Is It Now a Crime to be Poor?

Due to the economic recession, poverty has become a major growing issue in America recently. More and more people are finding themselves filing bankruptcy, losing jobs, and more importantly losing hope. As Americans, always striving to move onward and upward, we may find ourselves looking down on people who are homeless or who are feeding their families with government aid. However, when did such issues actually become illegal? With the government being as unreliable as it is, you would think the officials would take into consideration those factors. People everyday are being thrown into the streets. While it is directly the government's fault, they find the need to arrest people begging for money and sleeping on sidewalks.

The author of this opinion editorial seemed very dismayed by the news she received before writing the article. Her voice seemed disappointed in her country's government and I don't blame her. I personally agree with the article because you would imagine that in such a time of need the government would feel even the slightest bit of sympathy. However, that is not the case. In my opinion, I believe President Obama should be rallying for people's support because even though he won the election, many people are still against him. A good and beneficial way for him to gain respect and leadership value to Americans would be to give some people a break. In the article, the author mentions a Vietnam war veteran who was shot in the back during the war and now cannot work. The government benefits and pension are not doing enough for him because he still has to sleep on the sidewalk. In my opinion, the government should just give everyone in need a break for now.