Permanent Underclass..

[VinceBordenIII]

Do you think there is hope for the 10%? Our permanent underclass? Can you educate them, socialize them to the point where more than the occasional outlier breaks free from the cycle of poverty and ignorance? I’m not talking about blacks, either. Plenty of whites fit the bill.

[beagleboy]

They are the underclass because they are low IQ, have inherited addiction issues, mental disorders or they just don't know any better because their parents were shit role models. My niece works in the inner city as a teacher now and while she loves trying to help, she said their reading and writing skills by high school are more like 3rd graders. The drop out rate is 50% and the attendance rate for actual students on the best days is maybe 70%. She said it isn't uncommon for 70% to not show up if it's cold, hot or really nice.

The district cut their official drop-out rate by basically declaring you have to not show up for several months in a row. She said kids will show up once a month for their bag of food to take home and poof- they aren't a drop out.

[CHEEZY17]

Do I think there is hope? The short answer is no, unfortunately. There is, and always will be, a segment of folks who are just predisposed to that. Some by their own volition, some through unfortunate circumstance and some because that is simply the best they can do. The "hope" is that the cream will always rise to the top in one way or another.

[beagleboy]

As for the way parents teach their kids you can see it in rural areas of the country.

If there are rusted cars in the yard, trailers parked where houses used to be and shitty yards - they generally speaking came from one area of Europe.

If there are no rusted cars, no trailers (or very few) and the fence rows are mowed and the barns are in great shape - their ancestors came from another area of Europe.

It's what was deemed acceptable behavior through the generations. One area has peer pressure to make sure you live a certain way. Both make the same level of income, it is just priorities and community pressure.

[VinceBordenIII]

A few random thoughts:
Many lifetimes ago I worked as a cable installer, six days a week. Some good people, some intelligent, mostly from working class. I remember this one guy was on his second wife, had two kids with each one. Nice guy. I remember thinking "how is it you don't shoot yourself in the head?" I was so miserable I quit using drugs and went to college.

Social programs don't help the poor. Unless by "help" you mean keep them alive and breeding. They're a jobs program for segments of society.

I know someone who worked as an AIDS councilor in the inner city. He finally quit; he said they just don't listen, won't change their behavior, don't care.

Jesus said "the poor will always be with us."
So I guess there were trailer parks back then, too.

[stymiegreen]

I also remember having to explain to him that Neil Young's 'Southern Man' was not pro-Southern white male

Lynrd Skynrd should've taught him that...

[VinceBordenIII]

I also remember having to explain to him that Neil Young's 'Southern Man' was not pro-Southern white male

Lynrd Skynrd should've taught him that...

Yeah, finding it hard to believe Joe Dirt doesn't know their whole catalog by heart.