Modern Poor

Recently I was at a conference, and like many conferences, in order to make the participants feel like they get their moneys worth, they give you ton's of 'free stuff.'   Don't get me wrong, I like the 'free stuff' and I like the conference, but lets just cut the junk and call it what it is, "my conference price is paying for a bunch of magazines, along with keynotes and bands."  But anyway, thats not what this is about, this is about an article in one such free magazine.  This article was detailing statistics about the modern poor in America, and if you look above, the graphic is staggering.  99.6% of America's poor have a refrigerator that they can keep food in!  This indicates America's poor are all eating well enough to keep food from the day before!  63.7% are well entertained, because they have a satellite dish to watch quality HD television.  Combined between the iPhone and the iMac, 92.7% own an apple product, which is by far the most expensive item a person can purchase in the electronic world.  No slight on Apple intended.
Here is the issue.  We cry out about needed to redistribute wealth to the poor, but there aren't poor people in our country anymore.  I don't have an iMac or an iPhone and i'm not considered poor by the standards of this article!!  What the bottom line?  Some sort of financial training should be required before we start giving out money.  These stats simply indicate that our 'poor' will always be poor because they don't know how to save up and build wealth!  Why would they, they don't have to do much to get more than I have!

Now don't hear what I'm not saying.  While I believe there are plenty of people capitalizing and profiteering off of generous Americans, I know there are those who need our help as Christians and/or generous people.  I'm not opposed to giving a hand up, just frustrated with what people are doing with their handouts.  It has not always been this way, the 'poor' used to be 'poor' and it was a noble thing to offer assistance.  Now, you have to wonder, what device will this person be purchasing that I don't even own yet!