As Weird as this may sound, you are one of my favorite bloggers on JU. I like most of your articles.

Well if you examined the links, the chart from the US Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Wikipedia (which displays this blurb at the top of the article "This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please improve this article if you can. (March 2009)"), then you'll have a good example for future reference.

I'm not putting the site down, it has it's place. But it shouldn't be regarded as the final word. Opinions are as rife as facts there. In fact the college I attended dis-allowed Wikipedia research references due to "reliability" issues. It was a good policy as it helps thwart the "I read it on the internet so it must be true" mentality. People tend to take what sound plausible, logical, or in line with their beliefs and take it as the truth.

LOL, how would you know if I am materialistic or not?  That's funny.

Does a child notice if his house is being foreclosed on and he has to move in with grandma and grandpa?  Does a child notice if she has to eat foodbank foods instead of foods that were intentionally purchased because the family likes them?  Does the child notice if he has to wear high-water pants that he's outgrown because there's no spare cash to replace them?  Does a child notice mommy and daddy fighting over money?  Does a child notice the stress, the yelling, the crying in the house?  Does a child notice the car being repossessed?  Does the child notice the water being cut off? 

Children won't die being subjected to loss, poverty, and financial ruin but does it hurt them?  YES.  YES it does.  Children are capable of feeling cold when there's no power and hungry when there's no food.  They are capable of feeling scared when the atmosphere in the house is tense and angry.  They are also capable of feeling humiliated. 

It is so strange to me that anyone would argue that poverty and/or financial ruin don't affect a child.  As if children are subhuman and don't experience things the way adults do. 

And Charles, I don't actually dislike you as a person.  Surprise, surprise, huh.

Just in case, I didn't notice I was replying to you. I thought I was replying to forever. Had not seen you for a while and did not expect your comment, especially since both your avatars are somewhat similar.

Notice? Yes. Suffer? Maybe a little, but you talk as if every person who lost their jobs and or homes are somehow on the streets right now. Did you know that reports of children being homeless include children wwho live their their aunt/uncles and grandparents? I seriously doubt that all of the millions of people who lost their jobs in the recent year are homeless, out in the streets, with children, no food, no nothing. A few, maybe but lets not get carried away here.

It does hurt, but again, children are resilient. This economy is bad, but you people talk as if 50% plus of the population has gone to ruins and are now living in the streets. I don't know about you but I have not seen a rise in peopel standing in corners asking for money, I have not seen stories showing how homeless shelters have run out of space, I have not seen stories of the millions of children sleeping in cardboard boxes due to the economic issues we have today. If they are then shame on the Media for ignoring it, shame on us for allowing is and shame on the Govt for creating it.

I have witness first hand what it's like to not have food, not to have electricity and running water. Being close to ending up in the streets. I know what it's like to have to wear the same close year after year. I did it as a child, I have done it as an adult. I have seen how other families suffer the same problems, but in the end the children still smilled, they still acted like children, they seemed oblivious to the lifestyles they lived. I did as a child, so do my kids. Why? Because one learned to accept things the way they are and anything better becomes a gift. Children should never have to suffer, but then what is suffering to you? A child who doesn't get a Wii for Christmas? A child he wears the same shoes the following school year? A child who eats ramen everyday for dinner? Suffering is such a subjective word. Children in Africa suffer, the poorest people in this country live like kings compared to them.

We see things very differently Tex, one thing we have in common, we both want the best for all children. The great thing about this country is that we all have a chance to get things done our way. We may disagree on the methods, but the end results we seek are the same.

Past comments pointing to the opposite, but if I am wrong then I apologize for assuming.

but even the best is very subjective.  Some may think their children are doing without because they don't have a cell, an ipod, a Wii and every other thing that comes down the pike. 

Being poor isn't the worst thing.  Most of us grew up poor and made something of ourselves.  Our world today is much diff than it was 20-30 years ago when we were growing up.  The materialistic society we're in today is not necessarily a good thing.   Sometimes being rich can be a handicap as well.  It's greatly overrated for one thing.   Most of the kids I know that grew up with everything didn't fare so well into adulthood.  Ya, they had stuff and better opportunities but grew up to be complete losers with no ambition. 

Then I've seen, and there are countless stories to prove this, those coming out of poverty went on to do great things.  They learned to work hard and appreciated everything they got with their own hands. 

My husband had to put cardboard in his shoes because the soles would wear out. He went to bed hungry sometimes because they only had enough for one serving each to go around.  His glasses had tape on them because he was athletic and broke them frequently.   They had next to no extra money for anything.  Yet he grew up to be the hardest worker I've ever met.  When he was in H.S. he was the sole support for his family of 8 giving his mother all his grocery store clerking money until his father got on his feet.  The question for them was to either pay the mortgage or the light bill. 

When he went to school, he hitchhiked there on many occasions  because his mother had no car. 

His younger brothers and sisters fared much better because his father had a good job by then.  They have no appreciation for what their older siblings (three) went thru.  The younger three had a much diff life and much diff outcome but not necessarily did they turn out better than the three who had nothing. 

