i am doing a paper on the welfare system, i just wanted to know why there is such a high percentage of afircan americans in the sysytem other than other ethnicities. why this specific race? why are they so poor
133370
I think it would depend on the ethnic makeup of the particular county you got your info from. If the county is mostly african american...then yes...there will probably be a higher percentage on welfare.
180144
Because our country is currently run by Republicans, who historically could care less about the plight of the poor and helpless.  The mindset is: "If I can be wealthy without government handouts, then everyone else can too."  They can't see that the American dream does NOT exist for a lot of people, especially minorities, and that some people have many more obstacles than White Anglo-Saxon Protestants.  It's really sad.  Hopefully we can get some Democrats in office who can help provide good legislation to help the poor and suffering.
281969
I think you are confusing poverty with race. Poor people have more children. You probably have met people of Mexican heritage you did not even know were Hispanic. You also likely cannot tell the difference between a Puerto Rican and a Hondurian, so they all seem Mexican to you. \n\nThe poor in this country have always had the highest birth rates. This is a vicious cycle as having children is expensive and keeps them locked in poverty. The old welfarce system added incentive as it payed more and more with each child. The new system caps this and thus discourages larger families but it will be some time before we see the net effects of this. \n\nHispanic culture does however measure a man's Machismo with his ability to sire children. Birth control is a touchy subject with many imigrants of Hispanic origion. Some get the shot instead of the pill so that they can use birth control without knowledge/interfence from the boyfriend/husband. Many accept their role as mother of many children. Hispanic culture is not the only culture that has this value. Just one of the more blatent about it. Typically in the past once they are a generation in they tend to adopt a more Western attitude and raise smaller families as they climb the ladder in education and affluence. \n\nAs for teenage pregnacy no race has a monopoly on that. You see it with all races, religions, incomes. More often than not you see the children of the strictest households or loosest households providing the bulk of teen pregnancies. The strictest the teen girl gets in trouble out of fear. The looser ones out of ignorance. The result is the same. A child when a girl is far too young to raise one. both are preventable but the parents are either too strict or care too little about their children or both to prevent it.
102177
Even though I am an American I have to agree with you.  So many people in this country take what we have for granted.  The south has always been labeled as an area of high discrimination..but I have been all around this country and trust me..it exists just as much in the north and out west as it does here..I think its the American philosophy of me me me..and if you are not like me then you are against me..its a sad thing but luckily not all Americans are like that!
507635
Jeff A, take off your pointed hood and open your eyes.\nLet's look at it from a bigger picture and ask ourselves a couple of questions.\nWhat percentage of the Global population living under the poverty line is black, asian, colored?\nNo matter how you look at it, there is a corelation between the color of skin and prevalence of poverty.\nNow, slavery and colonialism have various debilitating effects. These effects take a lot of time to heal. Every civilization in the past has at one time or the other had slaves from other conquered cultures e.g Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. Nevetheless, in none of these cases has the proportion of slaves to citizens come close to the prevalence of the United States. At the height of slavery in the US, there was 1 african slave for every 4 citizen.\nIn the case of previous civilizations, the negative effects of slavery have been greatly healed by the passage of time. It has been barely a century since slavery was abolished in the US, and just a copule of decades since civil right reforms were implemented in the south. It is over optimistic, to the point of naivette, to assume that societal and racial relations in the US would be normalized after only a copule of decades.\nThis brings to mind a skit in an episode of "Family Guy" where a colonial white man removes the shackles from his african slave and says "Okay, its over now. We're cool, right?".\nIt is understandable that minorities unconsciously feel slighted about the past and wish to strike back. In roman history, an army of escaped and former slaves led the Thracean Spartacus led a bloody revolt against the Roman populace.\nIn modern US society, It is sometimes taken as a subconscious mental victory that it is politically incorrect for a white person to say "Ni99er" while black people can refer to each other that way. These irrelevant mental victories help to heal racial problems in the society.\nBeing born and raised for the first 20 years of my life in a West African country, I have the advantage of being able to look at the US society from an outsiders perspective.\nFor anyone who says that the current US society is racially fair, I ask them to research the average family income for a black, hispanic, asian then caucasian family. Numbers dont lie, but ultimately, time heals all wounds (hopefully).
