I am compelled.

One of the hardest things I’ve ever experienced is re-entry after going to Uganda. Culture shock. In your own culture. It sucks. But it’s something that you need to go through and the feelings of discontent you’re left with are good.

I have my Contemporary American Society discussion on Thursdays. I leave every week so discontent. It’s amazingly informative and I’m learning a lot - but the thing is, the information is so depressing.

I feel like I’ll always be in a state of culture shock as long as our country is the way it is. Sociology 125 is definitely keeping me from moving on. But I think at this point moving on would be tragic and would make my experiences worthless.

Oof.

On Thursday, we talked about poverty. Beside the fact that it’s out of control, we don’t even know how to measure poverty anymore. In the 1960’s, the poverty line was determined by the amount of money a typical family spends on food times 3. It was assumed that a third of a sustainable income went to food. It worked back then, but now we have more to take care of. Now a days, transportation takes the majority of a family income and food has become a smaller sliver in the pie graph. Even the creator of the poverty line herself thinks that now it’s way too low and should be 170% of what it actually is.

Our poverty line is $22,050 USD for a family of four. Unbelievable.

And who has the power? Those who have capital. Basically, as productivity in the US increases (and my goodness, it has), the rich get richer.

If minimum wage had increased like it should (to keep up with inflation and increased productivity), it would be around $18.00 today. We’re sitting at a federal minimum wage of $7.25.

It makes me so depressed. But as I go through this class (and hopefully as I stay informed beyond it) there are a few things I have to remember.

I can’t forget about Jesus. Even the thought of him brings me comfort in this. There’s a plan and I’m not the only part of it. It’s true that God has made me significant, but I’m not the savior of the world. Be sure to thank God for that because I would definitely fall short.

I also have to remember to not waste my time hating the United States and those in it who exploit people. That, in and of itself, won’t change anything. I remember what one of our speakers on DTS, Chris, said. He gave us advice on re-entry - that we should be ready to relearn how to love rich people. So true. I’m convinced that change comes through love. I have to love them. Every single one.

Obama, if you read this, know that I have no idea what to do. Can you improve our country? Can we have universal health care and a better social wage? Can you start a movement for better public transportation and housing? Go team - next we’ll tackle the War in Uganda.