Persuasive Essay On Poverty In America

America has many problems that can be fixed. The problem that stuck out to me the most was our poverty levels. I believe that if we fix this issue then we can start focusing on other issues that need resolved. We are in the 21st century, we shouldn’t have people who are starving, don’t have access to proper education, and are living on the streets. Those are thing I would expect to find in a third world country not in America.

What is poverty? “Poverty is hunger. Poverty is lack of shelter. Poverty is being sick and not being able to see a doctor. Poverty is not having access to school and not knowing how to read. Poverty is not having a job, is fear for the future, living one day at a time” (What is poverty).

What can we do to resolve

The amount of babies born from unplanned teenage pregnancies or out of wedlock is astounding. “If you are a boy,” you are “twice as likely to end up in prison as the sons of mothers aged 20 and 21. If you are a girl, you are three times as likely to become a teen mother yourself compared to mothers who had a child at age 20 or 21.” (Marcus, Ruth). “Statistics for teenage mothers themselves are similarly daunting. Only half obtain a high school diploma by age 22 compared to 89 percent of women who did not give birth as teenagers. Less than 2 percent of mothers who give birth before age 18 obtain college degrees by age 30. Half live below the poverty line -- and as their children grow older, the family 's chances of living in poverty increase” (Marcus,

No matter what the government or any private party does to help those in poverty it won’t be enough unless the people in poverty are willing to help themselves. We can give them massive amount of help but it comes down to their determination to get out of poverty. If someone is comfortable with living in poverty and doesn’t see why they should change then nothing we will do will help them. It is people like this that are making it harder for those who want to get out of poverty. When the majority looks at people living in poverty our first thought is that they should be working harder to get out. Sadly this is not the case. Many people who are currently living in poverty don’t want to stay there but poverty is a cycle and it takes determination and outside help to lift these people out of poverty. Many people who are trying to get out of poverty get discouraged and give up because they don’t think that they will ever get out of poverty. If we were to make free support groups for those fighting to get out of poverty I think that more people would be able to make that great leap and get out of poverty.

Stopping poverty is possible but it will not be easy. It will take an entire nation to do it. People who are not currently living in poverty should feel thankful. If everyone supported those who are trying to get out of poverty and those who made it out instead of feeling superior to them then poverty will end sooner rather