What if we gave the best to the poor? - Question for a play I am writing.?

Question

A saint named Maria Giovanna from the 1600s asked this question -- why do we give the worst to the poor? I am writing a play that explores what would happen if we gave the best to the poor? I am not talking about people who mooch off welfare by choice (I am of the opinion there are not that many people like that but maybe I live a sheltered life). I am talking about people who simply are not making it in our society. This is brainstorming -- throw out anything!

Answer 1

firstly i think this is VERY interesting and innovative. please keep with this endeavor. the world is falling apart and thru simple things like natural disasters, the playing field is beginning to level. when something like tornadoes hit or earthquakes destroy and there's nothing left, we're all poor and i don't think anyone can really get that until it happens to them. my boyfriend and i are from mississippi and lived thru katrina. i was in jackson which wasn't nerely as hard hit but he was in biloxi when it hit...with his family...and a newborn baby. and forget what people say, cause i did it too: why did you stay? they did it doesn't matter now. what matters is that his family was comfortable financially, not rich, but the day katrina left, they were out walking around complete devestation for almost 8 hours trying to find water. reality check...? i think so.

so this idea for you play is great. excuse me while i play devil's advocate. if we gave the best to the poor, what would be the incintive to "make it" in our society? and i know i answered the question with a question, which i hate, but that's what i got. maybe it lies in the monk's philosophy. living the austere life. that we really don't need embellishments in order to live and the more we want, the more we carry unnecessarily. besides all that, i think it's a great idea...it's hard to develop especially in our society. if you have a website or are interested in keeping me updated and have an easy way to do it, i would totally be down. good luck!!!

Answer 2

It sounds like a good idea for a play.  Perhaps people give the worst to the poor because they think they are better than them, or because they are looked up to. Or perhaps they think its what the poor deserves, since they can not make a good living like other people. But, If we give the best to the poor, it could turn out just as bad. They could start thinking themselves better than anyone, and soon, there would be total chaos and anarchy. Or they would still believe themselfs poor, so they demand more and more, until they have no flaws. Just a thought.