Personal Narrative: Wealth Inequality In America

With the nation in heavy debate over the passage of the new Republican tax plan, attention is drawn yet again to wealth inequality in America. Regardless of the most efficacious solution to balancing the American budget, members of all socioeconomic classes are under scrutiny. Tensions are as high now as ever with the upper one percent owning nearly forty percent of the nation’s wealth, and the bottom fifth owning zero or negative wealth. In times like these, the barbarity of human nature is revealed, and prejudices are thinly veiled. The rich are called greedy and selfish, but the labels attached to those of the lowest income level are more acrid. The stigma associated with being in poverty is inescapable, as the destitute are viewed as bums, substance abusers, and delinquents. These character judgments are not based on actual experiences but on preconceived notions from peers or the media.
Growing up I had heard these labels constantly, but I never thought to challenge them. I just assumed lower-income people were not hard workers. As I …show more content…
She was running out of food to eat, and there was no power in her home. Her water had been shut off, and she was forced to use bottled water at home for hygiene. On top of it all, her house was in danger of being repossessed. She was desperate and out of places to turn. We did not know each other very well, but everyone else in her life had turned her away. Even though I was an introverted person, I took her into my home, and my family and I cared for her. I spent hours tutoring her in all her AP classes and helped her get her plans for the future back on track. With some assistance from my family, her parents got their finances in order. After a year, her life had turned around, and her grades had skyrocketed. Today, she had been accepted into Yale through Questbridge with a full ride. She showed me that simply having someone to care can change someone’s