Monday, March 10, 2014
These 9 Maps Sould Absolutely Outrage Southerners
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/06/maps-of-the-south-bad-place_n_4855191.html DUE 17 MAR 2014. Which of the maps concern you the most? Why? In your opinion, what is the reason for the disparity between the south and the rest of the country? Should the Federal Government intervene?
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I'm split on which graph I feel is the most appalling because really they all are. I would have to argue my two most concerning graphs are the ones over economic mobility in the South and obesity levels (both for very different reasons actually). The economic mobility (or should I say immobility graph). The level of immobility is so drastically different between the southeastern United States and the rest of the nation. It really concerns how opportunity and even income inequality continue to be an issue. This may be the barricade to southern Americans achieving the American dream. The other graph of serious concern is the obesity graph not only because, yet again, issues seem to be centered around the South but also for something else. The legend provided shows color coding for various ranges of population proportions that reflect the state's obesity levels. What concerns me is that not a single state reflects the <10%, 10%-14%, OR 15%-19% range. Every state in the nation has an obesity proportion of 20% or higher. That's at least 1 in 5 Americans! That's a serious issue of concern a general whole for the country. I believe that there could be a lot of reasons for the disparity between the south and the rest of the country that I feel unable to pinpoint and be exact about. However, I feel that it is matter of priorities within the state governments as well as historical/cultural influence that is deeply rooted within those priorities. Since the Confederacy, the South has always chosen to be different and avoid federal government interference in their lives. Because of that, they kind of just follow the beat of their own drum. Eventually, it gets to the point where the state governments can't even support their own constituents and represent them fairly as it is intended. It becomes a game in the South to compete, every man for himself. The values of the collective whole often get brushed aside. When the state government gets to this point an remains adamantly conservative, structure collapses and we lose our wits. At a certain point, I think it is fair for the federal government to intervene. Don't get me wrong. No one is perfect and aspects of the government certainly are not *cough cough Congress cough cough*, but that's a different story! However, the federal government has the power to do certain things that we just can't and can actually regulate the hotshots the get out of control and take away our money, rights, and privileges. There needs to be some serious change in the South. Perhaps attacking the issues at their source and making a serious change will get us through these rough times back to prosperity.
ReplyDeleteThe title of this article well-suits it. As a southerner, I definitely do feel outraged towards the reality depicted by these 9 maps. All of the maps are highly disturbing, but the one that perturbs me to the greatest extent is the third map. The third map is titled, " And People Living in the South are Less Likely to Move Up the Economic Latter".
ReplyDeleteAs a high school student who avidly does her homework and exceeds average efforts towards school, I am greatly worried by the data presented in this graph. I exert a lot of time and energy into school in attempts to find a great job in the future. I work so hard at school for the purposes of moving up the economic ladder. Although I will be moving when I get older, it is very sad that those individuals who choose to stay in the south, or live in the south in general, have to deal with diminished opportunity levels. In my opinion, the reason for the disparity between the south and the rest of the country is our own poor decision making. For one thing, we continue to elect the same in congress that are suppressing us and not letting us move forward. Many people in congress probably are not overly concerned that the south is not well off. For example, many southern states chose not to expand Medicare under Obamacare. According to the article, this cost many southern states "a ton of money,"
In my opinion, the Federal Government does need to intervene. Throughout the last couple of years, we have seen that the south cannot "auto-correct" and repair itself on its own. We are obviously making poor decisions that are affecting us profoundly, and it is dire that the Federal Government intervene and help the south as soon as possible.
