Poverty and Social Justice

Poverty and Social Justice Abstract This paper looks into the issue of poverty and social justice. The paper shows the contribution of poverty to social injustice. This is done by examining a social organization which fights poverty. This paper examines the City Team Ministry one of the many organizations which is helping to reduce poverty. The beneficiaries of the organization are interviewed to shed light on the issues of poverty. The questions used in guiding the interview are appended. SECTION I City Team Ministries was started by Lester and Pauline Meyers in 1957. It began as a feeding program. Four years later it expanded to include women in its feeding program and still later in 1069 merged with another ministry to bring on board homeless and troubled youths. In 1983 it changed its name San Jose Rescue Mission to City Team. In 1987 the churches in Philadelphia invited the City team to start national expansion to the East Coast. This was to serve the greater Delaware valley. The City Team Ministry records that this was the period that the full long term recovery program for men was started. Further the website claims there were continued increase in the number of the children and women who suffered from abuse, addiction, crisis pregnancy, abandonment and homelessness. To bring on board the women and children the city team ministry launched three programs three programs: heritage home and house of grace in San Jose and well baby program Philadelphia. The programs caused a l ot of changes in the lives of the women ands children (City Team 2010). The City Team International was launched in 1997 in an effort to broaden the City Team. In 2007 the name was changed to New Generations International. The New Generations International is specifically concern with training, equipping and coaching national leaders in 38 countries. This division cares people through the provision of compassionate services such food, clean water, education and medical services (City Team, 2010). The City Team Ministry has a disaster response team which started in 1989. The first beneficiaries of this team were the victims of the Loma earthquake. Afterwards the team has responded to and sheltered the victims of the Hurricane Katrina and the tsunami in 2004. Since 2005 the response team has developed a four phase framework specializing in the long term recovery of communities affected by the major disasters (City Team, 2010). The mission statement of the ministry is, In obedience to Christ, passionately transforming individuals, their families and communities throughout the world (City Team Ministry para. 4). The programs which are offered by the organization are as follows: rescue missions, mens recovery programs, youth outreach, family programs and church advancement. These programs will be explained in a detailed way in the course of the paper (City Team, 2010). Section II I carried out an interview on clients served by the City Team Ministry. The interview was carried out after obtaining permission from the ministry authorities. Six classes of people were interviewed one from each program offered by the City Team Ministry. The fist person interviewed was a beneficiary of the rescue mission. This program is designed to offer a hot meal and a safe nights sleep. The program offers temporary emergency care to the homeless. A young man who had just been released from prison was one of those beneficiaries of this program who was interviewed. He has an Islamic background and was headed to the streets after being released but bounced into the agents of the ministry who enrolled him in the program. For the sake of this paper he will be called 1A. The second person to be interviewed (2B) was a black man an addict of drugs. He was a beneficiary of the men recovery program. He was not homeless but had been driven to the streets after being left by his wife who was the bread winner. The man in desperation turned to abuse of drugs. The program agents enrolled him in the program and slowly he was making some progress in recovering from drug use. The third interview was carried out on a group of street kids. These kids had an arrangement with the City Team Ministry whereby they met every Saturday and Wednesday. In the meetings they hold bible discussions and are groomed to become better citizens. These kids operate under the youth outreach program. Some of the have already being taken off the streets and are attending schools. The kids are of various backgrounds. The fourth interview was carried out on a family which is a beneficiary of the family program. This program offers basic needs like clothes to the families which can not afford the basic needs and view them as luxuries. The last person interviewed was a lady around the age of thirty who had been abused and was pregnant. She was taken in under the womens programs where she was taken care of through her pregnancy.   