REALITY TOUR

                                SOCIAL PROBLEM/ REALITY TOUR

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                                       My Reaction To The Event:

On March 28, 2009, I took a Reality Tour with some other students from the city

Of Rochester, and the suburbs to view the way the poor people lived in the city

Of Rochester, and in addition obtained information about the welfare system in

 Rochester, their treatment towards the less fortunate’s.

My first reaction of the people that I saw as I sat in that big yellow bus peering

 Through the window were some people of color looking poor, homeless,

 Depressed and longing for love.  I could not believe these people were

Americans, because they were looking like people in the “Gutto” of a third

World country, I cried internally for them; my heart melted like an ice cube,

Knowing that this is the land of more than enough and people are suffering.  These people are not some wild animals; they are people, who have breath, flesh, and souls.   

 I look at the amount of money the government are spend in other countries killing innocent human beings, when that money could be taking care of the less fortunate’s in America.

 Money spending sending spaceship to the heavens that is control by God, Such scientific thinking should put aside until the people in America are well fed, sheltered, clothed, medically taken care of and are educated.  We must take care of our own before we take care of others.

For? What happened to their minds, when they walked the streets of Rochester and see these poor and destitute people sleeping and begging food for their belly?

Then again, I wonder, have they hearts for humanity or the hearts to build

Gabling houses and expensive apartment in the city to fulfill their own needs for

The greed of the almighty green dollars; My reaction, I wish I could get some of

The rich people to spend a night or day on the streets of Rochester, pretending

That they are homeless destitute and hungry in a weather degree of o foreign

 High without a coat on their backs and tell how would they feel.

When I got to the underground bridge and saw the condition of the poor

  Lived, in the swamp, with garbage; I almost fainted.   One of the

 Homeless man told the story of their ways of living under the bridge, he said,
“That it is very cold in the winter time, he is asking us if we have any blanket to

 Give it to the house of mercy, and they will give it to them”.  He continues his

 Conversation by telling us how badly they are treated, by the welfare system,

 We have to wait thirty days or more to get any assistance, and if we missed an

 Appointment, we have to fill out the application from the beginning and wait

Another thirty days, to be assisted.”  The reason why many of them stayed under neat the Bridge is that they cannot afford $5.00 per night to pay for shelter.   People who stayed in the shelter range from thirteen years old and up.  I cannot believe in my life that people in American suffered like this.  You know

There is a big difference between the third world Countries, and America, in the third world Countries,, people are people. Example, they help one another, by feeding them and sheltering them.  They have compassion toward one another; where love is Abound, they show it with passion and care.

 The Impact, it left a scar in my heart knowing that there are so many rich people here in Rochester and no one takes the time to analyze their surroundings.  The things that I have seen on this tour are very disturbing.  Because people living in the Community, are in the position to help in these conditions, but the rich and power does not recognize the poorer class; it seems like the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer.

. In addition, the powerful build bridges against the poor. These bridges need to be removed it has been there too long. The poor men work to keep the rich strong and powerful. Our objective as concern citizens is to see that the poor people in our community are equal treated.  People are sleeping on the streets, begging bread to survive, naked, uneducated, unhealthy, and been locked up in prison. Come on, are we living in the deserts of underground-unwanted world, with some poor, souls who are cast out, to be punish? Come on! We are living in America, the land of more than enough for everyone. We need to take care of our own before taking care of foreign land.

I am so happy I was invited as a Sociologist’s Student, to visit these sites. I had accomplished a lot from visiting the poor neighborhoods, and seeing their daily living. I do home each Student will take the time to return to these neighborhood, and do a good deed to these poor people. In fact, they could supply the poor with some warm blankets and give them few dollars to buy food for the belly. Again, I thank God, that I was chosen for this purpose.

Catherine Gray Taylor