Anita Pizzirani (Pizza)
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The maps provided in this Huffington post article are incredibly terrifying as well as thought provoking. This article paints a vividly disturbing picture of how drab the conditions are in the south. Although all of the maps create a wholly unsettling feeling, the one that stands out the most is most definitely the last map. The last map, poignantly titled "Perhaps all this is why some Southern states are among the least happy states in the country." summarizes the overall jist of the entire article. It conceptualizes all of the ills of the south into a visualization that completely and accurately represents the overall impact of all of these problems. This graph points out that the south is not happy, as a result of the culmination of the malady of problems that it faces. It illustrates how emotional health, physical health, healthy behaviors, work environment and basic access to things like food, water and shelter are all severely lacking. In my opinion, the reason for the disparity between the south and the rest of the country is the United States inability to make sound decisions. Politics plays a major role in perpetuating all of these woes, and until the people of the south logically follow and pursue politics, these problems will not be abetted. Another reason for these problems could stem from historical reasons, with the south's roots being deeply ingrained in a heavy cultural philosophy. At some point in time, when figures and statistics arise that are THIS STARTLING, i feel it is necessary to introduce some form of government intervention into the southern states to remedy this problem. People need to get to the root of these downfalls and rectify them immediately, before this downward spiral is exacerbated exponentially. Although change will most certainly not be swift and fast, measures still need to be enacted to fix these pressing issues currently facing the south.
ReplyDeleteOut of all of these maps shown, I feel that the one titled "And people living in the South are a lot less likely to move up the economic ladder". This map basically shows us that the entire southeast part of the US has very low economic mobility. This basically reminded me of the caste system where if you are in one caste, you're basically stuck in there. I am also concerned that with our conditions right now, it is taking the most out of federal funds, from around $5,000 to $10,000 million, which is due to the fact that we have rejected the Medicaid expansion. While we did reject the expansion, other maps shows us that the southern part of the US is the most obese and contains the most cigarette smokers. All of these maps shows how the South is very different than the rest of the country, whether that be in wealth, health, or even happiness. I believe that the reason for this disparity between the United States and the South is because of our decisions we make in terms of political and society. We need to make changes that actually does something and we need to elect representatives who actually want to change this sort of condition instead of just waiting for their paycheck our tax dollars are paying, but I doubt this will ever happen. If this cannot be changed on the state level, I think the federal government should Federal Government should intervene to help this situation. We cannot keep living in these conditions as it will only get worse as time goes on. If we don't change it now, who knows how badly these conditions will get in the future. Like a great man once said, you must fix a mistake before it worsens.
ReplyDeleteThe map that bothers me the most is the poverty rate map. The map shows Florida has being12% poverty. That is crazy considering florida, is probably the easiest place to become rich. We have Miami beach where celebrities and millionaires live, we have fort Lauderdale, delray, all places where wealth is very noticeable, we have water on all sides of the state so it is easy to transport good compared to if you lived in texas. Floridans have so much potential to become wealthy and I do not know what is stopping them. I think the reason is over population in the south. People especially elder love to move to the south for retirement. Also we are so close to the water that, like California, people want to live here, so jobs are full, and promotions are scarce. The government should not interviene because its not their fault that people don't know how to become successful in probably the easiest state to be rich in the country. They should focus on more important things, than people who are ok with basic salaries and aren't willing to do anything to fix it.
ReplyDeleteOut of all 9 maps, the one that concerned me the most was the one about the South having the largest percent of smokers and a low tax rate for cigarettes. This concerns me beacause the tax rate is so low so that with the low wages Southerners will still be able to afford cigarettes and feed their addiction (the tobacco companies lose no business). The whole disparity between the south and the rest of the country lie is the low wages they are being paid. This is because if businesses are not forced to pay a minimum wage (as if thats not low enough), they will pay people the least amount of money possible. This then leads to other problems such as obesity. If you think about it, the only food that may be affordable for low wage workers is fast food. This type of food is very unhealthy, but it is all some poople can afford, and in turn obesity is higher in the south. I believe the federal government should intervene because the states are not going to do it on their own, and the problem will just persist.
ReplyDeleteFor me, there is not one single graphic that is MOST abhorring. They are each terrfying in their own right, and each helps to understand the causes and effects for the others. For instance, a teenager growing up in a low-income household is less likely to be exposed to information regarding safe sex and for that very reason, is more likely to end up as a parent at a very young age. Based on this, they are likely to drop out of school, and take a minimum-wage job, have no health care, and find little social mobility because of their lack of education, and continue the cycle with their children. What I find even more terrfying than the graphs based on decisions made by citizens that affect them directly, such as the teen pregnancy and obesity rates are those that reflect inadequate government policy to aid those in great need, for example those that show states that have minimum wage lower than the federal minimum wage, or no minimum wage laws at all. This type of decision from government directly correlates with the public's ability for upward mobility. Investing in human capital is the best way governments can bring their people out of suffering. If people have barely enough to feed their children, they will not go out and learn to be a nurse so they can earn more and live in a nicer house. I also find it ludicrous that several states did nothing to improve the affordable health care law. If your citizens are among the poorest in the nation, wouldn't it make sense to offer them relief in the form of healthcare? There is not much the Federal Government could do to try to change these trends. These are among the parts of legislation left up to each state to resolve for its people. The problem is that the southern states, which have the greatest problem with poverty, are also among the most densely populated in the country, and are historically represented by legislators who want to decrease government interferance in people's day-to-day life.
