Poverty
I have been thinking about poverty lately ... more specifically, about food. Here at camp we have government funding, so all the kids are required to take everything served. They are not required, however, to eat it. The kids' response to the meal is frankly obvious by eyeing the trash cans on the way to the dishroom. Tonight we had fishsticks and broccoli, and the trash cans were all full to the top. I think it's silly to say, "Eat it, there are kids out there who are starving," because really, what difference does it make? It hurts my heart, though, to see all that food in the garbage and know that there are many, many kids who had nothing to eat tonight.
Josh was telling us about an illustration on food in the world. At the camp he attended as a kid, they had a "world food" night in the cafeteria. In the center of the room were the "Americans," who had on their tables literally enough food to feed everyone in the room. The "Americans" were allowed to talk and go anywhere in the room. In a ring around "America" was the "middle world." They each received water and a small bowl of rice and beans and could talk, but could not move from their chairs. Around the perimeter of the room sat the "third world." They were given nothing to eat or drink and were not allowed to talk or move from their chairs. They could eat only if they were given something from one of the other tables. Funny enough, the kids in "America" didn't notice anyone else, and ate everything themselves.
Anyway, I've been pondering this and it's heavy on my heart. And then I read Mary's blog today, and she's thinking about it too ... http://www.arewethereyetbendagen.blogspot.com/
Josh was telling us about an illustration on food in the world. At the camp he attended as a kid, they had a "world food" night in the cafeteria. In the center of the room were the "Americans," who had on their tables literally enough food to feed everyone in the room. The "Americans" were allowed to talk and go anywhere in the room. In a ring around "America" was the "middle world." They each received water and a small bowl of rice and beans and could talk, but could not move from their chairs. Around the perimeter of the room sat the "third world." They were given nothing to eat or drink and were not allowed to talk or move from their chairs. They could eat only if they were given something from one of the other tables. Funny enough, the kids in "America" didn't notice anyone else, and ate everything themselves.
Anyway, I've been pondering this and it's heavy on my heart. And then I read Mary's blog today, and she's thinking about it too ... http://www.arewethereyetbendagen.blogspot.com/
posted by Sarah at 7:22 PM
2 Comments:
I'm writing a paper on language development of children that are living in poverty...
It (poverty, not language development) is burning a lot of people's souls...
Sarah, thanks for providing the link. I've been looking long and hard at a lot of social injustices lately. I feel like I am just finding my voice to speak the truth about the world as I see it, even if it's not PC. Some of this stuff may interest you such as the simple living movement and Catholic Worker movement (very progressive ideas about poverty and social justice).
I think the reason the Americans in Josh's camp didn't notice is indicative of how we are as a society. We are numb to it. We take poverty as a fact about the world.
I hope you are feeling better. I love reading your blog! You have such a beautiful writing style. It's very calm :)
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