I don't think the issue is not having the best or newest of everything.  I don't think that's harmful.

I think the family stress and humiliation is what hurts the children (unless they are literally doing without necessities, which hurts them in an even more tangible way).  And I would hope to avoid sending my children to school with inadequate clothing or other items...it may not ruin them but I would certainly hope to spare my children the criticism, hazing, and humiliation.

There are worse things than being poor.  But it's not something to aim for or glorify, either.

Stress, Iagree. This hurts both gthe parents and the children. Humiliation? That's something people just need to deal with. I am sometimes embarassed by taking used things from others or even taking stuff others have thrown away that I think are still in good conditions. But, i don't see the point in wasting money on something that is right outside for free.

Poor is a subjective word, I have seen poor people who live very happy lives. I am more concerned with those who have nothing than those who have very little although I am also concerned with those who have little. I wouldlike for my kids to emnoy some of todays technologies, but want them also to learn to be happy with what they have.

poor is a bullshit term.. i am concerned with those who lack food or shelter AND the means of getting them.

Tell that to KFC.

Charles, you really should read the links I posted above, in my comments.  and you will see what I'm talking about.  Not from a materialistic p.o.v, rather, children are worried how worried their parents are, or there are some who are homeless and live in shelters, or those that live in shelters that can't find somewhere definite to stay, even being in a shelter. You need to realise that being poor is not the point, or not having cell phone, or some other stuff like that,  Children do feel, they do hurt and they do know what affects their families.  They maybe resilient, but they are humans none the less.

As far as you not wanting to make me look bad. Your arguments (before much discussion) usually seems that way, to me.  It is not me being sensitive. Some people just respond a certain way to some people, or things.  I say this with respect, but you have to sometimes step out of yourself to see another's point of view, what an article is actually saying. It is not about you, or about me, we each write from our experiences, and most times, from our opinions and what we feel.  And no I don't know your life, or where you grew up.  You don't know mine either.  If you want to swap stories, I grew up in Jones Town in Kingston Jamaica.  Inner city, ghetto, tenament style.  We had good and bad times, and we gradually moved up and out, because my parents were determined to get us out of there, and they did.  I love my birth country.  It is one of the most beautiful places in the world. I do go back to visit and have the most fun I have no where else. But it is and has been filled with so many problems, just as any other Third World country is.  I doubt very much your experiences were like mine, nor mine like yours. We can sit, drink a beer and swap stories any time you want!

A larger majority have been displaced.  They have been affected, and they are in crisis.  I didn't realise myself, how many people are living in their homes and haven't paid their mortgages in months, sometimes, years.  These are not poor people either, these are working, middle, and affluent people as well.  One thing goes bad, then the domino effect happens.  

Absolutely correct Tex.  I'm not surprise!lol! 

Some people take some things for granted. Some end up the wrong way because of making wrong choices, lack of guidance, or just lazy.  It really depends on the individuals.

And as you know, kids can be really cruel to each other.  The emotional scar that can happen is most serious!

Amen to that! Totally in agreement!

I'll take your sacasm and raise you a humble pie!    Optimism is good, sometimes. It is being optimistic, or slitting one's wrist. Or sit and wallow. 

Weird! Unexpected and I won't let it go to my head!  (of course you could be talking to Tex right?!

Yes children do feel, but is that really a bad thing? Can we truly as a society elimite all forms of pain? Or could we learn to deal with them and hope our children can become better people because of them? Pain and suffering is part of every human life, the miracle of birth is not a painless situation and neither is death. The trick is to make sure everyone is somewhat prepared for the unexpected and for the expected. I suffer when my children suffer, but I accept that suffering happens and I can not always avoid it. Instead I try to learn from it in the hopes of avoid it next time.

Believe it or not we seem to agree on this, I just like to take it one step further and not simply feel bad for the suffering but also look at the silver lining as well. That's why my comments come off as arrogant. I don't like to simply feel the pain, I also like to learn from it.

I could say the same about the way you write articles. It was my understanding you were speaking about people who had things and then didn't have all those things anymore but not necessarily homeless. I have seen people go from beautiful houses, expensive cars and all kinds of gadgets to cheap small apartments, rusted cars and used gadgets.

But if this is about homless people due to the economy and the children who got caught up in it, then yea, I believe they suffer, but I still think they are more resiliant that they are given credit for. Yes, this is a bad thing, but it's also a lesson. It's my belief that we cradle our children to much and don't allow them to learn about the bad things in life and that more often then not when they find themselves face to face with these bad situations, they don't always know how to deal with them. I'm not saying children should be put thru torture, abuse and hunger, but we have to accept that this happens and that we must prepare our children for the worse.

I tell my kids quite often that life is not about what you want, things happen and you simply need to learn to adapt, learn to deal with it, learn to survive. My older son constantly complains that life is not fair and I am always reminding him that no one ever said it was. I live my life expecting the worst and hoping for the best, that way when the worst comes I can be prepared and it doesn't catch me by surprise.