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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I would posit that the destruction of the nuclear family unit at lower income brackets (and more common among certain ethnicities) is more at the root of the problem than dream hoarding or unequal application of the law.  This seems to be a growing and self-perpetuating problem since like begets like.  The only fix I can see is a return to more traditional values like the importance of getting (and finishing) an education, successfully landing and sticking with a full time job, getting married before having children, etc.  There are statistics all over the place correlating deviation from these values with a lifetime of poverty and unfulfilled dreams.  What I do for my own kids has little to do with it, but the fact that I am present with DH in the home working with our kids on their schoolwork and fostering an environment that focuses on the importance of education, hard work, service to the community and financial responsibility probably has a lot more to do with how they will turn out than whether or not I fought a multifamily housing development.[/quote]

I was a PP on the previous page pointing this out as the reason I "made" it up from poverty -- I clearly agree but don't know how to fix it.  There are no easy answers to reversing the trend, or the impact this uncertain, stressful family life has on children.  I mean, what kid is going to be focused on getting As when they are hungry?  There are way too many hungry children in America, something that simply shouldn't be.   Even something as simple as TANF isn't working because it is sold at a discount to get drug money.  Maybe we need to go back to government cheese.  Joking!  Sort of.

I am a huge fan of these programs that send backpacks full of reasonably nutritious food home with the kids on weekends, food that is self-assemble so the kids can make it themselves.  I am also a big fan of access to vocational school though I am sure that is an unpopular opinion to hold around here.  Those jobs (mechanics, welding, plumbing, electrical) are real careers though, unlike fast food.  Also strongly support the military/GI Bill.  You aren't going to get everybody out of poverty, but there need to be some accessible options with relatively low barriers to entry.[/quote]

There is no easy fix, but we need to walk back the liberal celebration or at least indifference to single parenthood. An intact family with two adults is clearly a superior family structure versus a single adult household. We should not celebrate single motherhood as if it is some tribute to feminism or women's liberation from an oppressive patriarchal view of family structure. We further need to stop the war on drugs, and the mass incarceration that results. I believe the war on drugs is the single biggest cause for the destruction of the traditional family structure among blacks. Charity soothes the symptom but it is poor substitute for a cure. We need to identify and fix the cause of these issues.[/quote]

I agree with this -- though to be clear I think the research is showing a family with two adults to be benecifial, including same-sex families.  Mass incarceration is a huge problem but so is the lack of rehab options for drug offenders.  Yes, the food thing isn't going to solve anything but it is such a complicated problem it will take a long time to make an impact, so we need to do the things we can for children stuck in those situations today.[/quote]

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