The film made me re-analyze my life and value the luck I’ve
actually had to this point. In spite of becoming a mother at a very young age,
I have been able to provide for my little girl while working two jobs and going
to school full time. However it also made me realize how underpaid I actually
am and how just to make ends meet I have to work two jobs in order to provide
for my child and myself.
The film is obviously extremely sad, the men and women in
the documentary are all obviously hard working, good people that are suffering
from a bad case of bad luck. The story of Jean Reynolds was the one that
touched me the most because I am also a CNA with a pay similar to hers and many
times I have thought of possibly quitting one job but I know I could not afford
what I have now with the pay of just one job (Thankfully I also work at AAA).
Her oldest daughter Bridget, has thyroid cancer, something that can be treated
however her physician told her this Christmas would be her last, “18,000
Americans die due to lack of funds to pay for healthcare”, isn’t that statistic
mind boggling? Jeans 3% raise isn’t keeping up with inflations she clearly
states. She is the primary care giver to her three children, then tacks on her
two grandchildren whose fathers (her children’s and her grandchildren’s) refuse
to help with the finances because it is not their responsibility.
Mary the waitress’ story was extremely sad to watch, I
literally felt I was watching her life crumbling down. Her children were
becoming resentful and violent because she was never home, she was always at
work yet still didn’t have enough money to make ends meet and pay her necessary
bills. This is following a divorce, which is something we have talked a little
about in class in out random rants. Women are always left with the short end of
the stick; they are left with bills after bills to pay for and the children to
take care of. After a divorce a mans income is expected to increase 10%, while
a woman’s decreases 27%, does this even seem fair? But as unfair as it is, it
is something we know to be true. Mary’s story starts of during the holidays, a
depressing time of year for a parent that is struggling financially to get
through because of the media’s portrayal of what Christmas is all about- The
gifts for the children! After the holidays she believed she is going to lose
the house, the internet services, the car basically everything. She begins
relying on Credit Cards, which leaves her fifteen thousand dollars in debt. I
though of the lecture video we watched a while ago, I cant remember the name of
the lecturer (I’m Sorry!) but he talks about this exact problem. Credit cards
are not meant to help you in your financial struggle if anything it only
deepens your debt!
The other two stories about Barbara, the student taking care
of her children struggling to continue school and work, and Jerry the security
guard living in a small room, sharing a bathroom were equally sad and
depressing. The fact that Barbara had to go down to a part time employee so the
federal and governmental help she was receiving wasn’t completely taken away
seemed crazy to me. How was she expected to take care of her kids on the income
of just herself? Somehow the state thinks that just because she was making a
little more she didn’t need their help any longer.
This entire film brought to light Kozol’s Amazing Grace article where the main
idea is that people in poverty aren’t living in poverty because they are not
hard workers, or they’re ignorant, it is because they are suffering from a bad case
of bad luck and the American system is working completely against them instead
of “helping” them get out of poverty as they should.
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