Section III This section presents the results of the interviews carried out above. The interviews were guided by the questions appended in the appendix. The interviews focused on how the clients have experienced social injustice as a result of poverty. Through the interview it was also possible to assess how the macro conditions of the society may have impacted upon the poverty experienced by the clients. Person 1A: Education The first interview carried out on person 1A who had just been released from the prison having been charged with mugging. He was a sharp young man aged 27 years who answered the questions succinctly though he was well educated having just attended the elementary level education. He could not continue with studies because he could no longer depend on his family which actually needed his help for sustenance. He therefore pulled out of school to help his  Ã‚   family meet the basic needs of life. Education which is a basic had turned out to be a luxury for him. This is one incident which clearly shows how poverty can easily cut short and change basic needs like education into a luxury irrespective of whether one is willing to continue studies or not. Some macro condition of the society can equally contribute to making the access of these basic services a challenge (Kirst-Ashman, 2008). According to the National Academic Press (2001), The U.S. system of education finance is characterized by large disparities in funding and opportunities (National Academic Press para 1). This disparity makes attaining education in some region to be expensive. Expensive education coupled with poverty makes education almost unattainable. The property tax is basically used to sponsor the education at the district level. This means that a poor district will equally be unable to fund its schools leading to disparity in education among the districts. Another macro environment factor which may contribute to insufficiency education and therefore poverty is the attitude of some communities. Education is not taken seriously by some people especially in regions which have large numbers of poor inhabitants (National Academic Press, 2001). Person 1B: Medical Care The second person to be interviewed is labeled person 1B. This man was a victim of depression which led him to drug abuse. He had part ways with his wife who used to provide for the family and could not take care of himself therefore resorting to the streets. He looked as a man who was well built before. Before joining the men recovery program with the City Team Ministry he could not afford medical care being unemployed. He was sick on several occasions as he narrated but could not afford medical care. From the interview, the main reason he gave for not getting something casual job to work on was his ailing status. He also made claims that he could not secure a job in his status of health. The interview with person 1B brings into limelight the issue of the access to health insurance. Health insurance is only accessible by those who are employed. Once ones job is no more and being not in position to submit the required periodical premiums the coverage is frozen and attaining medical care becomes hard. With the exception of such programs as Medicare and Medicaid it becomes extremely hard for the poor people to access medical care facilities (Cellini, McKernan Ratcliffe, 2008).   Street Youths: This was the third interview which carried out. Some street kids who are beneficiaries of the youth outreach program volunteered to give information about their lives and the program they were enrolled in. The program offers a combination of youth activities and mentorship to youth especially those who are affected by the street ways of life such as drugs. From the interview carried out it was found out that the youths mostly lacked a source of direction and mentorship. Most of the youths interviewed under this interview group were willing to work on any casual job. A close cross examination showed that they lacked the presentation skills which would be quite necessary if they were to win the confidence of those they would work for. Under this interview some macro conditions came into play (Kirst-Ashman, 2008). The first which was quite noticeable was the community. Some employers are likely to avoid employing individuals from some communities because of stereotypes which might be associated with them. For instance not all employers will be willing the street youths work for fears that they may steal from the workplace and cause some kind of conflict. The youths were mentored on presentation skills through the program offered by City Team Ministry. Family The fourth interview was carried out on a family which is a beneficiary of the family programs. This program is designed to help poor families have an access to basic necessities. This is done in form of giving the families quality second hand appliances, clothes and furniture. This has gone a long way to raise the standard of living of the families in the family programs. The family which were interviewed were able to live a comfortable life and invest money businesses which they could have spend buying the basic home necessities. Having a comfortable home environment is a basic for a family to concentrate on developing itself. This is quite significant especially for the parents who wish to see their children having a smooth life. From the family interview it was realized that children in a comfortable family set up are less likely to fall sick and have a potential of performing better in the schools. This interview implicated that comfort at homes is a necessity which is vital in helping families fight poverty in by creating peace of mind. This helps the family members to maximally concentrate in their duties.    