The sociological theories that suggest we're not doomed based on our zip codes is perfectly lovely — "the caste system doesn't exist in the U.S.!" they'll decry — but the systems that keep these long-ranging, incapacitating realities present are heavy beasts to fix. Being poor is very expensive, and even though the solutions seem so clear and obvious, the progressive voices are still too fringe to be taken seriously. Hashtag ugh.