for fear of being precieved as poor. Many people donate to charities and organizations that help the poor in the inner cities and rural areas, they don't however, realize that people are living below the poverty line in the suburbs.

Haiti hit by 7.0 Earthquake

Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, was hit by a 7.0 earthquake earlier today. The quake took place near the country's capital city, Port-au-Prince, and inflicted very heavy damages on the city. Many buildings collapsed, including a hospital. The UN Peacekeeping mission backing the current Haiti government could not be contacted, but Bill Clinton stated that the "world body was 'committed to do whatever we can to assist the people of Haiti in their relief, rebuilding and recovery efforts.'"

Haiti, it seems, is prone to incredible misfortune. In the past several years, the country of nine million has been hit badly by hurricanes. In a small stroke of luck, the tsunami watch for the country has been cancelled, so it seems that the population will have at least a little respite from catastrophe.

When this kind of disaster hits, I think it a little reminiscent of Hurricane Katrina (not the same type of natural disaster, but still a disaster nonetheless). The US handled that situation poorly, but at the very least the US had the resources to do something. This country has nothing, apparently 80% of the population lives in destitution. These people have no means to help themselves, and while I'm sure the world's aid will be forthcoming, there is no way it will be enough. This is beyond regrettable, and it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. Why is this country, the poorest in the Western Hemisphere, so unlucky? While I wish that this had not happened at all, I believe the aftershocks would have been less had it occurred in a country better equipped to handle the situation.