No Shame in being poor

One of my quests in this life is to try to understand why some people “get it” and some people “don’t get it”. For me, this life is really pretty simple. There is “right” and there is “wrong”. For the most part, things are black and white. At least on many, many issues. I really sometimes do not even know where to begin.

I have found that the terms "fairness" and "common sense" is becoming somewhat an endangered species, so-to-speak. What seems fair to some isn't always fair to others.

I was raised and taught from a very early age that this life is not always “fair”, and if you want to make it in this world, you have to overcome issues that are thrown at you. You just got to learn to deal with them. One thing that I have learned was that "hard work" and being a "good person" promises you nothing, but a good night of sleep.

Couple those characteristics along with "persistence", I have found has always managed to keep my chin up and head above the water. If you truly want to succeed, nothing replaces old fashion blood, sweat and tears, and going after opportunities.

I’m getting to my point, and that is we have so many in this country who have been taught the opposite. Taught by, our very own government. They have convinced a large amount of this population that hard work is a waste of time, that there is no shame in being poor. I don’t mean that in a snobbish or a downgrading way, but at one time, being poor was a motivator to hard work, to take that next step, so that your kids would not have to endure such a lifestyle.

Our government has developed the “entitlement” mentality. This, in my opinion is nothing more than a carefully crafted empowerment ploy, by the “progressive” liberal-left. They have deemed it that there is more virtue in allowing others to provide for your livelihood. Judgmental words like "recipients" and "welfare programs" have now been replaced with sanitized words like "clients" and "services". Foodstamps has now been replaced with a credit card named EBT. Now I know that many of these programs have truly helped many, many people since its inception. I am not against citizens helping others who are in need. In fact, most of us have been taught to help the “least of these”. They consisted of the truly down-and-out, the homeless, unemployable, the medically and mentally sick, etc. They also include the working lower middle-class with children who are one paycheck away from being homeless. They are not to be confused with what I refer to as the "free for these".

They are, in my opinion, lower middle-class people "working the system" in order to maintain a middle-class lifestyle. Ironically, and this is just my observation, but they are mostly made up of those who vote democrat. Who have been persuaded that this particular party is there to help them. They are the most vocal for the need of more government "social welfare" programs; uh I mean “entitlement programs”.

Now I fully believe that the American people are the most generous people in the world, who freely give millions and millions of dollars every year, be it through their church, work, and social groups, to charitable organizations. Also it seems that you cannot go a day without hearing about a food drive, benefit concert, or other high-profile charitable drives such as Coats for Kids, Toys for Tots, Shop with a Deputy, and Salvation Army's bell ringers. All of this designed to benefit the "least of these".

But, of course, that is not nearly enough.

Therefore, the Federal, State, and Local governments have created hundreds if not thousands of "social welfare" uh, “entitlement programs” to help lift-up the "least of these". Billions of dollars annually are given, loaned, or otherwise "invested" into them by the American taxpayers.

Yet, that is STILL not enough.

No one is suggesting shutting-down the charitable organizations. I am also quite certain that no government "social welfare" program ever seems to be eliminated. Furthermore, no one, even Republicans, want people to go without food and shelter. However, if someone suggests capping increases in funding those government programs (only Republicans seem to have the nerve) they are labeled as greedy, hateful and mean-spirited.

I say it is time for the government to begin to distinguish the difference between the "least of these" and the "free for these". It is time to cease in demanding more money from those who "Give" and begin demanding more accountability from those who "Receive". Meanwhile, we should encourage Americans to continue to donate money and time to benefit "least of these".