Blaming the Victim

 "Their most destructive untruth is that it is very easy for any American to make money.They will not acknowledge how in fact hard money is to come by, &, therefore, those who have no money blame & blame & blame themselves. This inward blame has been a treasure for the rich and powerful, who have had to do less for their poor, publicly & privately, than any other ruling class since, say, Napoleonic times"--Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse Five 

Many full-time employees receive a benefits package in addition to their salaries. These benefits might include paid time off, paid sick leave, and health insurance. As health care is privatized in America, having employer paid health insurance is a wonderful perk, as insurance plans are costly, and health care, prescriptions, and doctor's visits uninsured are even more costly.
Of course, no two insurance plans are alike. Some cover prescriptions, others don't or require you pay a deductible first. Some include dental, while others do not. Some cover certain doctors visits or only work with certain doctors' offices. It gets a bit complicated to see what your insurance will and will not do for you.
It gets worse. Some insurance companies won't accept people into their plan due to "pre-existing conditions" that will end up being costly to them. Despite the importance of health care and our nation's need for it to be accessible, we have capitalized on our citizen's basic rights to health and information. Insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies are getting rich on the backs of this country's neediest individuals.
Did you know that one month's worth of prescription contraceptive costs over $100 uninsured? Did you know that many insurances require a large deductible on prescriptions in addition to a monthly co-pay, and this contraceptive might still cost the recipient as much as the $100 for the first month and anywhere from $20-$50 in subsequent months? Yet our media and politicians tell us that low-income families are to blame for  their own poverty--that these families are taking advantage of our welfare system by having more children than they can afford. They tell us that these same individuals living in poverty are not making good choices.
What about those who cannot afford prescriptions and insulin they need for diabetes (an epidemic for our population living in shelters) or other ailments caused by poor diet and improper nutrition? Our capitalist society would tell you that these people ought to eat better and take better care of themselves, despite the fact that the very diet we've chosen for them, combined with the lack of access to information and health education, has caused this epidemic.
A large number of homeless people die every year due to the elements or violence or other factors of living on the streets. Homelessness has a very real solution--houses! Yet people will tell you that these people have made a series of bad mistakes and this is their destiny.

We are blaming the victims of systemic poverty, illness, and homelessness for their situation. This country tells them they are inadequate and that is their fault they are in the predicament they are in.
Let me ask you, though, what tools have we given low income families to make any sort of choice about family planning? What resources do these families have in order to take care of their sick and get treated for their ailments? How can one get a job and care for themselves or send their kids off to school and then help them with their homework with no stable home to go to?
This is the constant power struggle of our society. We expect that everyone can stand on their own two feet and care for themselves, but we have put impossible hurdles in the way of those struggling in the lower class. We employ people that are educated, reliable, and hygienic. If someone has lived their entire lives without health insurance, chances are they haven't had access to dental care or other basic health care and their appearances, because of this, might suffer. Additionally, the lower class is much less likely to get four-year degrees, and might lack the basic resources that it requires to be consistently on time to work (start up funds for public transportation, a car).
Despite the fact that our society and political structure have imposed these barriers, we are taught to fear, despise, and blame the poor for their plight. We are taught, "If I can do it, why can't they?" It is so important to look at the societal factors that play into an individuals struggle with employment, health, or housing. The people that get out of poverty do so by luck of the draw; the system does not work in their favor, but in fact works to keep the majority suppressed. Those that have power and access to resources relish in this, as they would not be in power if everyone had equal access to it.
This lie has been perpetuated and spread all across our nation. We blame the victims so that we don't have to help them; it's easier to blame than to break the cycle.

--Megan