The American economic system is a dichotomy. As others live in $75 million dollar McMansions , some of the original inhabitants of this country live in squalor that most equate with the other side of the world.
Let’s talk statistics for a moment, shall we?:
Name: Pine Ridge Indian Rez (~1.7 million acres)
Where: South Dakota
Inhabitants: Oglala Sioux (~30,000)
Average Annual Family Income: $3,700.00
Average Unemployment Rate: 80%
$3,700 annually. That is well below the Federal poverty level, set at ~$15,000. And yes, this is in the United States of America, the Leader of the Free World. How can we, as a nation, justify the spending of millions of dollars on a presidential campaign when its people are living in abject poverty? How dare a president choose to spend billions on a war abroad when his citizens are fighting a losing war on poverty? How dare a president ask his constituents to “keep the faith” on the War on Terror when they are terrorized by hunger and unemployment? How dare a president ask a nation to “stay the course” when harsh winters force the elderly to choose between warmth or medication?
