Honestly, I doubt we would have been happy had we been offered charity. Just needing food stamps was torture enough. I think that’s an attitude most people in our situation have. It isn’t even pride, it is just plain shame. People are taught that needing help is a bad thing. Like Ms. Hsaio’s husband commented, the prevailing attitude is that if you aren’t rich, or at least middle class, you must have pissed off some higher entity.

What we needed — and so many still need — is some sort of job security, some guarantee that if you are mistreated at work, you can stand up and say something without risking everything. Sure, there are laws in place that prevent an employer from targeting you, but clearly, those laws mean nothing. I think a more reasonable minimum wage would help — something people can actually afford to live on, and for those that end up ill or injured, health insurance that doesn’t require fighting with a major corporation, that covers expenses, and doesn’t cost half your income might be nice too. I think ultimately, if we are going to fight poverty, regardless of who is in power, we need a massive national overhaul of not only our laws or our safety nets, but our culture as well.