Dear Editor:

Recently a statement was made that the United States has no poverty. When did poverty die? We know that 22,000 global children die each day due to poverty. The U.S. is still living on the planet and historically poverty and greed have existed since the birth of humankind.

Many who do not live in poverty believe that anyone with proper education and knowledge can overcome poverty by hard work. It is based on their current success status and ignores the greed artist standing in the corner of the room.

When I was on my career path leading to a six-figure income, I never saw those dollars as belonging to me. They were mine to put to use, but not mine to hoard and ignore the needs of others. Did that stop greed from taking advantage? No, it did not. It simply reduced greed’s access to unneeded wealth.

Poverty is defined based on annual income. The door of inequality opened 30 years ago showing its ugly manners; minimum wages stopped as food, vehicles and housing prices rose. Then nervous greed of investors rose to cause another economic crash. In both 1929-35 and 2005-2008 years, many wealthy folks committed suicide, often taking families with them. Economic crashes impact the world of people who feel life has no value without dollars. In 2008-09 tax payer welfare bailed the CEO bankers out leaving most suicides to investors and families.

It is said that greed plants the seed of jealousy, which pushes down generosity thereby growing poverty. I know that many wealthy people avoid or minimize greed by sharing their wealth with those in need and in so doing enjoy life more. When others demean the poor it often feels like jealousy and seems to reflect some fear while ignoring “the least of these” in religious text. If poverty died, access to health care is no longer denied, racial colors and gender are loved as God’s creation, fewer guns are needed, war planning and making is stopped, and education is no longer for-profit because greed, the painter of poverty is retired. Wouldn’t that be nice?

Jarryl Larson

Edgecomb