According to official U.S. government statistics issued in November of 2007, more than 1
in 10 people in the United States go hungry. More than 35 million people went hungry
in 2006 according to the same report; almost 13 million of them were children and many of
the rest were impoverished senior citizens. In response, David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World said: "The U.S.
is the only industrialised nation that still allows hunger within its borders."
While it is literally impossible to obtain entirely
accurate statistics regarding poverty in America, valid estimates can be made based
on a variety of agency, government and other sources. On August 1st, 2003, it was
estimated that 2.5 - 3.5 million Americans were entirely homeless and millions more lived in
vehicles, garages and similar makeshift accommodations. According to the National Coalition for the Homeless,
the bare minimum of entirely homeless individuals in the United States in 2006 is more
than 750,000. The actual number is likely 2-4 million or more, as many cities only count
the homeless who are actually in shelters on a given random date, thus reporting grossly
under-inflated figures which in turn, are published as "fact" by federal agencies and the media
(see newspaper article addressing severe Nashville descrepancies below). Suffice it to
say, many of those who work with homeless war veterans claim that homeless veterans alone number in
the hundreds of thousands. Many Americans have part-time shelter, moving in and out of
motels and other weekly rental situations; when these and others who live in garages, motorhomes,
automobiles, abandoned buildings and other forms of makeshift housing are included, the number
of Americans who currently do not have a permanent residence is likely well over 10
million.
According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, over 60 American cities have
essentially made it criminal to be poor, introducing measures to make it illegal to beg or sleep
on the street, to sit in bus shelters for more than an hour, to stand on the corner soliciting
work and some cities, including Las Vegas, have made it illegal to feed the homeless in parks and
other public places; this is a gross violation of federal anti-discrimination laws unless such
draconian measures are uniformly applied to citizens of all economic status, including making it
illegal to feed relatives and children or to share food with friends at a public picnic area, as
well. Meanwhile, neither the Republican or Democratic Party has any plan whatsoever
directly addressing America's growing homeless population, nor are the homeless, including
homeless war veterans, even mentioned as a priority in their party platform agendas.
It is estimated by veterans groups that as of January, 2005, there are approximately 230,000
homeless war veterans in America. Homeless veterans from the current conflict in Iraq are
already showing up at public beaches, parks and in city shelters and due to this conflict,
the problem is expected to grow dramatically in the next several; years (see Operation Stand
Down Homeless Veteran Statistics below). If 5% of the current American military budget
were diverted to end the growing hunger within our own borders, there would be virtually no
hunger in the United States. An additional 10% diverted annually, if managed correctly,
could eventually wipe out starvation on the entire continent of Africa.
One of fastest growing statistical segments of the U.S. homeless population is single women
with children. Lack of affordable healthcare, coupled with a catastrophic family illness,
is a growing reason why many formerly working-class and middle-class productive citizens are
becoming homeless. Other homeless statistics compiled by the National Coalition for the
homeless include the following:
Approximately 50% of all homeless women and children are fleeing some form of
domestic violence. Approximately 25% of the urban homeless are children under
18. 40% of homeless men have served in the U.S. military; meanwhile, the federal budget
addressing homeless veterans was reduced in 2005. Caucasians make up only 35% of the
homeless, while 50% are African Americans; 40% are single men, 14% single women and 46% are
couples, families or children. While it is true that many homeless individuals suffer from
mental disabilities and addiction, several studies indicate that much of the problem, especially
in regards to addiction, occurs after individuals become homeless, thus making
homelessness a cause of addiction, rather than the other way around, as is so often assumed
by many of those attempting to excuse themselves for not wanting to help.
Before the Creator of the universe, there is no excuse whatsoever for a nation as wealthy
as the United States to have one person within our borders who does not have adequate food,
shelter and health care. And it is beyond the iniquity of ancient Babylon, Egypt, Sodom
and Rome combined that our leaders of all party affiliation, who hold the supreme advantage of
historical perspective, do not make alleviation and elimination of poverty and disease
America's number one priority issue.
Historically, it is beyond all argument that if a nation does not address its own sick and
poor, that nation will not long survive, as major plagues and other diseases spread throughout
the least on up to the highest rungs of a society without partiality. Historically, large
populations living in poverty without forseeable hope of improvement, either violently revolt
and/or, lose all form of country loyalty and welcome a conquering enemy to come in and improve
their meager lives of disease, hunger and misery. According to both Ezekiel and Jesus,
God without partiality, will judge all nations by whether or not they help their sick and their
poor. The historical bottom-line agreed upon by even the most atheistic of scholars is
that nations in the long run, will truly reap what they sow; nations that do not help their
sick and poor will not likely be around very long on the history time clock to reap much of
anything. See Fleeing Sodom for
more details.
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