Is the American dream still alive? Can a person lift himself up by the bootstrap out of homelessness and earn a living - nay, even prosper - in this country?
Adam Shepard put it to the test:
Alone on a dark gritty street, Adam Shepard searched for a homeless shelter. He had a gym bag, $25, and little else. A former college athlete with a bachelor's degree, Mr. Shepard had left a comfortable life with supportive parents in Raleigh, N.C. Now he was an outsider on the wrong side of the tracks in Charleston, S.C.
But Shepard's descent into poverty in the summer of 2006 was no accident. Shortly after graduating from Merrimack College in North Andover, Mass., he intentionally left his parents' home to test the vivacity of the American Dream. His goal: to have a furnished apartment, a car, and $2,500 in savings within a year.
To make his quest even more challenging, he decided not to use any of his previous contacts or mention his education.
During his first 70 days in Charleston, Shepard lived in a shelter and received food stamps. He also made new friends, finding work as a day laborer, which led to a steady job with a moving company.
Ten months into the experiment, he decided to quit after learning of an illness in his family. But by then he had moved into an apartment, bought a pickup truck, and had saved close to $5,000.
Link (Photo: Nicole Hill) - via Locust & Honey
And then bails out when somebody gets sick, and calls himself a "success"?
And now he knows all about what it's like to actually be poor, with no escape hatch, none of his demographic advantages, carer responsibilities, and thousands of dollars worth of medical bills?
Now he turns around and claims that anyone could do it, and that they're all just making excuses?
I hope he is pumping a good proportion of his book earnings back into the homeless shelter and food programmes that he took up unnecessarily.
Sorry it had to be said. This whole 'you can have anything if you simply work for it' has been a huge myth in our society that works for certain few. It's also been tested by many others in numerous ways, e.g. Morgan Spurlock. He and his partner lived in Ohio on minimum wage for his series '30 Days'..it was a horrible 30 days. I will say that these experiments are good at getting your name mentioned. If he gets a book or movie deal he will be a success but I doubt his experience will have anything interesting to reveal. There are countless homeless out there perfectly capable of labor whose stories are plenty and rarely ever told..and when they are they're horrific.
With any luck, he'll soon be pontificating on how everyone could have x-ray vision and a pet unicorn if they just applied themselves.
"I am really, really frustrated with the poor attitudes that seem to have swept over my peer group. Frustrated with hearing “I don’t have” rather than “Let’s see what I can do with what I do have.” So, I have decided to demonstrate that it doesn't have to be that way."
and
"my story is a rebuttal to Barbara Ehrenreich's Nickel and Dimed and Bait and Switch"
He has published a book, and is now touting for speaking engagements.
His speaking-engagements page includes sidebar soundbites like
"Why he is prepared to stand by his proclamation that opportunity exists for everyone."
and
"Why the book Nickel and Dimed was flawed from the beginning."
and
"Why raising the minimum wage does not stimulate the economy of the lower class."
and
"Why he succeeded, while many people make the decision to steer clear of the opportunities in front of them."
How is that about proving something quietly to himself?
ah sorry, missed that..early morning.
well..than, not so nice. education helps big time, still attidude is also important!
BUT any able-bodied person should be able to pull themselves up from abject poverty. Black, white, male, female, whatever. I did it myself and I have seen many others do the same. One thing that is so misunderstood by some "crusaders for poverty" is that long-term poverty is NOT the norm. Most people are only below the poverty line for a short period of time unless there are extenuating circumstances of some sort (or there are a very few people really do choose poverty), so any able-bodied person or family with at least one able-bodied adult should be able to make it out. That's what government assistance is for... to help people through temporary rough patches until they can get back on their feet again.
