There are exceptions, and exceptional people, and I'm glad your children are some of them.

But we are talking in this thread about poverty. And when you are struggling every day to figure out how to juggle which bills to pay and which not, how to handle the pressure and stress of day-to-day existence and maintain your personal sanity and health, it makes it extraordinarily difficult to give children and their needs (healthcare, school work, just plain time) the attention and care they require. It just is. And that's normal life. Imagine throwing into that mix any kind of problem (drug use, illness, injury, mental health issues, academic challenges) and it is quickly overwhelming.

And you can forget about people in such situations being involved in public schools (which desperately need parental and community involvement to succeed), and you can forget about their being involved in meaningful ways in community, neighborhood, nation, advocating for themselves and their needs. They're too damned tired, and rightfully so.

This is only one ingredient in the disaster of poverty and hopelessness.

Dani