Abused Lady The last interview was on a lady who was an orphan staying with uncle. The uncle sexually abused her for some times after which she decided to run away after learning about the women programs at the City Team Ministry. During the interview the lady appeared tormented by the acts of her uncle. She could not report the uncle to the police because she dependent on him for the payment of her college fee. When she could not bear it any more she run way terminating her studies and later realized that she was pregnant. The interview brought to surface the social injustice which silently takes place without anybody being aware of them. In this case poverty created a forum which an elderly person advantage of and exploited a young person. Poverty could not allow the lady to report the person for fear that she could lose her college sponsorship. Section IV This section will look at the issues of poverty at large. According to Anup Shah (2009) the poverty is caused by both individuals and governments. He examines this in a global perspective. He starts by analyzing the causes at individual levels. Being lazy and making poor decisions are the two reasons he gives which contribute to poverty. This is true but the he fails to talk about the victims of circumstances who find being born in poor families where despite any wise decisions made it takes a lot time to escape poverty. This happens to most of the children born in the ghettos of America. They start life with no basic education and nothing as a heritance. With no education and no money wise decision almost become a vague idea though not in most cases. Street musicians have been known to rise from dust but it should be noted that this may not happen to everybody born in the street (Anup Shah 2009). Anup Shah (2009) also brings in the issue of the corruption and unwise government policies. Corruption is predominantly responsible for poverty in the third world countries. In the U.S. government decision may make some region poor. For instance the federal government should come in to aid those districts which are in a position to support their own schools (Anup 2009). NCLB Act is one way the federal government is doing that but there should be more efforts to ensure that all the school age going kids are included especially in   the poor regions. The government should adapt a friendly way of drug war techniques. Instead of just hundreds of youths to prisons they should find a way keeping these youths busy (Cellini McKernan Ratcliffe, 2008). Conclusion Poverty and social injustice are two issues which seem to go hand in hand. Poverty creates a gate for many social injustices to be committed. This is so because poverty seems to handcuff the power of the people involved from shouting and demanding for their rights. Despite the many non governmental organizations which are fighting poverty across America, t he government has a responsibility in changing some of its policies which seem to foster poverty. References Anup, S. (2009). Causes of Poverty. Retrieved on February 4, 2010 from: http://www.globalissues.org/issue/2/causes-of-poverty Cellini, S, McKernan, S. Ratcliffe C. (2008). The Dynamics of Poverty in the United States: A review of data, methods, and findings. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management 27(3), 577-605. City Team. (2010). City Team Ministry. Retrieved on 4th February, 2010 from: http://www.cityteam.org/about/programs/ Kirst-Ashman, K. (2008). Human Behavior, Communities, Organizations Groups in the Macro Social Environment: An Empowerment Approach (2nd Ed.) Thousand Oaks, CA: Thomson. Kissane, R. (2008). Teaching and Learning Guide for: Assessing Welfare Reform, Over a Decade Later, Sociology Compass 2(3), 1115-1126. National Academic Press. (2001). Equity and Adequacy in Education Finance. Retrieved on February 4, 2010 from: http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=6166page=1 Appendix (interview questions) 1st interview (to person 1A) Do you view education as basic need? Given a sponsorship can you go back to school? How do you think would you be if your family had enough money? What could you have avoided if you had enough money? 2nd interview (to person 2B) Give us your story? How has the men recovery program helped you? What do you think has kept you in poverty 3rd interview (to the street youths) What are doing to get out of your current situation? How have you benefitted from the youth outreach program? 4th interview (family) How is the family program helping you to fight poverty? 5th interview (abused lady) Why did you give in to be abused?

