The Stink of Government Aid
Welfare, as defined in Webster’s
Dictionary is: the state of doing well especially in respect to good fortune,
happiness, well-being, or prosperity.
The second definition it gives is that welfare can come as aid in the
form of money or necessities for those in need, also as an agency or program
through which such aid is distributed.
Welfare has been around for nearly two hundred years. In the 1800’s, the government focused on
creating programs for the poor to be able to work. The government did not just want to hand out
money to the poor, they wanted to assist the poor with training, education and
work ethic. During the Great Depression,
possibly the most well-known era in which Government Aid was a great necessity,
many families who previously were self-sustained, relied on Government Aid to
get them by. In 1996, President Bill
Clinton signed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation
Act. Under the act, the federal
government gives annual lump sums to the states to use to assist the poor. In turn the states must adhere to certain
criteria to ensure that those receiving aid are being encouraged to move from
welfare to work.(welfareinfo.org)
Currently, there are more than
twelve million Americans on welfare.
This does not include food stamp, medical assistance, or unemployment,
according to the data listed on the website, Statistics Brain/welfare. The unemployment rate in America right now is
around ten million, according to the latest research updated in February of
2014 from the Bureau of Labor Statistics U.S. Department of Labor. As you can see, only two million out of the
twelve are out of work. That means, that
even though people are working, they are not being able to get by without some
help. So the question is, are American’s
lazy and unwilling to work, or is it a larger problem across the board that
needs to be addressed?
Throughout history, as pointed out,
the poor have always been among us, and the government has worked hard to
assist them. Then why are we still
continuing to require such programs to assist the poor? What isn't working? Chances are you will either know someone who
is receiving aid in some form, or you will find yourself requiring some government
aid, in your lifetime. What factors may
cause this? The single parent in which
it is nearly impossible to be able to take care of household and employment obligations. The lawyer, who at one time was making over
$100,000 a year, more than enough to sustain a comfortable lifestyle, involved
in an automobile accident in which he lost both of his legs, and his car, and
is now unable to work. Maybe a young
couple in love decided to get married, the husband joins the military to be
able to take care of his family and he loses his life. Now, the wife, a lonely widow, possibly
pregnant, with no income and now a new baby on the way to support.
When we are at the grocery store
waiting behind someone paying with food stamps, or WIC checks, do we get impatient? Do we scan over their items on the belt with
judging eyes? Do we judge them for
getting “free” food and feeling a bit bitter that we have to pay for our food
with our own hard earned money?
As someone who is currently finding
themselves in a new position of requiring assistance, I have to remind myself every
day of the years of work, and taxes paid, I have behind me. That even though I may be in a position of
need at the moment, the bridge of Government Aid that I receive right now will
help me get back to a self-sustaining position.
As an American citizen utilizing every skill I possess to follow
President Clinton’s Act of 1996, I hope to be able to remember this time in my
life, and the next time I am at the grocery store waiting in line behind
someone taking extra time to pay for their food with WIC, I will have a bit
more patience and be less quick to judge how this person got to a place of
requiring a hand out.
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