Dear Editor: Today, one out of every two people in this country is living in poverty. Forty-six million are living on food stamps. Two out every five are living below the poverty line. As a matter of fact, worldwide 1.4 billion of us live on less than $1.25 a day; 25,000 children die daily because of poverty.
Many think we should have more patriots and spokespersons and fewer politicians. Just recently Congress spent more than $50 million trying to prove that Roger Clemens used steroids. We fail to see the point. Professional athletes train every day; they strive to reach and maintain top status by any means necessary even if that means fudging, cheating or whatever.
That $50 million could have fed a lot of hungry, homeless people right here at home.
There are larger problems facing us today - greed, prejudice, antisocial attitudes, corruption and extreme financial inequity. More than 33 percent of America's income goes to the top 5 percent of earners.
I am not envious or jealous of anyone at the top. I can face reality; not all of us were meant to be in the top percentile. We are not without understanding. It does not matter how powerful, rich or influential a person may be, he is a human being.
It seems injustice cannot be eliminated. The most powerful suffers injustice, grows old and dies.
It is time for our leaders (Congress) to get back to the basics of the people, for the people and by the people - not of the Congress, for the Congress and by the Congress.
We should be thankful that today's fathers were not our forefathers. That scenario could be really frightening.

Hosea Jackson
Social Circle