ReplyDeleteEconomic failures are a result of a consolidation of factors. In the case of these southern states, it is hard to choose a single map that holds more significance than the others. However, if I were to point out the graphs that most emphasized the concerning state of the south, it would be the first five graphs: poverty rates, minimum wages, economic mobility, affordable health care, and the cost of not providing affordable health care for each state. These five maps demonstrate the chain effect, one problems simply leads to or is the result of another. The first map to focus on would be the one concerning the states that rejected the Obamacare plan, therefore taking away their people's right to have the option of affordable health care, which is necessary for many of them. An additional consequence of not accepting the affordable health care plan is the extra costs the state must pay to cover the expenses from paying private health care insurance companies. With larger states such as Florida and Texas, their net loss of federal funds can total up to a whopping $10,000 by 2022. With such an unnecessary lost in funds, many of these states choose to pay their employed citizens at a rate below the minimum wage set by the Fed. According to the map indicating the economic mobility (or, in many of the southern states' situation, immobility) the majority of these states paying below the Fed's minimum wage rate face a nearly 37.4% chance of economic immobility. The lack of affordable health care, minimum wages below the Federal rate, and lack of economic mobility all add up to one of the most widespread issues in the world: poverty. The southern states with the highest rate of poverty (almost 22.8%) are those with the highest rating of all the problems mentioned in the first five maps. The notable difference in statistics between the south and rest of the country may be a reflection of many aspects, including but not limited to, differences in historical events (wars, buildup of companies, etc), contrasts in the issues the states choose to focus their efforts on, how they spend their funds, and so on. Similar to how these southern states' high rates of poverty are a result of a spectrum of factors, the reason for difference in economic status between the south and rest of the states cannot be pinpointed on one, specific component. With such harrowing statistics that do not seem to be improving anytime soon, I believe that it is imperative that the government intervene in the states and put some form of regulation on their system. I am not suggesting for them to take complete control of the states, but just simply laying down some firm restrictions in order to prevent them from stripping the rights of their citizens to have the option for affordable health care and receiving a wage that is only fair in terms of what the Fed's rate is. Without at least some government intervention, these states will just spiral into a perpetual downfall.
ReplyDeleteThe map that concerns me the most will be the minimum wage map. This is the most concerning mainly because of how the south are basically doing the same amount of work like the northern states like Massachusetts, but yet they are still getting paid just a little above the national limit. Even though the south usually had a lower cost of living, what’s the point of living in the south if you are just getting by? The south should be getting more money anyways because they need more buying power to add money into circulation in the economy. Maybe if you increased the minimum wage of the southern states to the point where they are able to go out and buy goods, and invest their money, maybe we wouldn’t be so deep within this debt crisis that our country is facing now. The main reason why I think there is such a big difference in the benefits and the money that the south earns compared to the rest of the country is because of our decisions we make in terms of politics and as a society. I believe that right now the representatives that we choose are only in it for the money, and they have no intention on helping the people in the south. They all just want to make massive chunks of money on our tax dollars. Maybe if the people begin to start electing people who actually care, then maybe they will be able to solve this problem that we are in. This is highly unlikely to ever happen though because of what you witness in congress and the childish behaviors that they exhibit. If these problems can’t be solves at the state level, then I think the federal government should come in and help out and find solutions in the helping the south in becoming more equal economically with the rest of the country's states. If we wait to long to solve this, it might even get worse in the future and there might be no way in finding a solution. If we are going to fix this, we need to now before it gets way to even fix.
