Essay Sample about Poverty and Class Inequality

Did you know that around 689 million people in this world are living in extreme poverty? I bet you didn’t. That's 9.2% of our population! Poverty is a worldwide problem that many people are fighting. People go through many hardships and have to go through deprivation and discrimination. If this isn’t enough, some people suffering from poverty can’t even find clean water, or nutritious food to keep them healthy. 

How Poverty changes a person's life.

Poverty changes a person's life by affecting them in a negative way in their present, past, or future. One quote from a source states ”But just as troubling, experts say, is that growing up in a poor household is linked with long-term consequences in educational outcomes, physical health and brain development that can follow a child well into adulthood” (Boghani n.p.). Consequently this shows how poverty and class can affect a child's life, and still affect them even when they are all grown up, even if they aren’t living in poverty anymore. When people are young everything that is happening around them has a big influence on them. Therefore if a child grows up living in poverty it will affect their personality, or how they act, or how they make decisions.  “Nearly one in four American children were living in poverty” (Boghani n.p.). This shows the ratio of how likely for children to grow up in poverty and how many people who may suffer from poverty and its many effects. Now that you have seen the number of people in your community that are affected by poverty, do you feel differently about this issue?

How the majority of people living in poverty aren’t being represented correctly.

People who are living in poverty have it tough enough, they may not even know where their next meal is coming from, and now, they are being unfairly treated in law. A quote from a source states, “In at least 43 states and the District of Columbia, defendants can be billed for a public defender” (Shapiro n.p.). Now, this is a quote from the Miranda warning, “You have the right to an attorney...If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed to you by the [government] at no expense” (ACLU 1). These two quotes contradict each other, because one says you have to pay and one says you don't. This is a big part of the problem, if a person that is unable to afford regular necessities, commits a crime, gets caught, and sent to trial, how are they supposed to be able to pay the hourly fee for a public defender? They can't! And this inequality is pushing people farther and farther into poverty. Furthermore another statement is, “In at least 41 states, inmates can be charged room and board for jail and prison stays” (Shapiro n.p.). So now they have to pay for a lawyer and if that wasn’t enough now they may have to pay to be able to stay in their prison cell or wherever they are being held when they can’t afford it and will make it even harder to get out of jail or to earn money.

Inventions that can help stop poverty

Despite all this, many people and entrepreneurs are constantly developing things, models, and ideas that can severely help people in need. For example, “Poverty isn't just inadequate access to income -- it manifests in a lack of access to health services, education and vital goods. It can also lead to societal instability, allowing sexism, ableism, classism and racism to flourish” (Dupere n.p.).  Hence this means that starting from the root of poverty many other discriminatory problems may occur  based on external factors. Another statement is, “About 783 million people -- or 11 percent of the world's population -- lack access to improved sources of drinking water. Drinking contaminated water can lead to devastating disease and illness. It's estimated that every 90 seconds a child dies from a water-related disease” (Dupere n.p.). This is a huge problem because many people are dying everyday from these problems. However the amount of awareness on this topic is miniscule, which is devastating because our society needs to focus less on making the next great car, or inconsequential item and more on the problems we have had for years. Poverty is a problem and we need to do something to stop it. One way that helps to solve this problem is, “In rural India, thousands of women are estimated to have an iodine deficiency, which has been linked to breast cancer, fibrocystic breast disease and pregnancy complications. But the Life Saving Dot, an iodine-rich variation on a traditional bindi, is helping provide women with the vital mineral” (Dupere n.p.). As you can imagine this dot really is life changing and saving by providing needed nutrients to people who can’t get them where and when they need them. This dot is saving hundreds of lives in India, it is worn in between the eyebrows similar to a bindi, which is a part of the Hindu culture or says that a woman is married. They only cost around 16 cents for 30 of them, which lasts for about a month. Pretty much everyone in India can afford them. One more quote is, “Getting to the root of poverty means solving various issues along the way, and inventors are up for the challenge” (Dupere n.p.). These inventions will save the lives of millions that are living in poverty. They save time, provide heat, cool, clean water, and clothes, and stop diseases for those in need.  Many people who are educated and care about this problem are always changing and editing ideas that they have made up to help the cause. Slowly but steadily poverty is changing and as people come to awareness around this problem have decided to help solve it. 

Conclusion

The world needs your help to solve this worldwide problem that leaves hundreds millions of people suffering every year. Remember,  People who are victims to poverty go through deprivation and discrimination. Some people can’t even find clean water, or nutritious food to keep them healthy,  and many are being forced to pay for things they don’t want or need, or are being presenters to them unfairly. Many innovators are helping by creating amazing products, but all it really takes to change someone's day, or even week is to donate, or people creating jobs can change someone's life and help them get out of the void of poverty.