Cha-Ching!

The United States is considered the most powerful, as well as the richest, country in the world. The problem with that is, it seems that 10% of the population has 90% of the wealth! In America, we have two extremes: people with unholy amounts of cash, say Bill Gates, and those with absolutely none, like Jazzy J, who lives on the downtown streets and busts rhymes for your spare change.
It would be dishonest to say that I don't envy the rich and the famous. Being rich, or at least well off, solves many problems, but creates new ones. Having money gives you choices, which, if made appropriately, can lead to happiness.
My family is rather poor. But we are what my mother calls "clean poor," with a small house in a small neighborhood. All seems well to others, but they don't know that we sometimes have to go through the house looking for change, so we can put a little gas in the car. We came within ten days of losing the house. We are surviving because we finally have a tennant who pays rent every month. We would play the lottery, but we don't have money for tickets. My dad is little to no help, only bringing home about $400 a month, and after paying his own rent, there isn't much left for child support. Mom has to get help from others; the church, family, friends, for money.

So why are some people's wallets so dang fat? For some, it comes from years of hard work, a good education, supporting parents, and a good job. Others are born into families who have money to begin with. Dad's a lawyer, and Mom's got a Ph.D in psychiatry. Their children can go to a good school, and live in MacMansions in crime free neighborhoods. They have no problems getting into college, at least as far as tuition is concerened, and don't have to pay off student loans.

Many of America's wealthy people give money to charity. Celebraties surrounded by a crowdof ruddy, malnourished children in Gambia grace the covers of magazines. Headlines like,"Musician Donates Thousands to Hospital" blare from newspapers. I think this is all well and good, but what happens when the money runs out? What about those of us who never recieve it? There is enough money in the world for us all to live decent, modest lives. But there will always be an imbalance when it comes money. As long as there is greed, corruption, and materialsim, there will be poor people.