ReplyDelete"People living in the South are a lot less likely to move up the economic ladder" perhaps is the most disturbing fact out of the whole universe. It is such a shame that a great nation like US to have such extremely low levels of economic mobility in some areas. That giant red paint on the map is giving all the people who care about this nation headache. Some people are just destined to fail just because they are southerners... If you still want to achieve the American Dream, don't move to the South. The reason why the South is such a mess is that the South is that government is not doing their job to. Some of the southern states do not have minimum wage at all, which is so sad. How do we expect them to move up the economic ladder when the families force their kids to go out and get a job and sacrifice education? Virtually no Southern states, with the exception of Florida, have a minimum wage higher than the federal floor of $7.25 an hour. Many Southern states do have relatively low living costs. But they are not dramatically lower than costs of living in other states, such as Ohio and Missouri, that have set minimum wages at least slightly higher than the national limit. The Southern states are doing the absolute minimum for their poorest citizens by keeping the minimum wage at the lowest levels possible. Perhaps the saddest part is that many people in the South are denied from accessing affordable health care, which makes the situation even worse. There is no better way to fix this other than government steps in and make the Southern United States just as prosperous as everywhere else in the nation.
ReplyDeleteWhile each map made me shudder and squirm in my seat as I looked at them, the one I found most disturbing is the one that depicts the economic mobility and who's more likely to have more opportunities to make more money than they started out with. I was appalled because this is America, land where the "streets are paved with gold." And unless the graph depicts how much "fool's gold" are made into roadways, it looks like there is absolutely no hope for economic mobility in the South, which is, of course, utterly disturbing. It's like serfdom and slavery without the label. With no opportunities to advance, there is no point to living in America, home of the free, and apparently land of the unable to jump economic stratospheres. According to the graph, Southerners are no better off living here than they would be in India, which is known for its caste system. My personal opinion on why the South lags behind the rest of the country in any aspect of improving life conditions is that the idea of inequality still remains a large part of Southern culture. Wealthy white southerners remain wealthy and white, and they do everything in their power to continue to feel as if they are on top of the social ladder. There are very few respected black (or any race for that matter) politicians in these areas. There is absolutely no way that Obama could have been the governor of, for example, Alabama. The South has held tight to racist and sexist opinions for so long, that it's still gripping them even as we speak. There is very little that the Federal government could do to change generations after generations of opinionated people. However, they could influence businesses, companies, sports teams, and more, to create an attitude that slowly but surely allows for more acceptance. Once the Southerners begin to embrace the fact that equality is not a burden but a blessing, they will finally begin to thrive.
ReplyDeleteAlthough all of these maps are matters of concern, there are two maps in particular that I am most concerned about. The first of the two I have selected is the map showing the states in America that have denied the Affordable Healthcare Act. Considering that I live in Florida and Florida was one of the states that rejected this, I am worried about my future and the impacts this rejection will have on fellow statesmen living in poverty. As goes the trend found in the article, there is a cluster of rejection found in the Southern Region of the US. Obamacare is not going away and the political strife that will occur between Southern State legislators and those who support Obamacare will occur with the complete disregard of those who truly need health benefits. The other graph that is of my primary concern is the one depicting those who are least likely to move up the economic ladder. This graph shows one of the most clear focus in the South. No other region has anywhere near as much dark red than the South. What the graph is showing is that residents of the South are incredibly less likely to move up in wealth and power than those living elsewhere. This is incredibly concerning. It seems that no matter how hard you work, Southerners have a smaller opportunity to advance economically. The lack of mobility is caused by greedy state representatives who wish to only benefit themselves. I think this disparity is caused by poor state politics that stem potentially as far back as the Civil War. Politicians in these regions are well known for their greed and blatant disregard for what's best for the citizens they are responsible for. It seems that they care more about improving their image than they do for what's morally and economically right. I absolutely feel as if the Federal Government should intervene. I think they should step in and create universal policies instead of allowing states to override things that are clearly beneficial. I think an elimination of the two party system that has destroyed our ability to accomplish anything is the long term goal that needs to be implemented. We are a country of "united states," not one citizen should have less of an opportunity to become successful than someone who works just as hard but happens to live in another state.
