Do you believe that poverty is largely due to some fault of the individual, or that society plays a major part in creating poverty in America?

John wiped the sweat from his brow. This caused only a slight pause in his work of assembling widgets. John had been an assembly line worker for over ten years, and had mastered the process of assembling widgets. It was hard work and didn’t pay much, but it let John and his family get by. Well, it got them by as long as his wife worked as a cashier.
“John!” someone called and disturbed John from his Zen-like state. Foreman Smith walked over. “John, I need to see you in my office today after your shift is over,” he said.
“Yes, sir,” John replied, and he returned to his work as the foreman left. John’s shift was ten hours long, and he spent the whole time wondering what his boss wanted with him.
Ten hours later, John finished up his shift and entered the foreman’s office. Foreman Smith was filling out paperwork as John walked in. Smith stood up and spoke.
“John, I have some bad news. The company is downsizing people and maximizing theirs wallets and, well John, you’ve been let go.” John’s mind whirled from the news. His distress was obvious on his face. “John, you’ve been working here for ten years, and if I had my way you’d be working here for another ten years. But I don’t, and there is nothing I can do for you.”
John’s mind was numb with shock. He nodded blankly at the foreman’s sympathy and left Smith’s office. He clocked out and drove home. John told his wife the news when she got home, and that night the only ones who slept well were the children.

A nurse wiped the sweat from John’s brow. He was an old man now, and dying. My body might be dying now, he thought, but my spirit died long ago. After losing his job at the plant, John had to work two full time jobs to make ends meet. But after injuring his back, he couldn’t work a job anymore. His wife left him because he couldn’t support the family anymore, so she decided to find somebody who could. John had been alone ever since. The worst thing though, was the visits from his children. Whenever he saw them all he could see was the pity in their eyes for the man who once stood so tall in them. It was the only thing that ever hurt worse than his back. Yes, John thought, I could’ve died so long ago and it wouldn’t have mattered.

After the story, what do you think now?