Be sure to sign up for next week’s “poverty simulation”

If you happen to be one of the well-heeled liberals living in the posh environs of Cupertino, California, mark November 2nd on your calendars. The economic disparity in your region is such that those with homes and good jobs in the tech sector are out of touch with their more financially challenged brethren. (Yes, we’re looking at you.) With that in mind, you need some sort of exercise to help you better relate to those living on the other side of the tracks or, more likely, in a cardboard box. Not to worry… the city has you covered. Come on down to the Cupertino Senior Center on the second of the month and take part in a “poverty simulator.” (Free Beacon)

Residents of Cupertino, Calif., and the surrounding enclaves populated by wealthy liberals will soon have the opportunity to attend a government-sponsored “poverty simulation” designed to educate participants on “the reality of a Silicon Valley that grows in disparity as much as prosperity.”

The event will take place on Nov. 2 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Cupertino Senior Center. During the two-hour simulation, participants will “work to overcome barriers to social services, live off insufficient income, and encounter unforeseen economic obstacles along the way,” according to the City of Cupertino website.

The poverty simulation will be hosted by the city and two local nonprofits, West Valley Community Services and Step Up Silicon Valley. The latter group describes itself as a “social innovation network focused on reducing poverty.”

So for two hours on a Saturday morning you will be able to learn how to access social services. I suppose that could come in handy if you lose your job. You’ll also be “living off of insufficient income.” Even if they take all of your money away at the door, how much were you going to spend between ten and noon on Saturday morning? Particularly when you’re inside of a retirement center.

If you’re so well off that you can’t “relate” to the less fortunate, perhaps there’s a better way to make an impact. You could go down to the local soup kitchen with a big bag of bread, cold cuts, cheese, and condiments and start making sandwiches to feed the hungry. You might consider calling the local battered women’s shelter and see if they need any help or donations. Heck, you could just walk down to the areas where the homeless congregate on the streets and start handing out food. I’ve seen people do it.

Nobody is going to learn about the experience of being poor in two hours when they’re just going to walk back outside, hop into their Tesla and drive back to their gated community. Real poverty is figuring out where your next meal is coming from and then not being able to enjoy it because you still have no idea where the next meal will come from. It’s being out on the street and knowing that you won’t have a locked door between you and any potential attackers when you lay your head down to rest that night.

Of course, as Andrew Stiles at the Free Beacon points out, if all you’re really interested in doing is trying to publicly express your opposition to poverty and make sure all of your friends see you doing it, carry on. Sounds like you’ve got this one nailed down pat.