The Practical Ways of Spending Money

What is better? To spend money Saving and investing your money for the future is one of the most practical things you can do. This is solid advice, but when you do decide to spend your hard earned money it should be spent on something practical, useful, and meaningful to the wellbeing of your existence. So many people either save their money or blow it on worthless crap. Here are some practical ways to spend your money on something useful: 1.Travel to See the Significant People in Your Life – There may be no better way to spend your money than to use it to nurture and rekindle personal relationships with the most significant people in your life. As time quickly passes, we sometimes forget how essential strong personal relationships are to our mental wellbeing. The older we get the more we need true friends and family to be regular parts of our lives. 2. Hire a Personal Trainer – Your health is your life. Without it, all the success and affluence in the world is meaningl ess.Committing yourself to a regular exercise routine is one of the best ways to maintain the health of your body and mind. Sometimes it’s hard to tackle this endeavor on your own. Spending money on a knowledgeable personal trainer who can set you on the right course creates priceless results. Make sure you stick with the trainer until you are committed to exercising on your own. 3. Fix What Is Broken – Have you been ignoring your screeching brakes? What about the excessively loud hum from your AC compressor?Or the scratching noise coming from your computer system? Sooner or later these small annoyances will wear down the reliability of the product and you will be left with a completely broken product instead of just a halfway broken one. Use your money wisely to fix and maintain your belongings. 4. Educate Yourself – Use your money to purchase educational courses or books pertaining to your career, or to a miscellaneous topic that interests and intrigues you. R emember, knowledge is power and your brain is the container of that knowledge.There are few options for spending money on something more practical than the development and facility of your brain. 5. Add Value to Your Home – Your home should be your sanctuary, the place on this planet where you feel the most comfortable. Adding value to your home , be it personal value or increased monetary value, is always a practical choice for spending your money. If the additions you make increase your level of comfort for years to come, you win. If they increase the value of the home to a third party someday when you sell, you win. If both occur, you win big.

Police on the Dark Side Essay

One can say that corruption, misconduct, and brutality are issues that exist in police agencies across the country. With power comes responsibility, which is a trait that he or she would assume that every officer would have, but with an undisciplined mind power and authority can be terribly abused. Police corruption can be defined as â€Å"acts† involving the misuse of authority by a police officer in a manner designed to produce personal gain for him or for others(Walker & Katz, Chapter 13: Police Corruption, 2011). Though a police officer is paid fairly decent, there is much temptation to entice an officer in becoming corrupt. With a given scenario, hands full of officers have a warrant to enter a house suspected of possessing drugs. During search and seizure over a half million dollars is discovered along with 10 kilos of Cocaine. A responsible officer turns in every last dollar and ounce of drugs, Where in when the in the mind of a corrupted officer he or she see it fit to partially to submit evidence, looking at his or her own person gain in the situation. At this point it is an inordinate matter of misconduct at hand where the officer is behaving in an improper or unprofessional manner. As I stated before an officer is paid fairly decent, I can also argue that in some agencies officers are underpaid and overworked. This sometimes causes the officer to be more reluctant in conforming into a corrupt individual. In 2009 four officers of the Chicago police were charged in what was believed a Special Operations Section scandal. When you think about the authority of the police, they are very powerful individuals who are respected by all and are feared by most on the other side of the law. Within operation the group was accused of making false arrests, committing robberies, and home invasions for several years, acting under the guise of busting street gangs and rounding up guns (Heinzmann, 2009). This was a high sophisticated outfit, which involved over a dozen officers with the scandal. Police Corruption and Misconduct are not the only issues that plague agencies across the county. Here, and there are of Police brutality emerge. New Year’s Day of 2009, BART police respond to a call of disorderly conduct that was taking place on an inbound train pulling into West Oakland. The call was in response to a brawl that had taken place among a 12 intoxicated individuals on the train. Officers remove several young men from the train and instructed them to all take a seat. Of the passengers, Oscar Grant looks to me in a struggle with officers but from the video’s standpoint Oscar seem to be subdued. During the struggle one officer kneels down on top of Oscar’s neck although another officer is attempting to handcuff him. In a blink of an eye the officer the who was trying to handcuff Oscar takes a half step back draws his service weapon and fires a single shot into Oscar’s back. Oscar would later die at the hospital from his wound. This would be seen as an unscrupulous act of police brutality that had taken place in the city of Oakland. The outcome in the Special Operations Scandal was the and ring leader at the center of the scandal former Chicago police Officer Jerome Finnigan what handed down a twelve year sentence in a federal prison. Needless to say I agree whole heartedly with the verdict based on the fact he was a highly decorated officer who led the department’s elite Special Operations Section. This unit amassed a furry that took guns and millions of dollars in drugs out off the streets of Chicago. I believe that Finnigan became a product of the environment he worked in and was consumed with the power bestowed in him. It was also said that he suffered from stress and alcohol abuse. Though was he did was wrong he still severed the people of Chicago well and deserve to see his golden years outside prison. In the case of Oscar Grant, I totally disagree with the decision of that case. Johannes Mehserle, the officer shot Grant was sentenced to two years in prison for involuntary manslaughter. He was sentenced on Nov. 5, 2010, and after receiving double credit for time already served, was released on June 13, 2011 (Stern, 2013, para. 9). This was a definite of example of failure to critically think under pressure, which result in a loss of life. Those can say it was motivated by hate and racism but on will truly know what went on in the mind of this officer that day, but from judging from the videos he did not have the green light to use lethal force. If were to you take examine the† The Force Continuum† (Grant & Terry, Chapter 9, 2012). Oscar was only at the Active Resistance stage that only should have been met with compliance techniques, such as come along holds, pressure points and chemical sprays to disorient him from resisting further. Finnigan should have received no less than a ten sentence because his actions were reckless, irresponsible, and ultimately ended a human life: where in most agencies is to preserve it.

