Well, my friend we come from a very similar life. And I apologize, but I never actually read the article. I just read your comment and wanted to be sure you knew what you're talking about. As many people on this site run their mouths without knowing a god damn thing about what it's like to struggle and persevere.

I agree with everything you've just said. In fact I dropped out of college while attempting to become a substance abuse counselor. Not just because the failure rate is above 80% but the system set in play is meant to coddle people rather than empower them.

Textbooks and professors taught me that statistically people such as we should be dead or in jail. This hurt. I was being insulted everyday and nobody had any idea. I became angry and eventually, after two years of straight A's and hard work I left the program as I didn't see myself achieving anything with that current system in play.

In my eyes I saw no difference between me and the next guy. I was nothing special. And the people coddled by current counseling methods were still lying in the ditch that I crawled from.

Here's the truth though. Not all men are created equal. Not all have the mental ability to look at circumstance objectively and come up with a solution. You and I are extraordinary examples. I don't mean that in a way to stroke either of our ego's. I assure you, though nobody would ever guess I still struggle with low self esteem.

I don't think that handing people money is the solution to anything. But poverty isn't just about money.

People are a lot like plants. If you take a genetically healthy see. Feed it adequate nutrients and place it in the proper environment. It will flourish.

There's gotta be a way that we can improve the environments that are growing these busted plants.