Ellen Meacham

            Ellen Meacham’s talk served as a reminder of the ways in which America often neglects the problems that are happening right here at home. When I would tell people that I was going to spend the summer in Mississippi, most of them thought of MS as a "poor state," but their (and initially my) knowledge of the issues was vague and superficial. I think that to understand the situation here, you have to come see it for yourself, to talk to the people who have lived it.

            One thing that struck me in particular from Ms. Meacham’s talk was her discussion of the changing face of poverty—a “peculiarly modern paradox,” as she says. These children aren’t dying in the streets of starvation, but they’re still suffering from the effects of malnutrition: “nearly 28 percent” of the children are obese. The effects of health complications spill over into the classroom in the form of absenteeism, inattentiveness, etc. I think that if people truly understood the conditions here, many would be moved to act. But, sadly, I also believe that geographical separation plays a role in easing people’s consciences. While I think Mississippians are far from helpless in shaping their own fates and helping their own citizens, I do think that it is important that Americans recognize their responsibility to help other Americans— across city, county, and state lines.