One of the biggest privileges we have as Americans is the freedom to vote.  Some see it as a responsibility.  Some see it as a right.  Others see it as a power.  The more individuals that stand up, vote, and advocate for their beliefs, the bigger the action becomes.  All of a sudden you realize that you are not alone.  This one action seems to unite Americans from North to South and from East to West.

On January 20th, 1961, John F. Kennedy presented his Inagural Address which still has the ability to ignite the spirits of Americans today.  He reminded us of the power that lies within us, not only as Americans, but as human beings.  A power that lies in our hands.

In your hands, my fellow citizens, more than in mine, will rest the final success or failure of our course.

Hands.  Simply the symbol or concept of hands can provoke a variety of thoughts; healing, giving, invitation, communication.  Excuse me if you consider this absurd but, take a moment to reflect on your own hands.  If you think about it, they’re actually a form of a testimony to everything that you are.  They’re the hands that you put one in front of the other as you began to crawl at that early age.  They’re the hands that turned page after page when you were studying for exams X number of years ago. They are the same hands that intertwine with your loved one for countless days, or months, or years in a row.  They’re those hands that nurtured, comforted, and perhaps raised children.  They’re the very hands that brought you to where you were today.

However, it is ever more glorifying when those hands, ever so steady and ever so willing, extend and reach out.  These are the hands that extend or give for the better of another person, for the better of a cause, for the better of a country.  This is the power that JFK was so eloquently expressing.

As we use our hands to vote for the best for our country, as we see fit, we should take into account what we can do for others.  The truth is that we can help those who find themselves in a dark situation that they can’t use their own hands to fight to get out of.

The world is very different now. For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life.

Forty some odd years later, and we can still be considered a generation that can put an end to poverty.  This is the motto of the millennium goals campaign, a commitment by world leaders to not only end poverty by 2015 but also to meet 8 millennium development goals.  The goals: end hunger, universal education, gender equity, child health, maternal health, combating HIV/AIDS, environmental sustainability, and establishing a global partnership.  Although progress has been made, we are not where we are supposed to be given that the promise was made in 2000 and here we are halfway until our target year.

This reality settles in most recently as Mayor Bloomberg reevaluated the poverty line this month.  The original formula in determining the amount of poverty had been around since the 60s.  Unfortunately, the new formula discovered another 400,000 poor people in NYC; an increase of 4%.  Another somewhat startling discovery is that they found 32 percent of the elderly are poor.  The former measure was 18 percent. (Links to articles below)

What is important to point out is that OF the elderly, 32 percent are in poverty.  If being elderly is a risk factor for becoming poor, as it appears to be, then what will happen as our baby boomers age?  A great part of our society will age within the same time frame, and that 32 percent, if it stays the same - could mean more (elderly) people living in poverty.  Also frightening is the thought that of funding for the elderly wearing thin due to the increase in people aging, and people living longer.  The over 80 years old category of our population will reach high percentages.

The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it—and the glow from that fire can truly light the world.

The bottom line? As we take the power in our hands to vote, we need to take into account our ability to help others.  It is important to take into our hands those people who are less fortunate than ourselves.  Think and consider; what are our candidates views on the millennium development goals and poverty?  What can we do to unite together and continue the hope that JFK so greatly instilled in us that January day?

After all, hands are strongest when held and linked together.

Poverty’s Real Measure

Math on Poverty