Essay on Humanity and Reason in Othello - 1791 Words

Humanity and Reason in Othello In Othello Shakespeare probes deeply into the human condition by creating characters, who, by their inability to think rationally, surrender what sets them above animals. Before he succumbs to Iagos poisonous innuendoes, Othello himself expresses his clear understanding of this role of the human intellect. He initially refuses to listen to Iagos suggestions that Desdemona cannot be trusted, Exchange me for a goat/When I shall turn the business of my soul/To such exsufflicate and blown surmises (3.3.194-96). Othello feels that he would be acting like an animal if he became irrationally jealous because someone would say my wife is fair, feeds well, loves company (3.3.198). He tells Iago that†¦show more content†¦Each character also becomes associated with animals as a means to underscore this loss. From the beginning of the play Roderigo has an irrational infatuation with Desdemona. He admits to Iago that it is my shame to be so fond, but it is not in my virtue to amend it (1.3.314-14). He has been rejected by her father as her suitor, and even when he learns that she has eloped with Othello, he does not want to abandon his hopes. By himself, Roderigo is merely a foolish gentleman with an adolescent case of puppy love. We are not to take him seriously when he threatens to drown himself at the end of act one. It is only as he becomes increasing under the power of Iago that he loses all power to reason for himself. This is Roderigos main fault--he allows Iago to think for him and put him into situations he would normally avoid. Iago controls Roderigo by appealing to his sense of manhood, Come, be a man. Drown thyself? Drown cats and blind puppies (3.3.327-28). Iago encourages him to stop acting like a helpless animal and behave like a man. For Iago this means to go out and take w hat you want--in this case, Desdemona. Actually, he has no respect for Roderigos whining. He feels that Roderigo is less than a man because he allows another to affect him so much without taking decisive action, Ere I would say I would drown myself for the love of a guinea hen, I would change my humanity with a baboon (1.3.313-14). Roderigo is a senselessShow MoreRelatedAnalyzing Humanity in Othello: The Reason Why it is Still Worth Studying1675 Words   |  7 PagesHumanity in Othello: The Reason It is Still Worth Studying Dr. David Allen White of the US Naval Academy asserts that we are all Iago now (White 2000). The claim may seem outlandish at first. Modern man representative of Shakespeares greatest arch-villain? How could one even suggest such a thing? Whites argument is followed by a series of points, each of which is aimed to help his audience realize that the character they most readily identify with is not Othello (the tragic hero of the drama)Read More Iago, the Outsider of Shakespeare’s Othello1744 Words   |  7 Pages In any story with a recurring dark theme there always must be an outsider from humanity who somehow stands out from the seemingly equal community. In the case of Shakespeare’s Othello the outsider from humanity would be Iago for he truly stands out from the rest of society. Although Othello may be physically put out of the community, it seems that on an emotional and egotistical level Iago puts himself out of society further then Othello’s blackness doe s. He is not merely manipulative, as otherRead MoreFrom Valiancy to Vengeance in Shakespeare ´s Othello794 Words   |  4 PagesShakespeare’s Othello, destroyed the lives of so many innocent people, creating an atmosphere of fear and mayhem. Jealousy turned into a deep hatred, and liberated the beast in man (Blooms major dramatists).This mayhem caused a substantial amount of destruction and led to the demise of many. Hatred in Othello starts with Brabantio, who claims Othello is a noble, respectable man. However, Brabantio hates dark skin and foreign roots, two attributes Othello possesses. Brabantio’s hatred for Othello growsRead MoreAntigone and