The Underclass

"The poor we always have with us." This society has done very well upgrading it's poor (using the poor of third world countries as a standard) to the point that creature comforts are available to all. It is a society that truly has compassion for the poor. All religions in this country have ministry's that work to relieve the plight of the poor. Alas, sometimes they must go to foreign countries to find worthy poor for an outlet of their compassion. Even Oprah had to go overseas when she wanted to make a difference, having been discouraged when she would ask children here what they would like and they answered, exotic cell phones, or very expensive tennis shoes. Christians respond to Christ's saying: "What you do to the least of my brethren, you do unto me." Rarely will you hear a christian say, "I do not give to charity because I pay my taxes and a lot of those taxes go to the needy." Jimmy Carter spends some of his time building or repairing homes through "Habitat For Humanity" a christian charity. Every Catholic Church to which I have belonged in the last fifty years has a foreign parish in a city or town in a third world country to which it gives support. My present church, St. Thomas the Apostle, supports a church in Nigeria. My previous church, Sacred Heart, supported a church in Cameroon. Mark and Dawn's Lutheran church support a ministry that gives aid to Lutheran churches that have suffered a catastrophe such as: earthquake, tsunami, flood, or fire. Mark has a job that sends him to many countries to organize the help for those that need it. All funds he expends comes from the parishioners, none from the government.

It is our government that distributes to the underclass what they need, and it is done with the money from collected taxes. The American people have acquiesced with these distributions to the poor. There is one salient fact about these distributions, it is never enough. There is always some need that has been overlooked and that need requires fulfilling. Once that is done another pops up. Recently, it was explained, some females did not have the money for contraception and and this unfeeling, unjust society must provide funds for it. Of course, once provided, other needs will be found. Maybe someday this society will be required to provide sex-changes for those that desire it. This is done with the utter disregard that this country is broke, there is no money available.

This society has done great damage to the black underclass while trying to be compassionate toward people in general. The black underclass about which I am concerned here are the black inner cities with a distinct subculture. Here, the black male is not interested in supporting a family, and, the black female does not expect him to do so. Children are not raised with fathers and the family unit is composed of a woman and children. The government has stepped in to provide for the female with children. This subculture has spawned children that, as they grow up, join gangs that brutalize other gangs. They behave similar to tribes in Africa where violence is a way of life. This violence keeps prosperity from accruing to inhabitants of inner cities. Sociologists have stated that education is the answer, but the underclass do not respond in a manner that alows them to learn. Actual learning is frowned upon as "trying to act white". This attitude is pervasive in all our large cities with a black underclass. These cities are usually headed by a black, democrat mayor and, despite the efforts made, the cities continue to deteriorate. Solving this inner city problem is the greatest challenge in our time. It will not be solved by politicians, it cannot be solved by the people themselves, there is not enough money in the world to do it assuming money is the answer. What is to be done? In my lifetime I have seen this problem get bigger, when will it stop getting bigger? Can Christian churches do it? The black Christian churches are trying but have not made a dent in the problem. Indeed, some Christian churches exacerbate the problem, of note, Reverend Wright's Church with it's Liberation Theology. Here victim hood is taught and that victim hood is used as excuse for not being able to control one's own destiny. A true Christianity would be the answer, understanding God's love of every soul, an individual responsibility for one's actions, the desire to improve in God's eyes, a strict following of the Ten Commandments, loving others as oneself, etc. But how can that be done? I certainly don't know.