Poverty is brutal, consuming and unforgiving. It strikes at the soul.
You defend yourself with hope, hard work and, for some, a helping hand. But these weapons grow dull in an economy on the verge of atrophy, in a job market tilting ever more toward the top and in a political environment that would sacrifice the weak to the wealthy.
The title is immediately followed by the words above. They are offered by Charles Blow in a New York Times op ed titled Them That's Not Shall Lose. It is a must read, by a man who knows whereof he writes:
I know the feel of thick calluses on the bottom of shoeless feet. I know the bite of the cold breeze that slithers through a drafty house. I know the weight of constant worry over not having enough to fill a belly or fight an illness.
Most of us do not know from experience as does Blow, but surely we should be able to understand.