Othello: Tragic Heroes Essay examples957 Words   |  4 PagesOthello and Antigone are both tragic heroes. They do great deeds and have great power or strength. For example, Othello defeats Venices enemies. Antigone makes sure that a Theban right is a Theban due. But fatal character flaws destroy the lives of the two heroes. Both of them suffer from pride and uncontrolled passion. Othello is so proud of his integrity and courage that he doesnt recognize his violent temper and his manipulability by Iago. Antigone is so proud of her commitment to the true,Read MoreThe Tragic Flaw Of Shakespeare s Othello1108 Words   |  5 Pages â€Å"Othello† tragedy, written by Williame Shakespeare, is an excellent example of Renaissance humanism. Tragedy is a drama or literary work in which the main character is brought to ruin or suffers extreme sorrow, especially as a consequence of a tragic flaw. Othello was brought down by a fatal fault jealousy in his character. Shakespeare s other great tragedies -- Hamlet, Macbeth and King Lear -- deal with issues that affect the well-being of entire nations, whereas Othello is a tragedy withRead MoreThe Chinese Concept Of Yin And The Dark Knight Essay1324 Words   |  6 PagesAs humans we cannot be perfect, because inherent evil is something that will always be part of humanity. Throughout time, a variety of texts and film have been able to give us the greatest insight into who we are today. This universal topic has been observed and contemplated by religions such as Christianity, great philosophers such as Augustine, authors such as William Shakespeare in his play ‘Othello’ and directors such as Christopher Nolan in his film ‘The Dark Knight’. We are a ble to realizeRead MoreOthello Character Analysis1678 Words   |  7 PagesShakespeare, the Bard of Avon as he was known, left a great legacy for humanity in the world of drama. Shakespeare’s masterpieces and tragedies such as Hamlet, Othello, Macbeth, King Lear and Romeo and Juliet caused a remarkable turning point in English literature as whole, and English drama in particular.His play Othellois one of his unforgettable tragedies. The play of Othello is the finest example of Shakespeare’s poetic and narrative style. Thus, Shakespeare is known as the most influential dramatistRead MoreTo What Extent Is Othello Responsible For His Own Downfall?1525 Words   |  7 Pagesbrought about by specific defects in his character, tragic flaws. The play, Othello, is a twisted tale of deceit and revenge. Iago creates an alternate world filled with lies, that unfortunately consumes the trusting and naive Othello. Othellos downfall comes about due to a combination of the influence of Iago and the fatal character flaws of the otherwise virtuous Othello. Iago absolutely hates Othello. He is angry with Othello for promoting Michael Cassio, an officer with no real battle experienceRead MoreIago Is The Driving Force Of The Plot1148 Words   |  5 PagesA psychopathic killer fueled by anger and revenge will stop at nothing to reach his goal. Iago, in his hunt for revenge against Othello, fits this role. Or does he? In Shakespeare s play, Othello, Iago is the driving force of the plot and one of the most cunning villains in four hundred years. Without looking into it, Iago could be considered just another generic Shakespeare villain; however, his shallow emotions, high self esteem, and his dishonest nature prove him to be much more. Read MoreThe Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice Essay1142 Words   |  5 Pagesappeals to the conscious mind, but the best classical playwright such as Othello not only appeals to conscious mind, but also to the subconscious mind. â€Å"The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice,† writ ten by William Shakespeare from the sixteenth century is a tragic love play, and it is an excellent example of â€Å"Renaissance humanism,† said Paul A. Jorgensen, author of the Twayne Publishers, ( Jorgensen, 1, 3). One reason his writings are still powerful and influential because it is an art form