But unfortunately, there are all too many Americans who are incapable of seeing the suffering of those closest to themselves; in fact, they hold such people in unconcealed contempt. They will gladly hold a swank charity ball to benefit refugees in Mali or oppressed peoples in Laos or even illegal aliens in the U.S. But the kinds of struggling people you described mean nothing to them.

And unfortunately, a disproportionate number of the rich and powerful in our country fall into this category.

This phenomenon is almost like a bizarre kind of racism against middle-and lower-class whites that is practiced by upper-class people who are white themselves. But blacks are also victimized by it. Percentually, even more blacks than whites are in the situation you described, and nobody lifts a finger to help them—maybe because they, unlike the illegal aliens, are Americans. If they were foreigners, I’m sure Mr. Hildreth would be promoting their interests too, rather than kicking them as they struggle to hang on to, not even to climb, the ladder to success.