Poverty has for far too long been a problem that we all prefer to ignore. In 21st Century Australia, it is easy to believe that class divisions are a thing of the past and that there are no longer lower, middle and upper classes.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
However, much like preventable childhood illnesses, poverty continues to be a concern for parents, teachers, doctors and community organisations. And like preventable childhood illnesses, it is a problem that cannot simply be solved through ignorance.
Today’s front page is the first step in combating the problem of poverty in Griffith: by realising that there is a ‘poverty culture’ we can begin to understand the problem, study it, and much like the explorers of old find ways to communicate with that culture and share ideas and values.
No-one wants to see children go hungry or cold, but flippant remarks like ‘feeding them keeps them in poverty’ miss the point entirely. Handouts don’t keep people in poverty. Entrenched cultural differences do.
Let’s say someone can’t reliably get to their part-time work at 9am because they need to get a lift, or walk, or find someone to watch their children. If an employer can be flexible with that person, maybe they could keep their job long enough to learn the importance of punctuality to mainstream culture, and in turn earn enough to pull their family out of poverty.
Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes.
-STEPHEN MUDD
