Posted by
"Mind and Morals" Michael Coyne on Tuesday, December 02, 2008 5:30:33 PM
After sparking some rage from one of my classmates, I felt
the need to examine the issues of poverty and welfare in America.
This classmate of mine got tremendously upset when I said,
“There is no shame in asking for government aid if you absolutely need it. But
the sad fact is that many of the people who currently receive assistance either
don’t actually need it or could work if they so chose.” He subsequently asked
if I had ever had to apply for food stamps (which, fortunately, I haven’t) and
ranted about how humiliating it was. He insisted that very few people on
government aid were actually abusing the privilege. I didn’t have the facts or
figures in front of me, so I let him ramble on (clearly, I had struck a nerve,
and I didn’t want the whole thing to appear to be me picking on any unfortunate
experience he might have had).
Now obviously, I am aware that most people who are in a
situation to take government aid of any kind (unemployment, disability, food
stamps, etc.) do indeed need it. And that’s fine. It is usually not their fault
that they are in their situation. But what my classmate failed to realize is
that defeat is a temporary condition.
“A man is not finished when he is defeated, he is finished
when he quits.” I’m using that quote at least four times a week lately. But I
digress. A person should not ever be ashamed to admit that he needs help.
People suffer defeats. People lose battles. But there is always the opportunity
to get back on your feet. My point is that too many people take the other
route: they quit. They stop fighting, stop trying, and just let life happen to
them. These are the people who I have a problem with. THESE are the people who
should be humiliated.
The fact is that approximately 3.5 out of 10 Americans on
some form of Government aid don’t actually need it. These are people who claim
disabilities they don’t have, apply for food stamps when they don’t actually
have to, or simply decide that unemployment extensions are easier than actually
finding work. This accounts for a dangerous stereotype that permeates people’s
thoughts, the idea that anyone who is in need could get out. This is obviously
not true.
That 35% of Americans on assistance are legitimate dangers
to those who really do need help. It is this 35%—the quitters—who should be ashamed. Not
the other 65%. Those people should hold their heads high. It is a show of
strength, not impotence, to admit that you need help. People go through hard
times, and sometimes, they need help getting through those times. But defeat
should never bring shame. For me, it brings determination. When I am defeated,
my resolve triples. I look not to my past defeats, but to my future victories.
I don’t hope for things to get better; I make them better.
So, I’d like to thank my classmate for launching me into this
blarticle. I appreciate the topic. And I also appreciate the struggle that it
sounds like you went through. You should not be humiliated by hardship. You
should be only emboldened by it.