I have seen several "social experiments" done by people who started out upper class, and I have to say that those people are by and large a bunch of naive idiots. So many have an agenda going in and almost seem to sabotage the whole affair. One couple went into their experiment without cash and bought a bunch of furniture on credit, went to the doctor several times for stuff like a little cold (poor people don't do that), ate out every day, and didn't even rent the cheapest apartment they could find (they said this was due to safety, but if you are living in abject poverty, you should primarily be looking for a roof over your head). Those things seem minor, but can add up to hundreds of dollars very quickly. You don't "need" a couch, or even a table for that matter, especially when you are struggling to eat. They did so many things wrong... of course it failed. Nickel and Dimed was a ridiculous book; the author seemed to intentionally get herself fired, at one point complaining about how oh-so-terrible it was to be fired for being late constantly and smoking pot.
So of course it's impossible for some people... people who have debilitating mental illnesses or handicaps. But as someone who has honestly lived through it, I will forever believe that it is entirely possible for anyone of normal intelligence and aptitude. And, of course, just a little bit of common sense to save money and stretch a dollar.
This guy brings so much to the situation that will assist him that need not be mentioned.
His accent will be educated white upper/middle class from Raleigh North cArolina. That alone will help.
he's a presentable WHUITE guy, with a preppy haircut and absolutely no history in the circles in which he moves.
And most importantly of all, he can step away back into the luxury of his Mum and Dad's house at a MOMENTS NOTICE.
The real story is that if you are homeless, or even just piss poor, there is no magic ejector seat.
The real story isn;'t the existance of the american dream but the stark reality of the death of hope.
But gosh he'll dine out on how great he is and how crap the poor are,and doubly so when he inevitably tries his hand at politics.
Too bad he isn't grinning in that picture; you'd be able to see his straight, sparkling white teeth to go along with the rest of the package.
Yea I'm a cynic at heart but let's not make this guy out to be some noble saint over what is just another method of people wanting their 15 minutes of fame (and money).
Hopefully raising yourself from poverty through the dint of hard work, a good education, good health and the knowledge of a safety net should help you gain a sense of empathy for those less fortunate. Instead, it seems to be an excuse to indulge in the meanest of Scrooge-like impulses ("Have we no workhouses?")
Being beaten as a child encourages some people to say, "I will never do that to my child." Others say, "My parents did it to me and I turned out okay." Similar sweeping prognoses accompany poverty, illness, family size, race, educational deprivation, and the results of natural disaster. For a country that claims to value individualism, we are remarkably certain about how others can live their lives.
"Kip" (as opposed to Rasheed, Juan, or even plain old Joe) wrote this book because his "peers" feel deprived. Quell fromage! No trip to Goa for Spring break - just boring old Lauderdale! So now Kip has realized that broke people should eat cake when they are hungry.
Yes, this is how to get out of poverty - write a book about how easy poverty is to escape. Guaranteed lucrative publishing contract from Regnery.
He didn't Even live in a city WITH SNOW!!!!???
Hahahahahahha! Thank you for the best laugh I've had all day. "Anything is possible if you persevere!"
And don't be so quick to underestimate the power of his education-- not just the bachelor's, but the fact that he takes for granted things like having excellent English with a mainstream accent, knowledge of how to interview for a job (even if only as a laborer), and so on. These things aren't something he can un-learn on command, and with all of the advantages behind him that others have mentioned, he ultimately has a fantastically unrealistic view of poverty.
Also, see Pulp's (or William Shatner's) *Common People.*
“If you try to ascend from poverty to a life of better means, you must have either have an education or have the government or some other aid program assist you.”
I have to admit that I don't fully understand this sentiment. I will say that I've only read the excerpt here and not his book. However, it says that he made a few friends, and then he acquired work as a day laborer. I don't think that's beyond the scope of accomplishment for anyone who's living in poverty and doesn't have a mental illness. If you are cognizant enough to know that your appearance is frightful, you're cognizant enough to find a way to improve it.
Now, this business of it not being fair because he received aid from the government... that very same aid is right there available to all the other impoverished. Where there are shelters, you will find people in them. Where there are food stamps, you will find people receiving them. No unfair advantage there.
Do I think this gentleman (I don't refer to people with 4 years of college under their belts as "kids") has a full understanding of what a life in poverty is after only spending close to a year in diminished conditions? No. That would be foolish.
