War on Poverty

In the article, "A New Direction in the War on Poverty" by Paul Ryan, Ryan describes a fight between two girls at a local lower class high school that was only broken up because on of the advisors had been called to the scene. Most of these advisors have grown up in or around gangs and they have seen violence firsthand. Ryan says that "In the two years since the program started, suspensions at Pulaski High are down by 60%" and that the "daily attendance is up by nearly 10%". Ryan says that America has been spending way to much money on useless things that don't work such as "extra police, security measures, and staff" instead of focusing on what's important; the kids and the kind of situations that they are exposed to. He believes that instead of paying so much money for extra security and man power, we should instead focus on giving them an outlet to share their problems and seek help. He says the explanation is quite simple; "Poverty isn't just a form of deprivation; it's a form of isolation. Crime, drugs and broken families are dragging down millions of Americans. On every measure from education levels to marriage rates, poor families are drifting further away from the middle class". Ryan also acknowledges that this problem is not going to go away over night but instead mentions that "the question isn't whether we should do more or less of the same. It is which new direction will work best."