92239
People's personal blights, ie poverty or education, or not the responsibility of goverment. It is that person's choice where they are in life. In modern american society it seems that everyone wants to blame someone for the way they ended up, or make an excuse for why someone else is doing better than them. \n\nIt is a fact that some people will do nothing more than what is ABSOLUTELY nessacary for survival on that particular day. Some people will do more, and some will do everything they can to get better off than others. \n\nTo directly answer the poverty % quest... It all comes down to what the person doing the survey wants the number to be. A person living in per-say Montana with a small farm grwing there own food not really having a need for money is in poverty. But if you ask them they may say they are doing fine as all of their needs are met. A multi-millionaire that has no job (doesn't need it duh) and has no investment income (poor economic move) is considered in poverty by IRS standards. So it all comes down to what poverty number do you want to have?\n\nOn a side note, I fix up houses as a business. With the way the tax code is structured I can write off almost all of my income to business expenses. IRS paper work I made $9300 last year for a family of 3 (sole income earner). My actually net from the business for the year was $102,000+(not rubbing it in). I have been contacted multi times for Gov't assistance because we are POOR. LOL
172475
The reason for poverty in America is the politics's of greed, or Repuglicans in general. I have mine and I want to make more therefore I do not want to pay taxes and to hell with anybody else. Being poor is no more a choice then homosexuality. It is thrust on 10% of the population by another 10% of the population the very rich. I wonder why of for what reason that a person needs every cent of their billion dollars and there are many billionaires here. There is also a thing with corporate greed. Move the good paying jobs with health benefits overseas to a place where people work for pennies. But do you see the price come down on anything because of it. The answer is a big NO. Socialized medicine is long overdue here it is needed by all, not just an elite few. Every one in the United States should have a birthright to three things food, shelter and health care.
63040
The problem with the system is that it's difficult and highly impractical to track each welfare recipient down to see whether they're trying to better themself or not. \n\nSome people deserve and need welfare, many do not...\n\nI should mention that I received WIC and Medical Assistance for my son while I finished college. Now I have my degree, I no longer need it, and I am financially stable on my own.  I am thankful that the program was in place to help me when I desperately needed it.
569459
People I've met that stay on welfare end up in a better financial situation then working full-time for minimum wage. Plus if you have children who need daycare, you end up working to pay the babysitter. It's a shame b/c continuing their education would get them a better job but either they don't think of it that way or they're lazy and don't want to try. This country definitely needs welfare reform AND disability reform. I've seen too many people take advantage of the system!
567885
There would be allot less Americans of all colors on welfare if the low estimate of 12 million illegals didn't have their jobs.  The high numbers of Americans on Welfare should say THAT loud and clear.
626392
hear hear!  I'm canadian and believe it is an intentional choice, so as to marginalize any other americans, we must be sub-categorized as if we north americans are less important.  (also south, central, latin, african, etc, etc.)
