Readers' voice -- on poverty law.

This special feature on Poverty Law grew, not only out of our own interests here at LawNow, but even more from our readers' concerns. In a Readers' Survey, LawNow readers said that poverty was the most important social issue in Canada, particularly the way in which poverty affects families. In a subsequent Editor's Notebook, I reported on that survey and summed up the description of LawNow readers (and staff) this way:

"We are people who engage in activities -- some voluntarily, but also professionally -- that we believe will build our country and its democracy. We are people who do not necessarily wish to fight across the old-fashioned lines of right and left, but who seek common ground and the public good."

This issue, then, is a response to our readers' concerns and an attempt to open a discussion of the public good, the ways in which poverty transforms our society, and the ways that LawNow and our readers may work to change a world which harbours too much poverty.

Because this is such an important issue, we are asking readers to respond to this featured theme. Tell us how poverty -- and the laws which affect those in poverty -- has touched your lives. Let us know if the articles we have presented are useful to you, and how you might be using them. What else can LawNow provide for you in the way of articles, columns, online services, that can help us work together in this particular area.

Please answer the questions below and add your own thoughts and concerns. We need to hear your voices loud and clear to carry on this discussion.

Readers Survey

1. Which poverty law articles in this...