I’m writing this note, because there was a status on someone’s page about a young man that robbed a place, I was watching the feedback from some of the people’s comments and most were of racism and ignorance of lack of knowledge of why crime exist in America. By no means am I excusing ANY criminal behavior, but before we start assuming that people are stealing because of the stereotype reasons; of drug addiction and lack of job by choice, I decided to put in my two cents about what is truly going on. What I’m about to share with you is what I call, “Poverty Pimping”. You don’t have to agree with me, but I assure you once you read this I’m sure you’ll find others who will realize this is very true.
As long as we have corporates out sourcing jobs in third world countries for slave labor, causing Americans to fall into unemployment while the rich stays richer, the poor remains poor, how does one find employment? We’ve created a system for people begging for more unemployment instead of creating an incentive way to provide jobs. Most employment agencies won’t even hire you if you are having poor credit or have had recent bankruptcy, which leaves the employment pool for those of higher status of wealth, while the ones in poverty is stuck on welfare and the middle class is stuck suffering.
Plus we’ve stigmatized our children who run away from abusive homes and prosecute them into detention centers all because they’ve fallen victims to child abuse. There are less than 20% of actual kids running away for petty offenses and/or rebelliousness, but most of the children I keep running into are those who’ve fallen into a victim world of child abuse, domestic violence and child sexual exploitation. We cut programs that provide outreach and resources to children and family, who’s in desperate need to empower the community, but we’ll spend tax dollars to rebuild the same highway that was fixed 2 yrs. ago.
If we don’t end this vicious cycle of Poverty Pimping then poverty will only increase, children will be extinct and families will no longer exist. I’m not saying there aren’t bad people, there are but why contribute to crime even more when it doesn’t need to happen. People are stealing because they can’t afford food, gas, diapers and most become jobless.
Whatever happened to tags that say, “Made in the USA”? Now we replace them with starving children who are enslaved 20 hours …a day with very little break all because corporate wants more money in their pockets. We have churches going overseas to assist the homeless and feed the poverty, but people turn a blind eye on our own children. You take 2 girls who are only 11 yrs old. One is an immigrant the other is an American. We raise awareness on Human Trafficking in America, but here’s the problem . . . The immigrant girl gets a Visa to stay here, she gets financial benefits, medical, legal assistant and even a good home. Do you know what the American 11 yr old girl gets? Handcuffed, put into the system and registered as a sex offender as long as she has that label who is going to give her a home, job or even a chance to live? That registered sex offender child, will commit crimes only to survive. What kind of a country have we turned into?
Poverty Pimping is no different than Human Trafficking and Trafficking by any means isn’t new or different from any other criminal offenses that happen, but we tend to sub-categorize it as if it’s different. Labor victims of trafficking can also be sexually exploited, no victim is traumatize more by any other, both victims whether Americans or not need to be treated equally and both traumatic experiences is no worse then the other. I hope this helps.
Thank you for letting me share.
-Survivor
