Economic inequality has become a serious global issue as the rich continue to accumulate more wealth while the poor fall further into poverty. True eradication of global poverty requires global cooperation across borders as poverty, oppression, and hunger do not recognize nationality or other social divisions. To adequately address economic inequality, humanity must look past social categories like race, religion, and economic class that separate people, and recognize our shared humanity. Only by transcending borders and providing for all humanity can issues like poverty be fully addressed.

1. Writing Sample: Noah Ripley
Breaking Borders; an Idea to Live by
Economic inequality in the United States and worldwide has become an
increasingly serious social injustice. Capitalism’s free market systems and wealth
transfers, temper global economic disparity. Generation to generation, the rich
become richer, and the poor become poorer. As Americans we somehow justify
global poverty as the responsibility of others. However truly eradicating global
poverty and economic inequality requires global cooperation. Cuban revolutionist
Che Guevara embodied many of these same inherit beliefs, that no matter what
nationality, or race, or religion, we are all human. Poverty, social oppression, and
hunger know no borders, so why should we?
Humanity has lost sight of our own humanity; we are born into categories
that society has already assigned us. Race, religion, nationality, and yes even
economic class have become more than just circumstance; they have become
extensions of our humanity--as if to say Christians and Muslims are different breeds
of humans. Suddenly, “taking care of our own” means that Americans provide only
for other Americans, letting differences dictate our actions. It’s common to hear
someone say we need to get ‘back to our roots.” My message is no different, except it
requires looking beyond the categorical breeds we call our “roots,” and deeper into
what makes us human. Economic inequality can only be addressed when we
transcend social and physical borders, and when humanity provides for humanity.