ReplyDeleteThe most concerning map would probably be the first one depicting the high poverty rates in the south. The other maps either support this first one or expand on other reasons why the south is struggling. There are high poverty rates in the south due to the lowest minimum wages. Southerners do not have sufficient salaries to live off, and even though they were affordable healthcare, they probably still would be unable to pay for it. Talk about 'cause-effect-effect-effect-effect-effect,' without health care there are health crises across the south. (Shocker) If people were offered higher minimum wage, i think there would be a chain effect that would cause some positive change in the south. Once minimum wages increase, will hire people with better qualification and this will cause people to have a motive to be educated. Also, then people would be able to afford health care and this would in turn increase the availability of contraceptives, decreasing teen pregnancies. If people are living more comfortably then they wouldn't have to eat or smoke their stress away. Everything just seems to be a cycle. The funny thing about all of this, in relation to the previous blog, is that the goal is to get people to spend more in order to get the economy back on its feet. YET, the south doesn't get paid nor is living comfortable enough to spend anything.We aren't talking bout just one state, but an ENTIRE REGION of our country. The disparities between the south and the rest of the country are probably related to historical issues and differences are where funding is allocated in these states. The fed should DEFINITELY get involved, honestly we can't move forward without the government. It just won't work by itself. The government needs to step in, make some changes or policies to even out these disparities.
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ReplyDeleteI find the map that depicts that Southerners are a lot less likely to move up the economic ladder. I find that there are a lot of causes for this that don't get accounted for too. The North is just much better off than the South. The South seems to be a little more populated than the North, because the graph shows the low levels of economic mobility. Most of the Southern states have very low levels which makes it hard for them to improve their economic situations. There are differences such as poverty rate, minimum wage rate and being denied affordable health care just because of not expanding under Obamacare. The Federal Government should get involved because we can't expect to help ourselves all on our own, we need some intervention to help us out.
ReplyDeleteThese graphs are biased. They numbers aren't even set at even intervals. You can see on the first graph that they chose 17.9 for their lower bound of the high poverty number to make Texas look bad because that was their exact estimated number (USDA). You can see evidence of bias in many of the graphs. Anyway, I would say the second graph is the most troubling to me. I wanna be able to be promoted. I wouldn't be too worried though since I wanna be an engineer but still, I want my friends to do well too. Also, just wanted to say that teenage pregnancy in the south is not necessarily an accident. a lot of people in the south get married when they are 18. And the smoking thing is a bad graph to use as an indicator of disparity in my opinion if you look at the numbers and consider the fact that it's a choice. No need for the government to intervene in these, though I wouldn't mind them taxing the crap out of cigarettes. K BYE
ReplyDeleteI am not particularly concerned with these maps. I'm not entirely sure how the statistics were compiled, but I assume that they only surveyed people over the age of 18. I will be out of Florida shortly after I turn 18, which means that I should be looking at Illinois when I look at these graphs. On the first map, there's less poverty in Illinois than in Florida. That's good for kids in Illinois I guess. Minimum wage rates are both higher than the national wage in Illinois and Florida. There's way more economic mobility in Illinois. Medicaid was expanded in Illinois. Both states are full of obese people, but I guess that gives us all something to feel better about. We might have a lot of poor people in the south but at least we're well fed. I'm glad there are more smokers in Illinois, I don't plan on buying cigarettes so it will be nice to have people around I can cop from. Both states have an average amount of teen birth rates, but my personality and looks have ensured that I won't be at risk for one of those. On the final graph, it looks like Florida and Illinois have the same amount of happiness, but I will be happy to escape this hellhole so I'm not sure whether or not that graph is reliable.
ReplyDeleteThere are many reasons why there is such a huge disparity between great states like Illinois and the south. Education in the south is typically poorer than education in the north. In particular, colleges in the south just cannot compete with colleges in the north. Take for example, the comparison of the University of Florida and the University of Chicago. It's pretty obvious why Illinois is better off.
I don't think that there's much the federal government can do to intervene. If any money was given to the southern states, the state governments wouldn't be able to use it effectively. Remember that the state governments were elected by those living in the south.
