Pete in MI
New member
Teen Poverty in America
I just spent several hours observing
teenagers hanging out at our local
mall. I came to the conclusion many
teenagers in America today are living
in poverty. Most of the young men
I observed didn't even own a belt;
there was not one among the whole
group.
But that wasn't the sad part. Many
were wearing their daddy's jeans.
Some jeans were so big and baggy
they hung low on their hips, exposing
their underwear. I know some must
have been ashamed their daddy was
short, because his jeans hardly went
below their knees. They weren't even
their daddies' good jeans, for most
had holes ripped in the knees and a
dirty look to them.
It grieved me, in a modern, affluent
society like America, there are people
who can't afford a decent pair of jeans.
I was thinking about asking my church
to start a jeans drive for "poor kids at
the mall." Then on Christmas Eve, I
could go Christmas caroling and
distribute jeans to these poor teenagers.
But here is the saddest part..... it was
the girls they were hanging out with
that disturbed me most. I have never,
in all of my life, seen such poverty-
stricken girls. These girls had the
opposite problem of the guys .
They all had to wear their little sisters
clothes. Their jeans were about 5 sizes
too small! I don't know how they could
put them on, let alone button them up.
Their jeans barely went over their hip
bones. Most also had on their little
sister's top; it hardly covered their
midsections.
Oh, they were trying to hold their heads
up with pride, but it was a sad sight to
see these almost grown women wearing
children's clothes.
However, it was their underwear that
bothered me most. They, like the boys,
because of the improper fitting of their
clothes, had their underwear exposed.
I never saw anything like it. It looked
like their underwear was only held
together by a single piece of string.
I know it saddens your heart to
receive this report on condition of
our American teenagers.
While I go to bed every night with
a closet full of clothes nearby, there
are millions of "mall girls" who
barely have enough material to keep
it together. I think their "poorness"
is why these 2 groups gather at the
mall, boys with their short daddies'
ripped jeans, and girls wearing their
younger sisters' clothes. The mall is
one place where they can find
acceptance.
So, next time you are at the mall, doing
your shopping, and you pass by some
of these poor teenagers, would you say
a prayer for them?
And one more thing ... Will you pray
the guys' pants won't fall down, and
girls' strings won't break?
I thank you all,
A Grandmother
I just spent several hours observing
teenagers hanging out at our local
mall. I came to the conclusion many
teenagers in America today are living
in poverty. Most of the young men
I observed didn't even own a belt;
there was not one among the whole
group.
But that wasn't the sad part. Many
were wearing their daddy's jeans.
Some jeans were so big and baggy
they hung low on their hips, exposing
their underwear. I know some must
have been ashamed their daddy was
short, because his jeans hardly went
below their knees. They weren't even
their daddies' good jeans, for most
had holes ripped in the knees and a
dirty look to them.
It grieved me, in a modern, affluent
society like America, there are people
who can't afford a decent pair of jeans.
I was thinking about asking my church
to start a jeans drive for "poor kids at
the mall." Then on Christmas Eve, I
could go Christmas caroling and
distribute jeans to these poor teenagers.
But here is the saddest part..... it was
the girls they were hanging out with
that disturbed me most. I have never,
in all of my life, seen such poverty-
stricken girls. These girls had the
opposite problem of the guys .
They all had to wear their little sisters
clothes. Their jeans were about 5 sizes
too small! I don't know how they could
put them on, let alone button them up.
Their jeans barely went over their hip
bones. Most also had on their little
sister's top; it hardly covered their
midsections.
Oh, they were trying to hold their heads
up with pride, but it was a sad sight to
see these almost grown women wearing
children's clothes.
However, it was their underwear that
bothered me most. They, like the boys,
because of the improper fitting of their
clothes, had their underwear exposed.
I never saw anything like it. It looked
like their underwear was only held
together by a single piece of string.
I know it saddens your heart to
receive this report on condition of
our American teenagers.
While I go to bed every night with
a closet full of clothes nearby, there
are millions of "mall girls" who
barely have enough material to keep
it together. I think their "poorness"
is why these 2 groups gather at the
mall, boys with their short daddies'
ripped jeans, and girls wearing their
younger sisters' clothes. The mall is
one place where they can find
acceptance.
So, next time you are at the mall, doing
your shopping, and you pass by some
of these poor teenagers, would you say
a prayer for them?
And one more thing ... Will you pray
the guys' pants won't fall down, and
girls' strings won't break?
I thank you all,
A Grandmother