As we go about our media-drenched, distracted lives, there's an incredible trifecta of anniversaries this year not being discussed. Knowing full well that our country and culture are based on tradition, legacy and hard-fought freedom, these anniversaries should not go without tribute.
In chronological order, the first is the 100th anniversary of the death of Jacob Riis. He was the muckraking journalist who disturbed the sensibilities of the majority of otherwise distracted, apathetic, busy, working people. His still-influential work and rousing book, "How the Other Half Lives" led to the cleanup of countless slums and unsanitary conditions, helping millions out of poverty. President Theodore Roosevelt referred to the Danish-born Riis as the "ideal American."
Secondly, the 50th anniversary of President Lyndon Johnson's "War on Poverty" ought to be acknowledged for its breadth, scope and achievement. While we still have excessive poverty, countless studies prove Johnson's program lifted and continues to lift millions out of poverty every year, in spite of the steady and deliberate dismantling of the program since its inception.
Much has been achieved, but nowhere near the success of most other industrialized nations. America sits nearly at the bottom of a list of 35 countries, ranking 34th, just above Romania, with one in five American children below the poverty line.
This shameful statistic is the result of the same apathetic, blame-the-victim mentality used to defend and justify no action during Riis' time to stop the Irish potato famine, or any social program of the last 200 years. This degree of indifference is not nearly as common in our peer, modern, industrialized countries.
A 2008 study by a team of from the University of Chicago, Northwestern and Georgetown on the economic costs of childhood poverty in the United States estimates the aggregate annual costs to the U.S. economy — earnings, crime, impacts to crime victims and quality of health later in life — at $500 billion per year, or the equivalent of nearly 4 percent of gross domestic product.
Even if one can ignore the immorality or inhumanity of hungry, stressed and abused children, this still ought to be intolerable, if we truly intend to be economically competitive with the other major economies of the world. The authors further emphasize that "if anything, this calculation likely understates the true annual losses associated with U.S. poverty."
The argument that poverty is still with us and therefore the "war" was lost ignores the countless examples of children who grew into productive adults because of Head Start, food stamps and Medicaid. It ignores the countless adults who found work because of government action. From our nation's earliest years, we invested public dollars in canals, railroads, land grants, colleges, the GI Bill and more as a way to make us more competitive, efficient and just.
Economists estimate that the original GI Bill returned $8 for every dollar spent. The acclaimed late historian Stephen Ambrose called it, "the best piece of legislation ever passed by the U.S. Congress."
Finally, to complete the trifecta, let us not forget the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s inspiring Nobel Peace Prize award. Being the youngest recipient at the time, his commitment to fighting poverty and injustice was celebrated around the world. King stated in his acceptance speech "I accept this award today with an abiding faith in America and an audacious faith in the future of mankind. ... I refuse to accept the idea that man ... is unable to influence the unfolding events which surround him."
In other words, our future growth, prosperity and security are a conscious national choice. Will we truly choose to honor these past achievements with action?
Charles Moore of Rensselaer is an urban and regional planner and author of "Path to Progress: Innovative Solutions for Growth, Prosperity and Security."