Are we stupid for not being Welfare Bums?

I've seen people who use the system as well and it makes me mad as hell to see people sit on their ass collecting free cash from the hard working tax payers, when they are as able to work as all the hard working people out there.

The world would go broke if everyone did this.

I could do it very easily, but I don't because it's not right to take advantage of others and for a matter of pride.

Re: Are we stupid for not being Welfare Bums?


Self respect is still an issue, isn't it?

This depends on how many people one believes someone can get away with it under the new welfare laws passed during the Clinton Administration. I guess it doesn't matter what the government does with welfare, there will always be complaints about it being a necessary evil. That also depends on whether one really feels it is evil. I can certainly think of at least one-hundred other things that beat welfare.

What stops us? Pride and self-respect. Dignity and honor. All of that old tired character/morality stuff that our parents worked so hard to instill in us.

Yup!

Maybe it's as simple as having self-respect.

Yup ;-)

Screw that! I wanna be a beach bum!

LOL!

Ya still need money to be a beach bum.

I am not religious, but believe in The Seven Deadly Sins, to make us better people. This stuff is well beyond the Ten Commandment, written for children. 'Thou shall not kill', duh! Every adult knows this. What every adult does not know is how to make ourselves better people.

Did you know Pride is among the Seven Deadly Sins? As an Agnostic, I believe these words as true. Read it and interpretations. There are many on a net search. I feel this is valuable information from an adult perspective. Just read it and tell me what you think.

Again, I am not religious at all, but think the sin of Pride is worthy, as the others are. I question why my pride should interfere with my ability to provide for myself and children. It has always gotten me in big trouble.

Let me tell you what the sin of Pride has gotten me. I have been evicted from my apartment and lost a good job, because of a wild son, I couldn't stare at while working. I took off almost two years of work. I went home to an abusive husband, who knocked my lights out, to give my kids a home, without robbing the working people.

My abusive husband was put in jail, lost his 20+ year job. I have been left with a multitude of unpaid bills. I got a full time job. Once again, Pride got in the way.

I worked full time for a few weeks. My house got raided by police, top to bottom. My son had some friend, in my house, while I was at work. He sold X to a narcotics agent. I am in serious legal trouble now. They haven't arrested me, but I am writing phone numbers with a Sharpie, for when I get arrested, from home or work.

My husband is an addict of drinking and pot. My son is a pot head also. While I took abuse from my husband, to the point I was beaten bloody and very lucky cops broke it up before I needed plastic surgery of my face and broken ribs, I owed all debt on this house. Not like you can job hunt with a bruised up face!

I got a full time job. I worked. I paid the bills and owe money borrowed to pay before I got a job. I never believed in taking from the working person. I'm about to turn Communist or move to Russia, where they are at least fighting for rights.

I honestly think that I am stupid for even bothering. I could keep these kids under control, but couldn't the second my husband beat me and court ordered removal from this house. No one is home and teens know it. I couldn't stop anything that went on in this house, but am about to have multiple charges against me, for whatever my addict of a husband left behind and my son and friends left in the basement.

I don't smoke pot. I do drink. I don't drink and drive or endanger anyone. That is not among my rights, but is to drink at home, with such stress. When my house, and two others were raided, because of my son's friend, I immediately submitted to a drug test to prove I was not guilty of pot smoking.

I'm a disaster these days, trying to make it an hour at a time. I would love to put a gun in my mouth, but can't do that or would kill, physically or emotionally, my parents, brother, and two children. I have to keep going, somehow.

Why can't I be some welfare bum? At least then, I could have legally protected myself. I work second shift. I work tomorrow. I don't know if I can actually do it. I am an RN, with massive responsibility.

I was threatened that social service were going to take my kids. I was left with a mortgage payment on this jointly owned house and cannot financially support two separate residences.

See what you get for doing what you feel is just and right? I get to go to jail. I am going to lose my job. I am not going to have health insurance and neither are my kids, all because my teen son let a drug dealer in here and my house was raided. Because he is a minor, it is extremely expensive, and my problem.

