The truth is that our constitutional, financial, and personal freedoms as Americans are being diminished by the day. The intervention in our every day lives is astounding and, ultimately, destructive to the ideals on which this country was founded; that as citizens we were endowed with the unalienable rights of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.......and “to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.” Sadly, I think a vast number of people in this country have forgotten what it is to be an “American” citizen. We are not “citizens of the world.”
Those of you who suggest that government is there to protect the weakest of us are misled into thinking that it was always thus or that it is a good thing. I refer, in this case, to welfare etal. At its inception, “relief” as it was once called began as a result of the depression of 1930’s and was supposed to be a temporary helping hand for folks on hard times. It was once considered an embarrassment to be on relief because the individual had a sense of pride and self worth. Out of this act of generosity by the government (the taxpayer) was borne the “New Deal” (social security etal) and “The Great Society,” (housing and urban development etal) both well-intentioned but ultimately failed policies. While charity would seem righteous by definition, it should be tempered with “tough love” and limits. Only then is the individual truly “helped” by offering them a way out and a different path to follow.
Today, welfare and other social programs have morphed into a gigantic, out of control, untenable social system that is bankrupting our country. The intent of these programs have gone from one of temporary help to a way of life for far too many of our citizens, which is encouraged by the power brokers in Washington, as well as at the state level. It has gotten so bad that we are now giving hard earned taxpayer money to illegal aliens, instead of closing the borders and deporting those who break our laws…yes we supposedly have laws on the books to stop illegal entry into the country, as we should, being a sovereign nation…so much for the rule of law. For those of you who say that our ancestors were illegal immigrants. Some were; however, they were not given taxpayer welfare as soon as they stepped off the boat or crawled over the wall. Many who came over as immigrants had relatives that agreed to take them in, house them, feed them, and find them work. They made their own way and thrived after a couple of generations even in the face of long odds – I refer to the Irish, as an example, who were ostracized for being Irish, shunned by the establishment and not allowed to work in many industries or take advantage of other opportunities. Nonetheless, they picked themselves up, dusted themselves off, and moved forward. But, I digress.
I suggest that because of these well meaning but, ultimately, insidious notions, there are a vast number of citizens in this country that have been borne and indoctrinated into a way of life that is unhealthy for their minds, bodies, and souls and one they find nearly impossible to leave or from which to escape. They have been denied the hope and the opportunity at a better life, not because of the white man or the rich man, but because they are “taken care of” by the government. This leaves them with little, if any, incentive to work hard and reach for the promise that is America because they grow up in a world of despair created by those who claim to be their protectors, their champions. By coddling these citizens, the government is denying them the dignity and desire to become more than their circumstance will allow. In effect, the “politician” has built and maintained the lifestyle of the poorest among us. The “War on Poverty” has been waging for decades and we are no closer to, in fact are further from, the desired outcome, even after spending trillions of taxpayer dollars on the issue.
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