Allen,South Dakota ( blog # 9)

 


      People have been living well in America for quite some time now but not all all people are living the way we are familiar with. In Allen, South Dakota the population is 420 people,and is listed as the poorest city in the United States.The estimated median household income in 2012 was 17,,548 dollars it was 10, 000 dollars less 12 years before that so its growing but is still a city in extreme poverty. The per capita income in Allen is 2,859$ and i bet some people in our community spend that type of money in a few weeks. Most of the residents their are depressed by the fact that there are no jobs for them not even in surrounding cities due to the current recession. Alcoholism and other drugs is a huge problem on the Indian reservation, "not too many people die of old age here." said Clarence Stood. The 23 year old man, Clarence Stood tried to kill himself at 15 years old but his mom walked in the room right when he was about to and a few years later he overdosed on pills but was rushed to the hospital, he said " this type of life, you got to be strong to live it" and he's completely right. No one deserves to live a life in so much poverty, their is very little food for these people to eat, poor education, small little houses, tiny bedrooms, and many graves due to the amount of people that kill themselves, car accidents, and illness. There is very little opportunity for the people on the reservation and many of the people who live there surprisingly have a difficult time leaving, Clarence stated " I wanted to be somebody at one time but it didn't happen for me because i stayed around here. I had big dreams. I wanted to go as far as my legs would take me". Almost everyone of us in our school district has a great opportunity to be successful later on in our lives that other people across the country do not and we must take advantage of it.


                                                                  David Sherlock