ReplyDeleteWhen reviewing all of these maps shown, I feel that "And People living in the south are a lot less likely to move up the economic ladder" concerns me the most. The map is showing that the souteast side of the United States has very low economic mobility. The shame brought on by our nation is crazy to think about how low are levels of mobility are becoming as time goes on. The southern government is not doing their jobs to the best of their ability. They have the potential to do so much more with their power, but they chose to give it all away and just do the bare minimum. Some southern states don't have a minimum wage rate to this point. Moving up the economic ladder cannot be achieved when children's education is being sacraficed for the sake of the familiy staying afloat. The fact that parents are literally forcing their children to quit school and go find a job is not only sad but horrifying to think about, as a child myself. When you think about it, no southern sates other than florida has a minimum wage rate over the amountof $7.25 and hour. Although the living costs may be lower than florida, this is still not enough money to keep a family going without working full time every second of the day. On top of this minimum wage problem is the fact that the government is doing close to nothing to help the poor citizens in their society by allowing the minimum wage rate to be this low. The health care in the southern states is a whole other story that should be addressed. Many in the southern states don't have the right to access affordable health care. I also feel concerned of the conditions as of this point. It is taking most of the money out of our federal funds almost double. From $5,000 to $10,000 million, due to the fact that the Medicaid expansion was rejected. As for the other maps, they are showing that the southern portion of the United States contains the most not only obese people, but cigarettte smokers as well. The south when compared to the rest of the country is very different in wealth, as well as the health of our individuals. I think the reason for this is because of the decisions we make as whole in the terms of society. When it comes to our political and social decisions they differ in the amount of importance. The decisions we make should actually make a change in our society and not just the views of perception. Electing representatives that actually want to make a change in our country would be the right start. But bringing it to a realistic perception, if this cannot be the case, the federal government should step in and take over this situation. These conditions cannot continue to go on. If we keep up with these conditions, they are more than likely to get worse as the time goes by. Our citizens will be affected greatly if this is not changed once and for all. Without the federal government intervening, this problem will never become resolved.
I am in between maps that really speak to me, the obesity map, the poverty map.The poverty in the South is more targeted at children since one and four kids are said to be living in poverty. This concerns me because this means that the kids live not only in poverty but in a place where the economy is so imstable that its almost impossible for them to live the american dream. The obesity map concerns me as well because the south is known for its home cooking and cooking in the most unhealthy conditions. Being from the south I know that the food in the area is not the most healthy in food. Mixing in the obesity with the poverty life expectancy can't be that high. It's a worry for the people in the South. The South has always been a separate from the rest of the world I think it is a cultural different. The south always chose to be different from the beginning. They have always seemed to avoid the help of government. I believe the Federal Government should intervene because the south is not taking care of its people well enough. The rate of obesity and poverty as well as minimum wage being as low the government needs to help the south while they can or they the problem with the south will continue and get worse.
ReplyDeleteThe most concerning maps would be the amount of obesity or smoking there is in the south. This increases health risks dramatically which increases health costs across the board. Worst of all is the fact that these habits can be avoided. This disparity is probably associated with the culture prevalent in the south. This culture encourages the true American attitude of freedom. While not all that bad, it makes little room for federal intervention. However, the federal government can do something about it by increases education in the south about health and general well being. If nothing changes, then the south may be doomed to lag behind the north for the rest of American history. At this rate the south will never rise again!
ReplyDeleteI'd definitely have to say that the map showing the levels of economic mobility is the most concerning. I say this because I actually plan on living in Florida throughout some of my adulthood. The entire state of Florida seems to have low levels of economic mobility. Which means, no matter what part of Florida I decide to go to make a living in, there lies a theory that I'll be an ordinary citizen. The reason for the disparity between the South and the rest of the United States is the fact that we make such silly decisions and the difference in cultures. The federal government can intervene but I'm not sure that there's much they can do to change the trends. All the fed can do is attempt to have a positive influence on society.
ReplyDeleteOf all 9 maps, the one that concerns me the most is the first one that indicates poverty rates are a lot higher in the South than they are in the North. The map shows that 1 in 4 Southern kids live in poverty compared to the national average of 1 in 5.
