We Need Enough For Those Who Have Little - 1826 Words

Introduction: a.Attention Getting Device: â€Å"The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much, it is whether we provide enough for those who have little†-Franklin Roosevelt b.Thesis: In order to save our infrastructure, to eliminate poverty, and to project ourselves as the industrial power of the world once again, we must redefine our welfare system. c. Our cities, once the hubs of industrial prosperity, now house the massive crypts of a once glorious past. Our roads and bridges are falling apart, while our competitors are creating high speed monorails. 45 million Americans currently live below the poverty line (Mark Gongloff, September 16, 2014), constantly jumping from one job to another†¦show more content†¦This report shows without argument that America’s bridges are in dire need of repair. (Associated Press, September 15th, 2013) i.In fact, based on a USA Today article, the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge in Washington, DC has had repeated worries of its eventual collapse. Out of fear of collapse, DC officials had to shore up the bridge with beams to ensure that it did not collapse into the Anacostia River. (Associated Press, September 15th, 2013) c.According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, the inland waterways of the United States have not been updated since the 1950s, causing many incidents where officials have to stop traffic. These incidents can cause the United States to lose a lot of revenue from trade. (American Society of Engineers, 2013) i.How can we be considered a decent trade partner when we cannot even trade among ourselves? (Rhetorical) (This infrastructural collapse, while horrible, also gives us an opening to overhaul unemployment) 3.Main Argument: Unemployment is not working a.There are 7.8 million men and women currently unemployed in America, 25.8% of which are long term unemployed. This number while it has decreased since the Recession, has been relatively stagnant around this number. It seems as though we have grown accustomed to the fact that there will always be a group of people unemployed. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 8 July 2016) b.The United