I do think he put into practice something I've seen happen myself. I've personally witnessed people on the street pull their acts together and get out of poverty. It can be done and it should be done. It's very easy to discredit this gentleman's research as "just a spoiled kid looking for an exploit to sell a book" or something similar.
I think it takes a much wiser and braver person to acknowledge the fact that this is only one example of proof among many that exist showing that many impoverished remain that way because they refuse to work to improve themselves beyond their conditions.
In closing, before you berate me with how not all poverty stricken people or families can necessarily do what he did... my response is, obviously not. It shows to me that every homeless person in America, who doesn't have a mental illness, should be asking him/herself, "Why am I still here, and what can I do to change it?"
Anything less is a cry for pity, and pity is not how you move up... especially out of poverty.
There's two ways to help out the homeless.
1. Use your own time and money to help others.
2. Become a politician, commit massive amounts of theft (taxation), give a small fraction of it to welfare, and keep the rest for yourself.
Sadly, #2 is the choice of socialists. Theft is wrong, regardless of the wealth of your victim. Of course, it's easier for a socialist to steal than to actually EARN money. Meanwhile, plenty of good people get on welfare to help them get back on their feet, but if they try to actually get a job or start a business, they get their welfare revoked before they can earn a dime.
If you want to help the homeless, make lots of money and become a philanthropist. Just make sure the socialists aren't stealing your money and the corporatists aren't supporting your rich competitors.
he claims not to have used his education - so, he made himself, for example, deliberately less able to do mental arithmetic, or be less confident, perhaps have a reading age of 10 - basically think differently, have a different mind even? that's not to say that his adopted peer group are 'stupid' - but that many factors are hidden and deep rooted. equally, some may start out disadvantaged but do really well. the point is that this is a simplistic and egocentric experiment.
"I think I was disadvantaged, because my thinking was inside of a box." - too true. but not in the way he means.
Life is easy when you're not mentally or physically impaired or addicted.
1) insane
2) on the run from the law in a serious way
3) alcoholics or drug addicts
Doing what he did becomes exponentially harder when you are any of those three things. My personal experience leads me to believe that the majority of homeless people can't do what he did, because they have to overcome things that he did not.
@ Jason E. said that this "... could potentially be the solutions to poverty in the United States." That's a real stretch. You also mentioned that ".. many impoverished remain that way because they refuse to work to improve themselves beyond their conditions... that every homeless person in America, who doesn’t have a mental illness, should be asking him/herself, “Why am I still here, and what can I do to change it?”" That's a very nice sentiment, but ignores the simple fact that most of the homeless are homeless because they lack the ability make good choices, and to be honest, some lack the intelligence to make the right choices.
Pulling oneself up by the bootstraps first requires one to decide to put on the boots, and then to pull.
He had hope - no, that's not right - he had the certainty of an end date to his adventure. I would say poor people live without that certainty, without even the hope of somehow climing out of the abyss. There's the difference.
And as for being white and male - come on. There are plenty of white homeless males out there.
I am white and I was poor. Welfare poor. Dirty nasty house, with soggy laundry all over the floor and roaches. I lived in a terrible neighboorhood and got beat up alot. My parents were idiots. I and my sister were sexually abused and I have my own set of mental issues surrounding this. But I am overcoming them.
I am now 21 and life is good. You know why, because I work and I'm not lazy. I work fourty hours a week at safeway and am taking four classes at a community college. It was my first job and four years later, I still have it. Know why? Because I worked. Things are good. I have a beautiful woman, a puppy (which costed $500), I drink expensive beer every night and I,m going to school for free because of the pell grant.
That's right a 5,000 dollar check just to get me on the right track. Because I grew up poor. Because people in this country who are succesful want other's to be succesful. They don't want people dependent on welfare, they want people working against the odds and becoming success stories. I now pay taxes about 18 percent. I hope that money goes to people who are going to school and taking good care of their kids. Oh yeah and just because I am white does not mean that I am priviledged. Not by any means. Some companies are reluctant to turn down minorities for fear of backlash from the equal right's activists. I'm all for equal rights, but I'm not for feeling guilty about being white.--Dangit!