Harvey Discussion with MAGA co-worker

[Willie Pep]

31. People assume that the poor "don't take care of themselves."

It is a very silly idea since poor people often work multiple jobs and probably spend more time dealing with pressing matters than wealthier people who can pay people to do those things for them. This probably also helps to explain why poorer people have worse health. They don't have the time or energy to practice self-care like more affluent people. When you are working one or more crappy job where your boss and others likely treat you like garbage your first instinct when you go home is likely to collapse on the couch and watch TV. This isn't even getting into the difficulties of raising children, having to do all of your own cleaning, cooking, etc. Being poor is really exhausting and time consuming.

You made some very good points though, but unfortunately many Americans have this idea that poor people are morally deficient and need to be punished for "not taking care of themselves." That is a big problem with the debate around health care, blaming people for getting sick, like no person ever got sick even if they exercised and ate right. And that argument is almost always throw at poor people the most because they are perceived as lazy and stupid and so entirely responsible for their own bad health.