Time to challenge some "conservative" thoughts about welfare.

Recently I read this...

"PUT ME IN CHARGE . . .

Put me in charge of food stamps. I'd get rid of Lone Star cards; no cash for Ding Dongs or Ho Ho's, just money for 50-pound bags of rice and beans, blocks of cheese and all the powdered milk you can haul away. If you want steak and frozen pizza, then get a job.

Put me in charge of Medicaid. The first thing I'd do is to get women Norplant birth control implants or tubal ligations. Then, we'll test recipients for drugs, alcohol, and nicotine. If you want to reproduce or use drugs, alcohol, or smoke, then get a job.

Put me in charge of government housing. Ever live in a military barracks? You will maintain our property in a clean and good state of repair. Your home" will be subject to inspections anytime and possessions will be inventoried. If you want a plasma TV or Xbox 360, then get a job and your own place.

In addition, you will either present a check stub from a job each week or you will report to a "government" job. It may be cleaning the roadways of trash, painting and repairing public housing, whatever we find for you. We will sell your 22 inch rims and low profile tires and your blasting stereo and speakers and put that money toward the "common good.."

Before you write that I've violated someone's rights, realize that all of the above is voluntary. If you want our money, accept our rules. Before you say that this would be "demeaning" and ruin their "self esteem," consider that it wasn't that long ago that taking someone else's money for doing absolutely nothing was demeaning and lowered self esteem.

If we are expected to pay for other people's mistakes we should at least attempt to make them learn from their bad choices. The current system rewards them for continuing to make bad choices.

AND While you are on Gov't subsistence, you no longer can VOTE! Yes, that is correct. For you to vote would be a conflict of interest. You will voluntarily remove yourself from voting while you are receiving a Gov't welfare check. If you want to vote, then get a job.

Now, if you have the guts - PASS IT ON...I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO GET THIS BACK, IF EVERYONE SENDS IT, I WILL GET OVER 220 BACK!!! I WOULD KNOW YOU SENT IT ON!!!"

This was posted by a friend of mine on FaceBook. and I had to respond.

"Sorry a little too simple a solution! What you are saying is they never get to have anything like a Christmas present from a loved one because you do not approve of them having anything nice... The attitude here is they are poor they MUST suffer!

"If you want a plasma t.v. or an X-Box, Get a job"
Really? what if they had that from BEFORE THEY NEEDED HELP? you expect them to get rid of EVERYTHING they own because you do not approve of them having it? how are you any better than the liberals who want to take your hard earned money away to give it to the poor for welfare?

According to this person, the poor cannot have balanced nutrition just "beans, rice and dried milk" and I bet then you will complain that they do not have a healthy diet ("oh and how HORRIBLE it is that they are obese or always in the doctor's office, those lazy sluggards just trying to get out of a day's work") And then you will deny them the chance of EVER having a child even though they are just currently in a TEMPORARY state where they just can't make ends meet?

Now to top it all off we will deny them the ability to try to put people into office who will help them to get OUT of the poverty they are in by voting for someone who will help them get jobs or an education that will lead them to being a productive member of society? Yes I know that that is a rare thing but there ARE people with work ethics out there who simply fall into a bad place and need help out.

SO, Maybe the FIRST thing we ought to do is stop judging them (you do not know why they are in this spot) and encourage them to lift themselves up.
Maybe, I don't know, give them help that will GET THEM OUT OF POVERTY instead of condemning them for something that they may not have any control over, perhaps because no one ever took the time to teach them how to lift themselves up in the first place.
The real problem with today's welfare is that it is DESIGNED to keep the people on it in a continuous state of slavery and servitude, even if/when they want to grow and be more! Try fixing THAT part first."

After all, And this is for both my Liberal and Conservative friends... If you GIVE a man a fish he eats for a day, If you TEACH a man to fish he eats for his whole life. Libs, STOP just giving him fish! Cons, TEACH Him how to fish. maybe then we can stop arguing about this.