Children in Cross Hairs
Children are in the Cross Hairs now, but 50 years ago Lyndon Johnson declared the War on Poverty. The US was in the throes of the civil rights movement and the overall economic conditions of Americans were improving. We strove to be the “”Great Society”” with opportunities for work, education, equality, and individual freedom for everyone.
What happened to that dream? Where do we stand now? Many of the programs that were the cornerstone for change like Head Start, WIC, and Medicaid did indeed improve the overall quality of life for the poorest Americans. Many of those programs specifically targeted children.
Today we are seeing one threat after another to those programs. We appeal to all people with some concern for the poor, including church people, to engage in this struggle – this debate – over our society’s priorities. Promise the Children is helping to arm our members with the facts and methods to do just that.
