This is my first post for applied anthropology and I will try to illustrate how questions of class, income, ethnicity and race impact many people who have little or no resources in this United States.
A couple of things to think about are: If you are a senior citizen on a fixed income, with no assets, where can you afford to live? If you find a place to live, can you afford food and utilities?
While the debate about raising the debt ceiling goes on in Washington D.C. many people are simply trying to "get by" and looking for help.
Did you know that the waitlists for subsidized housing are often closed and when they are not closed there is a wait time of at least 1 to 2 years?
These are some interesting things to ponder as many say there are too many entitlements because on the ground it sure seems like there are so many people who have little hope of finding assistance--not only seniors but also Veterans of our many wars.
I will try to give some brief glimpses of the work I do but it will not be easy reading.
As an Emergency Department RN for twenty years I feel as though I can report a few observations.
ReplyDeleteYes, the debt ceiling may or not be raised. Either way we all are living during some challenging times together. It seems to me as though the very poor (and imprisoned) and the wealthy have easier access to healthcare at this time in our county's history. This leaves the middle work day to day class with more difficulty in accessing healthcare in a timely fashion as needed.
In terms of housing, I am not able to speak to this important issue. Your comment however about "too many entitlements" is a good one and one I agree with but must add, who am I to define "too many" or "too much". I admittedly confess that I can not solve this important ethical dilemma for our society but I would like to play a role in helping to resolve this issue.
Thank you so much for your thought provoking blog.
Jan Gagnier