"God bless America. They'll give you a hand out before they'll give you a job.."?

Question

The above quote is from the movie The War. How many of you think that it is true?

Also, I live in south/east Kentucky, and sadly poverty is very abundant here. But what I don't get is this: I see hard workers all the time, working double shifts and barely making enough money to put food on the table. I also see lazy people, not even working but are living in the big time because the government will support them. However, when the person who works hard but still isn't making enough goes to the government for a little help they don't give it to them. Sure, they might give them $30 a month for food stamps (at most)....but they give the person who is just too sorry around $600 a month on food stamps. How is the system that messed up?

tankfreak1....I'm only 17, no need to be rude.

Answer 1

I agree. I think it is a crime that there are people in America who work everyday, have children, try to live a nice life and are the working poor. And they have less than those folks who are getting help from the government. I do have a solution. I think everyone who gets help should be working for us, the people, doing whatever they are capable of. Child care should be provided and work should be mandatory to get $. All I know is that back around WWII, FDR put together programs, I think the TVA, etc, but men went to work building bridges and working on the infrastructure. We are told are bridges are obsolete and need to be replaced.. Why not? There is a great workforce. There are 10 zillion menial jobs that could also be done-pick up the trash along the roadside, clean and fix up parks etc. and for those physically challenged-perhaps filing, whatever depending on abilities. It should be very difficult to be on any type of welefare and not be working and very difficult to stay on it. And the other problem-all the abusers of the system. We need to boot them off of it. We need to come up with a working system rather than enabling people to be unproductive member of society.

Answer 2

The truth is, welfare programs don't cost the government that much. Most of our taxes go to transportation, schools, public safety, and national security; things that both rich and poor benefit from. The problem is that many employers don't offer a living wage, and social programs are limited in the amounts they can offer- only to those who need the most. People just above poverty, who work part or full-time, get less benefits, because they have "some" income. Not to be sarcastic, but I don't consider those who live off of welfare programs 'living in the big time.' I guess it is a choice in a certain way, make some of your own money and get smaller benefits, or sit home and do nothing and get a little more? Admittedly, neither sound that good.

Answer 3

I'm not religious, but I do have heavy sociological / anthropological background. If you feel the need to "fear" your God, then it's because you feel guilty for something, or you want to feel victimized. Most folks don't fear their God. They love their God. God is like the ultimate leader. As Machiavelli said, a good leader must be both loved and feared. If he is just loved, then people will still do what they want against his wishes at times. If he is just feared, then they won't love their own lives, only doing what he wants out of fear of ramifications. If they love and fear him, then they will do what he wants out of love and respect first, and out of fear second. Let me try to use a different analogy for God... God, in most peoples' eyes, is like a good parent. A good parent uses 2 parts love and 1 part discipline to ensure people lead a good life. 1 part love is unconditional. God loves you unconditionally, because you are his creation. (Just as a parent loves their child unconditionally). 1 part love is for positive reinforcement. God shows you love to reward your good behavior. This is what most folks call "blessings", "miracles", etc. Parents do the same with them children; give them hugs when they succeed. 1 part discipline is used for negative reinforcement. God punishes people when they've been bad. Parents do the same to children. Now, most people will follow a Godly life simply because they respect and love God due to 1 part unconditional love, and 1 part positive reinforcement. If that doesn't work then they fear the 1 part discipline. However, what's "blessing" and "punishment" from God is subjective. Different religions, and even individuals, may see something as a blessing while others see it as a curse. Everyone can see whatever they want into something. When a mother hugs a child, it's pretty tangible that it's a hug. But, when a person finds $5 on the street is that a blessing? What if it just enables them to do something bad? I think the better way to look at God is that he gives people chances. The $5 is an opportunity. How the person chooses to use that opportunity dictates whether it's a "blessing" or "curse".

Answer 4

i also live in eastern Kentucky and see the same things you see. it is sad. my grandma farmed all of her life and worked after my grandpa died. she gets 15 dollars a month in food stamps and lives on a fixed income drawing her social security. she makes it but that's it. then i see an abundance of people that get 400-600 a week in food stamps (work in grocery store part time while in college) and sell 200 of that to others for 100 dollars so they can buy drugs and by the end of the month their kids have no food to eat. it is a messed up world and there are always people taking advantage. we just have to deal with it. i don't feel it will ever get better.

Answer 5

this doesn't happen only in Kentucky but all over the other 49 states.
This hard workers that a working double shift are proud people and
refuse to beg for pennies. I commend them.

It's the fault of the government that screening for these benefits
are left to people who are not highly motivated to look in the
background of the fraudulent ones.

Answer 6

Isn't it sad that's how America is run?

There are too many government programs that give the handouts (plus those who abuse the system). I was happy when welfare reform went through here in WI. People have to prove they are trying to get a job in order to keep getting monetary help.

There needs to be more hard nosed enforcement. There's far too many "feel good" programs.

Answer 7

You are so right!!!

If you come to this country as an immigrant illegal or not, you are given free housing, free medical, free education, free loans, AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY ANY TAXES FOR 7 YEARS!!!

But let a citizen go and ask for a little help and they make you jump through all kinds of hoops, go to useless job classes and fill out tons of paperwork for $30.00 worth of food stamps.

Americans really need to wakeup!!!

Answer 8

I guess it's better to be useless than to work double shifts for people who are barely paying you enough to eat. How is that system so messed up?

Answer 9

I blame the politicians (both parties) who neglect the blue collar worker for big business (republicans) and the politicians who neglect the blue collar worker for the lazy individuals who want freebies (democrats).

Answer 10

Blame the liberals... they are the ones in favor of welfare and government handouts... it if wasn't for gov. programs like that, taxes would be a lot lower and the people who work hard would have more money in their pay checks...