White trash. Trailer Trash. People of Wall mart.

[kmlisle]

143. Lets not diss wolves here either

They don't deserve to be lumped with Palin and her Ill mannered Ilk!

My opinion: Politicians don't address the needs of the poor because #1 they don't contribute to campaign chests and #2 they vote at low levels.

The whole issue of demonizing poor people has a long history going back to the Victorian ages when the idea that "God loves the Rich" was very popular and it is still popular today. Being rich somehow makes you a good person? Certainly I have met good people who are rich but there also seem to be a large number of psychopaths in that class.

Thanks Hootinholler for calling us on it! Its hard to live in a culture where that basic idea of "God loves the Rich" and what that says about the poor is woven in so thoroughly. Its hard if you are middle class to get away from but much harder if you are poor. I Taught in a title I school for almost 20 years and saw many wonderful hard working poor families whose kids struggled against the odds and mostly did well and also saw a few of not so hard working/addicted/abusive poor families whose kids had a much harder time. Being stereotyped by society just compounds their challenges.

We are still a tribal species and this can be good when we care for our own but it can also be bad when we see another human being as the Other. The ideals of tolerance and acceptance and valuing multiculturalism which attract me to DU are really hard for a tribal species to do. But I for one believe the struggle is worth it and that we are capable of evolving into a better society where we love our neighbors and the Golden Rule rules.