Humanity's Loss of Balance

Why the Thrift Store, Wal-Mart, and Used Car Lot Are Not Just for Low-Income Families

Every time I watch the show It Takes a Thief, and see the multitude of unused, expensive jewelry and belongings people have just sitting in their houses;

Every time I see a businessman drive by in a brand-new Hummer;

Every time I hear about people who horde millions in the bank;

Every time I drive by an extravagant mansion that houses a family of two;

Every time I see a young girl driving a brand new car, talking on her cell phone, and throwing a fit because she can't spend that extra thousand on her birthday party;

Every time I walk by a department store and see people buying ordinary clothes and products that costs hundreds of dollars-

I feel ashamed of being a part of this society.

Though my family is not rich; we personally have enough wealth to keep us clothed, fed, sheltered, watered, medicated, and transported, fairly comfortably. So why would I feel so bad about belonging to a group of people who clearly lead the world in resources and money? Consider this:

*Across the world, about 854 million are dying from hunger.

*Everyday, 16,000 children die from hunger-related causes.

*There are 1 billion people living below the poverty line (considering there are 6.5 billion people on the earth currently).

*There are 350 million people in the United States, and about 37 million of them live in poverty (about 10% of the U.S. population).

*The over-use and abuse of our earth's resources are destroying our world to the point of no return. Once this planet is no longer livable, it will not matter who has what.

Many say, "I've worked hard for my money, so why shouldn't I be able to spend it any way I want?" First of all, many people work hard for money. There exists many a single mother with two or three minimum-wage jobs, who work until they are exhausted, but still have hungry children, unpaid bills, and wear second-hand clothing. There are others who are unable to work (but would if they could).