Public Assistance

I grew up in a place very much in the grip of "too much assistance" from the government Food Stamps program. I have consequently always held a negative view of the program. It wasn't one thing that soured my view, but a combination.

First was the unfortunate fact that several (I'll extend that to most) people on the program appear or smell dirty and generally seem of below average intelligence. (I know how judgmental the above statement sounds, but I've just sat here for fifteen minutes reading and rereading and I have to say that it's an honest reflection of my thoughts and accurate observations.)
Second is that I never saw my family on it. My mom assures me that at one point we did have food stamps, but that she doesn't believe a person ought to stay on the program longer than they actually need. I don't remember it, but I do remember my mom opening and operating her own state licensed daycare. You can bet that was hard, taking care of other children all day in addition to her own four.
Third is that I come from a stubborn area and extra stubborn stock. We have pride, we can farm, we have never been rich or pampered, and most of us know God. What more should a person need? Taking assistance is selling-out and giving up, and we look down upon those people.

I recently read an article that startled the daylights out of me. It illustrates the fact that the government wants to (and is) desperately encouraging enrollment in the program even though 1 in 7 Americans are already part of it. The tone of the article is that the government is only offering to help and if we would only trust them and let them show us how much better it would be on the SNAP or equivalent assistance program, we'd be so much happier. We shouldn't be so prideful that we won't accept the "help" because it will add desperately needed dollars to our town/village/city's economy.

I do not understand how someone could take assistance permanently and feel satisfied. Are we not glorified pets of the government then? Provided for and well-trained, not earning our keep but available for our master's amusement because of miss-placed loyalty. Fat and happy and content and controlled.

I believe we as a country need to start standing up for ourselves and working hard. It's such a foreign concept that we might not be in a perfectly climate controlled place, that we might have to work and wait for our food, even though our grandparents lived without such conveniences as we have today, we could never contemplate it. It is considered so far out there that those who would actively choose that life are looked upon as unstable, crazy, uneducated, and possibly dangerous. It's not right.

We need to change. We need to start refusing government assistance in any form, because until we do, we will be under the thumb of a master all too happy to have us right where we are wanted: dependent.

I found this article especially moving and motivating; she also links to the same article I read, above.