Is poverty a choice?

Have you heard the quote, “if you are born poor it’s not your mistake, but if you die poor it’s your mistake”? So it’s appropriate to blame the poor and say it was their fault if they would die as poor?

Some of you might have an opposite perspective to mine about this, but I (will) always respect that. I’ll discuss my stand and will justify it, and you guys are free to drop yours. I wanna hear the voice of your mind, so let’s have a healthy discussion about this matter.

Actually, I am a believer of the quote that attributed by billy gates—before. I do believe that people who died as poor are the only one who should be blame. It was their fault, it was their choice, it was the result of their actions.

Until I suddenly realized one thing, do they want to be die as poor?

I had multiple arguments about this, when a sudden realization hit me last year, I’ve asked a lot of people to hear their perspective and up to now, I’m stuck with it. I’m still on my stand, and none of those reasons convinced me.

I came from a poor family, and it’s hard for me to say that it’s a choice where I have always seen how my mom wants to fight off the poverty. She worked hard to the point that 2 work isn’t enough for her just to escape us from poverty, is that still a choice? I grew up with the thought that if we work hard and study well, then we will have a good life, and that’s the greatest lie I have ever heard in my entire life. My mama is the only one who taught me that things and now that I’m not a kid anymore, seeing her makes me want to ask more that if hard work of someone is enough to get rid the poverty, then why she’s still stuck in the same situation as before?

We have a tendency to say that the poor are poor because they are lazy, they refuse to go to school, and they spend their money on gambling, drugs, and alcohol. It’s actually what happens in some, but that’s not applicable in general. When you look at the whole picture of the world, you will see that the poor people are higher than those who have the privileges, just think of the street children, homeless, PWD that rely on their family because they can’t provide for themselves, those who are breadwinners, working and drop out students, workers who settled by low-paying jobs, and people who chose to worked because they are deprived of the privilege in education. How I wish poverty is just a choice in the reality of life, but it’s actually beyond one’s choice.

Poverty is cyclical. If you are born poor, then expect that it could be generational, and less privileges. If you have less privileges, would it be possible to easily overcome poverty? No, because you should face the countless structural barriers that impossible to do so if you don’t have enough money.

There are many workers who have been settling for the salary job that they don’t deserve. For example, the teachers. Teachers in the Philippines are shouting for the fair salary that they deserve in the first place, it’s really so hard for them and if ever they are the ones who should be blame for that situation, how could be its reasonable? One of my cm said it’s their fault because they can choose to work abroad, but how could teachers do that if they aren’t privilege enough? How easily is it to apply in abroad for someone who has many competitors in the opportunities? And lastly, what is the probability that someone can work abroad if they are less-fortunate and doesn’t recognize fairly by their country? The reality is, we could access something based on our socio-economic background.

First and foremost, we recognize that education is the most important tool or the most safety net of us to get out from poverty, but how if the parents can't able send their child to school? Or just think the street children who don’t go to school, if they grew up and learned to work hard being uneducated, do you think that they could get out from poverty knowing that the more uneducated you are, the more you have no capability to find a high salary job?

Another example of reality, numerous students who are graduated from public schools have the low chances of getting a high salary job because there’s a big difference between those who graduated from prestigious over public schools. The students who had no privilege to prestigious school have disadvantages in the job market and tend to be more less-fortunate—the reality. So they are more ending up with the low-paying jobs that affect their ability to put the money for themselves and leave them to stuck in the same place they started. A good example of this is those graduated students who ended up being call center. I would be actually one of them, nyark.

Second, one cause of poverty is capitalism. Ordinary workers taken for granted of those powerful; leaving them to be behind in the society. I remember the quote I’ve read somewhere, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime. But what if he were swept aside by big fishing vessels?” does it make sense?

Now, if you'll gonna say to me that impossible things can be possible if we just really wanted to and worked hard for it, I disagree. Sometimes, even how much your eagerness and hard wok to fulfill something, you cannot achieve it if you’re less-fortunate. Like a lot of SHS students want to go and continue their college education (like me) and it’s hard for us to say that we can make it if we really want to because how can we make it if wanting isn’t enough? How could it be, if the only option we have is to be a worker while being a student? How could we work hard for it, if our parents can’t no longer provide, and we have no food that can put on the table?

It’s irresponsible to accuse the poor because they are the most actually hard-working people around the world. The tricycle drivers, vendors, janitors, garbage collectors and more. How sucks to be blame the vulnerable people where they are just the victim of a stupid system. I do believe that the fault lies in the system and never the oppressed because we are all living to survive and wants to live for a long period of time. We are working hard as we can and hoping as much as possible, why would be punished the poor by saying that it’s their fault and decision at the end of the day?

If there are options, why would a person want to be died as poor?

What do you think? Are you same with my opinion or an opposite to me? Whatever, I wanna know the thoughts of y’all.

Tahanan will always be grateful to all of you. My gratitude couldn’t express by words but one thing’s for sure, i owe y’all!

; image is edited by me.