--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People in the city are poor because they…" description: "\"“People in the city are poor because they are oppressed, discriminated against and alienated; people in the country are poor because they're too stupid..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf8/garret-keizer-34804_kids_people-in-the-city-are-poor-because-they_2649810.jpg" --- # People in the city are poor because they are oppressed… ![“People in the city are poor because they are oppressed, discriminated against and alienated; people in the country are poor because they're too stupid to realize they ought to be living in the city.” quote by Garret Keizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf8/garret-keizer-34804_kids_people-in-the-city-are-poor-because-they_2649810.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf8/garret-keizer-34804_kids_people-in-the-city-are-poor-because-they_2649810.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf8/garret-keizer-34804_kids_people-in-the-city-are-poor-because-they_2649810.jpg) > ““People in the city are poor because they are oppressed, discriminated against and alienated; people in the country are poor because they're too stupid to realize they ought to be living in the city.”” [Garret Keizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garret-keizer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Urban poverty stems from systemic oppression; rural poverty from lack of awareness or ambition **In simple terms:** City hardship is imposed; country hardship is self‑inflicted Key Takeaway Address systemic injustice and promote education Themes poverty inequality awareness Mood critical analytical Type essay sociopolitical When to use this quote - policy reform - community development - education initiatives Key Concepts sociology political economy Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance support for both contexts? - What role does opportunity play? A Different Perspective Oversimplifies rural challenges and ignores structural factors ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Living in the city](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/living-in-the-city/) [Oppressed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oppressed/) [Poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poverty/) [Rural](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rural/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Teaching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teaching/) ## Related quotes > [Any city, however small, is in fact divided into two, one the city of the poor, the other of the rich; these are at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/any-city-however-small-is-in-fact-divided-into-two-one-the-city-of/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [Its all big money, high rent, high prices in New York City now. The poor people completely got rolled over. I've never seen anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-bakshi/its-all-big-money-high-rent-high-prices-in-new-york-city-now-the-poor/) [Ralph Bakshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-bakshi/) > [When I talk about the city, I talk about a city that elevates people, which is the strength of New York. We always had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sal-albanese/when-i-talk-about-the-city-i-talk-about-a-city-that-elevates-people/) [Sal Albanese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sal-albanese/) > [An advanced city is not one where even the poor use cars, but rather one where even the rich use public transport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enrique-pe-alosa-londo-o/an-advanced-city-is-not-one-where-even-the-poor-use-cars-but-rather/) Enrique Peñalosa Londoño > [In the end, we may be hurting the very people we should be concerned about - the inner-city poor, those who already have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-thompson/in-the-end-we-may-be-hurting-the-very-people-we-should-be-concerned/) [Fred Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-thompson/) > [In order for us as poor and oppressed people to become part of a society that is meaningful, the system under which we now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-baker/in-order-for-us-as-poor-and-oppressed-people-to-become-part-of-a/) [Ella Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-baker/) > [The Bible has been the Magna Charta of the poor and of the oppressed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/the-bible-has-been-the-magna-charta-of-the-poor-and-of-the-oppressed/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [The Bible has been the Magna Carta of the poor and of the oppressed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/the-bible-has-been-the-magna-carta-of-the-poor-and-of-the-oppressed/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [God's Word teaches a very hard, disturbing truth. Those who neglect the poor and the oppressed are really not God's people at all—no matter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-j-sider/god-s-word-teaches-a-very-hard-disturbing-truth-those-who-neglect-the/) [Ronald J. Sider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-j-sider/) > [Institutions work this way. A son is murdered by the police, and nothing is done. The institutions send the victim's family on a merry-go-round,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-newton/institutions-work-this-way-a-son-is-murdered-by-the-police-and/) [Huey Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-newton/) > [If our church is not marked by caring for the poor, the oppressed, the hungry, we are guilty of heresy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ignatius-of-loyola/if-our-church-is-not-marked-by-caring-for-the-poor-the-oppressed-the/) [Ignatius of Loyola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ignatius-of-loyola/) > [So here is the Great Society. It's the time - and it's going to be soon - when nobody in this country is poor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-b-johnson/so-here-is-the-great-society-it-s-the-time-and-it-s-going-to-be-soon/) [Lyndon B. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-b-johnson/) > [“In general, the liberal experiment seemed to have failed to put forward a development programme for the country's poor, who continued to constitute more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tarek-osman/in-general-the-liberal-experiment-seemed-to-have-failed-to-put/) [Tarek Osman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tarek-osman/) > [It is more difficult to fight poverty in a rich country than in a poor one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/it-is-more-difficult-to-fight-poverty-in-a-rich-country-than-in-a/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [“One could only hope that this country, which had always been poor – not through a lack of resources, but because Portugal had decided…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farida-karodia/one-could-only-hope-that-this-country-which-had-always-been-poor-not/) [Farida Karodia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farida-karodia/) ## More by Garret Keizer > [“I'd probably put those salt and pepper shakers away now, David, because we're about to be visited by dribbling cannibal psychopath and we wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garret-keizer/i-d-probably-put-those-salt-and-pepper-shakers-away-now-david-because/) [Garret Keizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garret-keizer/) > [“My master gives me bread and beer and every good thing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garret-keizer/my-master-gives-me-bread-and-beer-and-every-good-thing/) [Garret Keizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garret-keizer/) > [“Killt him a b'ar when he was only three.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garret-keizer/killt-him-a-b-ar-when-he-was-only-three/) [Garret Keizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garret-keizer/) > [“Teachers who complain 'These kids have no work ethic' couldn't be farther off the mark. The problem is not that these kids lack a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garret-keizer/teachers-who-complain-these-kids-have-no-work-ethic-couldn-t-be/) [Garret Keizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garret-keizer/) > [“If God came to India, he'd have to come as bread. If God came to Willoughby union he'd have to came as what?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garret-keizer/if-god-came-to-india-he-d-have-to-come-as-bread-if-god-came-to/) [Garret Keizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garret-keizer/) > [“If you can sustain the insight that people are doing the best they can--if you can maintain some faith that this is an insight--you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garret-keizer/if-you-can-sustain-the-insight-that-people-are-doing-the-best-they/) [Garret Keizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garret-keizer/) > [“So beer is our bread?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garret-keizer/so-beer-is-our-bread/) [Garret Keizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garret-keizer/) > [ “Our advertising and even our arts convey the idea that we \[Americans\] as a society are brash, irreverent, and free of all constraint, when… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garret-keizer/our-advertising-and-even-our-arts-convey-the-idea-that-we-americans/) [Garret Keizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garret-keizer/) > [“I try to remember what I have too often forgotten to my peril: as far as teaching goes, when all you are is right,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garret-keizer/i-try-to-remember-what-i-have-too-often-forgotten-to-my-peril-as-far/) [Garret Keizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garret-keizer/) > [“Everyone believes in sin, the people who charge their peers with political incorrectness and the people who regard political correctness as the bogey of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garret-keizer/everyone-believes-in-sin-the-people-who-charge-their-peers-with/) [Garret Keizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garret-keizer/) > [“We inculcate in our children the sensibilities of raccoons, a fascination with shiny objects and an appetite for garbage, and then carp about 'the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garret-keizer/we-inculcate-in-our-children-the-sensibilities-of-raccoons-a/) [Garret Keizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garret-keizer/) > [“The bottom line here -- and I use the phrase with an eye to the mind-set that promotes these 'systems' -- is that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garret-keizer/the-bottom-line-here-and-i-use-the-phrase-with-an-eye-to-the-mind-set/) [Garret Keizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garret-keizer/) > [“As we're told that 10 percent of all high school education will be computer-based by 2014 and rise to 50 percent by 2019, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garret-keizer/as-we-re-told-that-10-percent-of-all-high-school-education-will-be/) [Garret Keizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garret-keizer/) [Explore all 14 Garret Keizer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garret-keizer/) ## More Kids quotes > [I would tell kids not be like me, but to try and be better than me. Because I always wanted to be better than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danica-patrick/i-would-tell-kids-not-be-like-me-but-to-try-and-be-better-than-me/) [Danica Patrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danica-patrick/) > [You gotta have a little kid in you to play football.