On any given day when you turn on the TV or scroll through your newsfeed, you’re likely to see the latest story on gun laws, net neutrality, or even Congress changing their policies towards transgender individuals serving in the military. While those issues are important, yes, I believe we have much larger, more pressing issues we should be talking about. There’s a reason why people don’t like big government. There’s a reason why people are at unrest and why Trump has gathered such an unfathomable following. This is the first piece of a five-part series where I will address four issues and then tie everything back into our 2016 Election.

Part 1: Why the War on Poverty is All Wrong

Before we dive in I want you to understand that I sincerely care about those living in poverty. I say that because when people hear a fiscal conservative open their mouth, they usually cringe. So hear me out.

During the post-World War II era, America underwent an economic revolution. In 1950, poverty sat at 25 percent, and by 1964, poverty stood at an impressive 14.7 percent. This was because of the vibrant economy during the '50s and JFK’s supply-side tax cuts. Things were good -- really good.

But then Lyndon B. Johnson took the stage and pledged to end poverty by steering America into what he called “The Great Society.” The funny thing is that poverty was already in a downward spiral, Johnson just so happened to claim the rewards. Fifty years later in 2014, poverty is virtually the same, having only increased to 14.8 percent. Looking at those numbers, it’s fair to say that after all of the programs and millions of dollars we’ve handed out, we as a nation haven’t been at all successful in getting rid of poverty.

In a sense, the only difference between then and now is that our government is $17 trillion in debt. I understand the intent behind government handouts is only for the good of the people. I am well aware of the different factors of poverty (from layoffs to single mothers), and I'm wise enough to realize there is no singular solution to the poverty problem.

So how do we fix this issue? Well I can’t say just yet, you’ll have to read “Part II: Why and How We’ve Gotten Education all Wrong” and “Part III: Small Business Really Does Work, Look at the Rest of the World.”

For now I want to get away from the government side of things. Let’s think about society. You see, Western culture is wrapped up around the idea of individualism. People want to be independent. People want to take pride in something. They want honest work, they don’t want to be spoon fed. They are tired of having to rely on a handout instead of a paycheck. Why is that? I believe, in the simplest sense, we as human beings are hardwired for work. I also think that this work ethic is something that’s been watered down and forgotten over the past 50 years. You see, it doesn’t matter how many governmental programs or policies we sign off on, it won't be effective if we can’t get families to raise their kids properly.

That’s the missing piece to this complex solution. Think about it -- our fragmented social structure has created a range of problems. Young men join ISIS so they can have a sense of belonging. Isolated teenagers shoot up schools. Many people grow up in broken, disorganized neighborhoods. Political polarization grows because people often don’t interact with those on the other side. Racial tensions continue to persist. I feel in every one of these issues, there is a single all-important flaw.

Boil these things down to the root of the problem and you usually see an absent parent or, in the worst of cases, no parental figures at all. That’s what’s wrong with America today. Add in socioeconomic factors and it’s no wonder why our country is a shadow of its former self. It’s because families around us left and right are falling into shambles. There’s no stability in family relationships anymore. At least not like it was during the '50s and '60s -- children are starting out further and further behind. It sucks. My heart is heavy because of it. Is there anything we as individuals can do to fix this social structure?

Other than love others, not really.

Again, this is the first of a five-part series where I will individually discuss a handful of political topics, tie each of them together, and then relate them back to the 2016 Election. While this article may have only served to highlight the problem of poverty with no real solution, stay on the lookout because next week's article will provide some actual answers.