269287
Why should we in the U.S. care about the plight of ILLEGAL immigrants when we have our Own to help!!\n\nWhy shouldn't we as bad for the poor in the U.S. as much as others feel sorry for those in other countries? How is what happened in New Orleans any different than the Asian tsunami? Why should it be 'self pity' for us to aknowelge our fellow citizens who are living in squallar? Anyone can see the U.S. is becomming a two tier economy. It's been heading in that direction for quite a while now, and there's no sign things will change for the better. If you don't know what a two tier economy is, please look it up and educate yourself! Almost all of the income growth in the States since 1975 has been for the richest 20 percent of households. Today the economic gap between between rich and poor in the United States is greater than ever. There's nothing like taking a walk around your (bank-owned) house, then going outside and kneeling down in your (bank-owned) lawn and grabbing a handful of (the bank's) dirt to make you realize how precious (their) land is. Americans aren't that 'rich'! lol. \n\n\nWhy are Americans above all nations so self-delusional? They aren't that rich, majority are poor. They work longer hours for things they will prob. never REALLY own. They have to BORROW more, as in credit cards. The american education system is laughable. No health care. What does the U.S. REALLY have going for it besides WEAPONS??!!!!!! Nothing......\n\nDidn't the Roman empire died eventually? Why do Americans think that it will continue to be the "world leader" in anything? Many, many people around the world don't like Americans because they believe they are full of themselves.\n\n\nWhy shouldn't the world feel as bad for the poor in the U.S. as americans feel about others? Is it a feeling of superiority?? Possibly?\n\nWhat about New Orleans?? PEOPLE STARVED TO DEATH WHILE THE U.S. GOV. WATCHED ON T.V.!!! What about the elderly and the children who are "lost"?
358452
In most cases I would argue that the people in other contries are far worse off than then even the sick and homeless in developed nations but in the USA I would argue otherwise.  The reckless disragard for human needs displayed by big businesses and the government alike are creating a growing underclass of starving unemployed people which soon will eclipse those in other nations.\nDetroit has a statisticaly higher infant mortality rate than Ethiopia - how can this be right?\nThe USA is stupidly wealthy - waste and excess in levels beyond the contemplation of foriegn tyrants but almost all the wealth is concentrated in an emmerging super wealthy class of people while more and more normal people are disguarded as businesses move abroad for cheaper materials and cheap "slave" labour.\nAmericans need to unite as a people against the buinesses and corporations which are expanding the economy at the expense of the citezens.\n\n“the country was founded on the principle that the primary role of government is to protect property from the majority, and so it remains" - Noam Chomsky\n\nLet Oceania, Europe, Japan, and other nations help Africa and Asia - America has to helpm it's own people before they end up in the same state!
176366
It’s not a question of colour but financial status. Poor people are more likely to steal. In the USA the rate of blacks is high among the poor. This can be the reason, I guess. Well, in my country many more white people steal.
629377
There are very few people on welfare who actually need it to survive. \n\nI was a police officer in Indiana for 15 years, and worked in a poor part of town. I've known several 2nd & 3rd generation welfare families. One scam that they do is a mother may have several children. She will let her mother (the grandmother) adopt some of the children. That way the birth mother, and now grandma, both get welfare. They all live together and it increases the amount of money they get.\n\nAnother local scam is a place called George Junior Republic. I'm not exactly sure what they do, but I do know this. It is funded by taxpayers, and they pay children to be good. We had a woman who had 6 kids; all of whom were on probation. The mother was paid to keep her kids in line by this organization. She was also on welfare. We sat once and estimated that she made betwen $3000-$4000 a month between welfare and the "keep your kids good" money. More than I made working 40+ hours a week as a cop...\n\nI couldn't begin to tell you how many people I had to fight who were on "disability" while making an arrest. Too "injured" to work, but they can sure run and fight...\n\nWelfare needs to be terminated. It breeds laziness, incompetence, and the inability to provide for yourself.\n\nLook at how New Orleans descended into chaos...what would people do if the national government collapsed? Would people who have depended on government assistance their entire life be able to survive? I doubt it...
581956
There are middle class Americans of other races who are also impacted by poverty in inner city slums. Is this a race issue or a class issue?\n\nWith that said, the problem relates to everyone because we pay for it. For example, a budget cutback closed the mental health hospital a couple years ago. All the displaced people were literally put on the street with one month supply of whatever medication they were on and a "good luck." Since that time, two people in our community have killed their families. One man killed his mother and a mother killed herself and her children. Either we pay for them to get the services upfront or we pay on the other end of the equation.
533647
What exactly are you converting from, again?  \n\nI'm afraid that welfare is only for people who won't work, not people who have.\n\nEDIT:  LOL!!  Split ends = racist!  Weird.