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-edwards/you-gotta-have-a-little-kid-in-you-to-play-football/) [Herman Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-edwards/) > [With young kids (I have four including the newborn) times passes weirdly for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-s-kemp/with-young-kids-i-have-four-including-the-newborn-times-passes/) [Paul S. Kemp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-s-kemp/) > [I love playing for my country, getting the support. Especially for the kids and everybody, showing my example of what I can achieve so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/i-love-playing-for-my-country-getting-the-support-especially-for-the/) [Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/) > [The thing about hitting kids is, think about if you were doing the same thing to another adult. Hitting your kid is really the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/the-thing-about-hitting-kids-is-think-about-if-you-were-doing-the/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) > [I talk to my mates about our kids, being too tired and being worn out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-willoughby/i-talk-to-my-mates-about-our-kids-being-too-tired-and-being-worn-out/) [Holly Willoughby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-willoughby/) > [I've got three kids, so there's not much downtime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-froning-jr/i-ve-got-three-kids-so-there-s-not-much-downtime/) [Rich Froning Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-froning-jr/) > [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [We were so poor as kids. I didn't even see a bathtub, running water, hot water, commode - we didn't have any of that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-robertson/we-were-so-poor-as-kids-i-didn-t-even-see-a-bathtub-running-water-hot/) [Phil Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-robertson/) > [My greatest memories as a kid were playing sports with my dad and watching sports with my dad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-teixeira/my-greatest-memories-as-a-kid-were-playing-sports-with-my-dad-and/) [Mark Teixeira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-teixeira/) > [We did an episode where she goes out to get a job and she gets fired because she's not good. They hire a babysitter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-heaton/we-did-an-episode-where-she-goes-out-to-get-a-job-and-she-gets-fired/) [Patricia Heaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-heaton/) > [Guns have little or nothing to do with juvenile violence. The causes of youth violence are working parents who put their kids into daycare,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-delay/guns-have-little-or-nothing-to-do-with-juvenile-violence-the-causes/) [Tom DeLay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-delay/) > [I bet plants go like 'Weeeeeeeee!' whenever they're swallowed by a giraffe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-bet-plants-go-like-weeeeeeeee-whenever-they-re-swallowed-by-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I once bought my kids a set of batteries for Christmas with a note on it saying, toys not included.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-manning/i-once-bought-my-kids-a-set-of-batteries-for-christmas-with-a-note-on/) [Bernard Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-manning/) [Browse all 18,096 Kids quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“People in the city are poor because they are oppressed, discriminated against and alienated; people in the country are poor because they're too stupid to realize they ought to be living in the city.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Garret Keizer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garret-keizer/people-in-the-city-are-poor-because-they-are-oppressed-discriminated/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Kids" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garret-keizer/people-in-the-city-are-poor-because-they-are-oppressed-discriminated/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf8/garret-keizer-34804_kids_people-in-the-city-are-poor-because-they_2649810.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf8/garret-keizer-34804_kids_people-in-the-city-are-poor-because-they_2649810.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf8/garret-keizer-34804_kids_people-in-the-city-are-poor-because-they_2649810.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“People in the city are poor because they are oppressed, discriminated against and alienated; people in the…” — Garret Keizer", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Garret Keizer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garret-keizer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“People in the city are poor...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garret-keizer/people-in-the-city-are-poor-because-they-are-oppressed-discriminated/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garret-keizer/people-in-the-city-are-poor-because-they-are-oppressed-discriminated/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```