Rich AF vs. Broke AF: America in 2025
HAVE YOU HEARD?!?! TAYLOR AND
TRAVIS ARE ENGAGED?!?! Ok, this is old news. We all know that Travis popped the
question just this past August, and the beautiful Taylor gave her resounding
“yes.”
And what about her GORGEOUS engagement ring? I don’t know about you, but I am diggin’ this
massive, eye-catching piece of jewelry. In a news article posted the very next day, the diamond
was described as being between “10 and 15 carats. The stone is an old mine
brilliant cut diamond in a style dating back to the 18th century, with a D
color grade - the highest on the scale… She (Taylor) estimates the ring to be
worth about $650,000.”
INSANE, RIGHT?!?!
Now, I’m gonna present you with a
very different picture.
Have you ever been to Philadelphia, or as some call it, FILTHadelphia? Around every corner, there’s the homeless, there’s garbage, and sewer waste. You’ll see on the sidewalks a person just spread out on the ground, out cold, either because of drugs, drinking, or simply because he’s got no other place to rest his head.
This is called “poverty,” and this problem is growing here in the great United States of America. Perhaps you’ve seen it yourself. A kid at school always smells bad. A classmate wears the same shoes every day because that’s all he’s got. One of your friends’ moms has picked up yet another job to make ends meet.
Put
these two images side by side:
The celebrity’s bougie diamond ring
and the streets of Philly, which give Third World vibes.
Can you see the problem here? Have
you ever wondered how it is that some people have more than enough to live on, such as a $650,000 ring, while others barely have two nickels to rub
together? Can you see the inequality, the unfairness of it all? The Declaration
of Independence, this country’s greatest document, states that “all men are
created equal.”— so why the fuck is poverty so huge in this country of
ours?
Ever been on a cruise? If you have,
you’ll know that those cruise ships are MASSIVE. Last year, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. finished building
its “newest vessel, set to be the largest in the world.” It will board around 8,000 people, and it will
be known as the “largest waterpark at sea.” This vessel, which they’ve dubbed The
Icon, will have six water slides, a family rafting adventure, and an obstacle
course called the Crown's Edge, which will extend off the side of the ship.
This is all so unnecessary! The money that is being dumped onto these outrageous projects could cure so much of this country’s poverty! It should be used to build better housing, support shelters, and soup kitchens, and increase the salaries for those who are in need!
An argument you could make is that money ought to be earned. You must deserve it, work for it. Money isn’t free. Food, clothing, heat, and bedding, none of that is free. In fact, there are many American celebrities today who were raised in poverty, and by will, hard work, and dedication, they rose in rank and wealth.
There is truth in this. If one can work, one should. Nor should one use poverty as an excuse not to pursue a dream. Work builds individual character and helps to better society.
But let’s not kid
ourselves!
There is a great lack of equality
when it comes to the distribution of this country’s wealth!
I'm not saying we can eliminate
poverty forever. But we sure as hell can
help minimize what poverty we encounter today! And I’d say that it
starts with you, with me, in little acts of random kindness. Little acts of
reaching out to someone less fortunate than you, in whatever way that looks
like: less fortunate in friends, in intelligence, in nice clothes, in daily
showers.
Organizations, such as Feeding
America and Poverty USA,
offer information and statistics, as well as practical ways you can help. And
you’ve got models to follow. Scarlet Johansson, for example, is a huge advocate
for food security. The People
magazine documents Johansson’s response regarding her support for Feeding
America: "Food isn't just fuel to live — it's fuel to grow."
I want you to stop and think about where
you experience abundance in your own life and where you see and experience
poverty in those around you. And then ask yourself, what can I do to treat them
fairly and with equal dignity?
This may not seem like much. But in
a country where the poor are neighbors to the wealthy, small acts of reaching
out a hand to the less fortunate can start a chain effect. So don’t sell
yourself short! We ought to start “defying gravity.” That is, go against the
flowing current and strive to build what America’s Declaration of Independence
has already laid out for us!
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