ReplyDeleteThe South was initially an agricultural and farming region while the North had an economy based on manufacturing and industry. Most of the poorest people in the South are those from rural areas. Farming and agriculture in America has been hurt by the influx of imported goods. The South has always had a greater share of minorities first with the blacks as slaves and the Mexicans as farm laborers. The legacy of slavery and racial discrimination continues even today. Although we all live in the same country, the North and the South continue to call each other names like “red-neck and Yankee.” Many Northerners consider the people of the South to be slow and stupid.
The poverty level in the South affects everyone living there especially those in the rural areas. The hardest hit are the children. Poverty affects their emotional, physical, and behavioral health. Many of these children cannot attend school where they would be fed, educated, and nurtured. Those who are able to, usually quit or look for work immediately after graduation. Many people in the South have less than a high school diploma and those who go on to college are lower than the national average. Many of the poorest Southern households are single-woman households. They are often divorced or had children out of wedlock. With exorbitant childcare rates, it can cost a female her entire paycheck. Furthermore, when children reach the appropriate age, they leave school to go to work to help support the family.
No one can doubt that children are the future. However, those exposed to poverty, develop more emotional and physical problems as they grow. The damage is great because they miss out on nutritional, educational, and social resources that can help end the cycle of poverty. How will we as a country continue to flourish and grow without the necessary contribution from our children.
On a national and state level, there are programs that aim to help those Americans who live in poverty; Medicare, food stamps, Section 8 housing, etc. However, who would know better than the local government/community where the help is needed most. If more communities worked on programs that initially pinpointed the most important areas of concern like; affordable childcare, nutrition subsidy in the school system, free transportation to and from school, and an educational program tailored to those who need more flexibility, then we might begin to make a dent in the poverty levels which continue to grow each day.
The map that i am most outraged about is the map that depicts southerners moving up on the economic ladders, as well as the accsess to helth care. I am outraged about that because i live in the south and i feel like it is sort of depicting my acess to health care and weather or not i am moving up in the economy. I believe that the reason for this has to do with mentality that goes all the way back to civil war era. I believe that southerners are stuck in the era, since rasicm was most prevelent in the south. We still have that contrty living mentality.I do believe that the federal government should intervene but majority of the people would not even notice that this is a problem. As well as majority of these sotherners would not even have accsess ro these federal aid helps.
ReplyDeleteEvery single one of these maps is insane and outrageous. They all paint half the country as places where no one would be able to make a living. The concerning thing is that Florida is one of the worst states for most every state in this map except for the minimum wage. Yay. A few of the maps are equally scary to me. The poverty rates map is concerning. More children are living in poverty in the south. That’s an upsetting thought. The South is depriving people of a decent minimum wage and enduring that the people are living in some of the highest poverty rates in the nation. The map of people being denied health care is also angering. Why is it that some states adamantly refuse to participate? The data shows they would be more well off by taking part but these states choose to do what is not best for their citizens on purpose to prove some nonexistent point in resisting. They are losing a ton of money and their overall happiness is much lower. I think that’s the main reason why there’s such a huge disparity. The southern states have state governments that are more stringent and thoughtless that aren’t making the right decisions to help their people. The south is more or less doing it to itself. They keep the minimum wage low, they don’t offer their citizens affordable healthcare. These choices are disadvantageous and keep them in a rut. They ensure problems in the other maps like poverty, crappy economic mobility, and higher expenses. These problems cause stress which leads to the obesity and smoking and correlates to the factors like teen pregnancies which all lead to overall unhappiness. While the federal government should and needs to intervene, frankly there’s not much they can do short of overturning state governments and violating the 10th and 12th amendments. They would have to impose authority of the state governments and people would only be outraged because God forbid some part of the government should intervene in other to actually help people. Especially since a lot of people in the south would be against any type of government intervention, even some to help themselves.
ReplyDeleteToday at 7:06 AM
ReplyDeleteI feel is the most appalling because really they all are. I would have to argue my two most concerning graphs are the ones over economic mobility in the South and obesity levels (both for very different reasons actually). All of these maps shows how the South is very different than the rest of the country, whether that be in wealth, health, or even happiness. I believe that the reason for this disparity between the United States and the South is because of our decisions we make in terms of political and society. I think the federal government should come in and help out and find solutions in the helping the south in becoming more equal economically with the rest of the country's states.