President Reagan touted Florence Owens Thompson, the migrant mother in the photo, when she died in 1983:
“Mrs. Thompson's passing represents the loss of an American who symbolizes strength and determination in the midst of the Great Depression.”
In fact, Florence Owens Thompson’s heritage was Native American (Cherokee), and by written accounts, she lived in abject poverty at least for most of her life—at her death, money was donated by “well-wishers” for her medical bills and funeral expenses. President Reagan’s statement is a myth that still persists today — we continue to project an image of “strength and determination” onto those who manage to stay alive, while poor. The millions of Americans living in poverty in this country are not what we project onto them. They are simply people who cannot support themselves and need help, and we need to increase the amount of help and make it much easier to access.
The truth is that almost all of us have received some type of financial help in our lives, whether it’s gifts or loans from parents, other family or friends, or the government. But for those who don’t have family or friends to lean on during hard times, or aren’t lucky enough to hit the lottery or receive a surprise inheritance, the government is our safety net.
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