Letters: Most poor people are not lazy

A recent letter said our country is polarized between doers, who work, pay taxes and obey the law, and takers, who disdain work and any opportunity to educate themselves. While some people may fit the second category, I believe most people who receive a helping hand from the government do so from genuine need.

Despite what our Declaration of Independence states, we are not created equal. Some of us are born healthy and strong, others are weak and infirm. Some are handsome or beautiful, while others are considered homely or even disfigured. Some are intelligent, while others are slow of mind. Some are born to wealth and have every advantage, while others are born into poverty and face every disadvantage.

Many Americans, who do not have the opportunity to receive an advanced education or the aptitude to be a computer technician, must accept low-paying jobs. How can anyone live on the $7.20 an hour minimum wage?

And yes, those working low-paying jobs do pay taxes. The average sales tax in South Carolina is 7.2 percent.

This story was originally published January 31, 2017 at 5:48 PM with the headline "Letters: Most poor people are not lazy."