In the segment from American Winter, it details the harsh realities of bankruptcy, living on welfare and being unable to support you family. The portion of it that we watched takes place in a senate conference room with 3 adults explaining the hardships of their situations. Many of their stories and experiences were very sad but they were also very similar. Deidre Melson was a mother of 4 who had completed high school and gone to college only to dropout because she was unable to continuing paying for her education. She had been working since she was 13 years old and explained how she was always told that if you work hard and go to school you would never have to worry about a job and that you would always be able to provide for yourself and your family.
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John Cox was also in a very similar situation. He has completed high school and college and had also been working since he was a young boy. He had always had steady jobs until he was let go at the age of 50. He said it was very difficult for him, his family, and his down syndrome son. He mentioned that he bought a house when his son was born and in the time frame that this segment was being film it was in the process of being foreclosed. Because he was laid off and older he struggled to find a job for several years, even considering minimum wage jobs. Pam Thatcher was also a mom of two children. She and her husband wanted to live out ‘The American Dream’; she had always pictured herself living the American lifestyle. She and her husband were living comfortably when she had her two children and they decided they could make it work if she were a stay at home mom. Her husband continued to support her family until he was laid off. She explained the hardships of raising her family on $14/hr. and how it was unfair. All 3 of the people stated that they had never pictured themselves on welfare and they weren’t the type of people you’d expect to be on
John Cox was also in a very similar situation. He has completed high school and college and had also been working since he was a young boy. He had always had steady jobs until he was let go at the age of 50. He said it was very difficult for him, his family, and his down syndrome son. He mentioned that he bought a house when his son was born and in the time frame that this segment was being film it was in the process of being foreclosed. Because he was laid off and older he struggled to find a job for several years, even considering minimum wage jobs. Pam Thatcher was also a mom of two children. She and her husband wanted to live out ‘The American Dream’; she had always pictured herself living the American lifestyle. She and her husband were living comfortably when she had her two children and they decided they could make it work if she were a stay at home mom. Her husband continued to support her family until he was laid off. She explained the hardships of raising her family on $14/hr. and how it was unfair. All 3 of the people stated that they had never pictured themselves on welfare and they weren’t the type of people you’d expect to be on