Do you understand why I think that I am a moron for being an RN, which I worked very hard for the education and about two years after, to learn the job. I am a good nurse. Am I a good mother, being forced to pay household expenses, leaving two teens alone?

I'm a lousy parent, but not by my teaching or choice. My son made this choice for me, knowing nurses don't get off work early. The party was at my place. I have been so exhausted, all I want is a clean uniform.

The house is in serious disrepair, but this is all I have to live in. I can't afford a mortgage and rental property suitable for Social Services. I can't be home to babysit teen children that ignore me completely. There are bills to pay and I have to do it, through work.

This gets me criminal charges of everything from child neglect, given the condition of this house, to drug sale and use, from my son and his friends. I was at work. I didn't know anything about it, but expect to spend time behind bars for it.

Why didn't I just be a Welfare Bum? At least trying the best you can, with a college degree to support your home and children, wouldn't be for nothing. It is, in reality.

A welfare bum could have been home to supervise teen kids. I couldn't. Now, do you see why I feel like an idiot? I have a pending divorce, which cost money I don't have and had to borrow 1k for a lawyer because of a police search of my home.

I should have been a Welfare Bum!! Take your Pride and shove it. It is one of the Seven Deady Sins everyone should read about to be a better person.

The responses to Wildflower's question are filled with more horse s--t than all of John Wayne's movies combined. It is apparent that none of you have experienced poverty. It is apparent that none of you know much about welfare, the amounts of moneys involved or the ignominy of being poor in America. Read your own venemous postings and your hatred for the poor.

A University of Michigan study of welfare recipients a few years ago revealed that the vast majority were on welfare for under two years, and, did not come back. There were a small percentage who were unable to so.
Most people on welfare are white and most are chilldren.

Someone once said, 'Whatever you do to unto these, the least of my children, you do unto me." But what the hell did he know? Damned bleeding heart!

Why did I use John Wayne to illlustrate a point?
Because he was one of the rich welfare recipients.
He bought land in Arizona, lots of it, and the government paid him hundreds of thousands of dollars not to plant crops on it. As they did with subsidies of all sorts throughout the years and still do today.

Where is your outrage about welfare for the wealthy?

what billy said.

For your information, I have experienced very close to what she's going through and was on welfare myself for a few years before my son started school. The father of my son was also an abusive drunk and I also ended up living in a run down house. When my son went to school, I went to work and I too was harrassed by social services who actually accused me of medical neglect because I refused to drug my son with Ritalin. My ex didn't go to jail, but I wish he had because the abuse didn't stop after he was gone from the house. He ended up with a girlfriend who was just as abusive as he was and in turn they both worked together to make my life a living hell. They did this by using the system as a weapon against me. They would constantly call my sons schools, counselors, and Social Services and make up the biggest lies about me that you can imagine, including that I was a drunk, on drugs, leaving my child home alone, etc.... and in return, I was accused of neglect by Social Services over and over again. I did none of the things I was accused of and have never been arrested in my life. I've never even had a speeding ticket, yet a man with an extensive criminal record filled with drunk driving, destruction of property, and assault & battery on women is taken at his word over mine. I am not against people collecting welfare when they have no other choices because I've been there myself, so you should never assume anything about anyone you don't know! My heart goes out to Wildflower because I've been there myself and it's a hell that you never forget, but since her children are teenagers and she's a nurse, welfare wouldn't do anything except dig her in a deeper hole. She also wouldn't qualify for welfare simply because her kids are teens and she is obviously trained and educated as being a nurse.
Also, if she had told her story from the beginning, my response would have been different. With that being said, if you knew me, you'd know how huge my heart really is!

Wildflower
I'm not a religious person so I don't think much of what is or isn't considered a sin and as long as I'm not hurting anyone, I like to have a little pride. My point was that if everyone threw their hands up in the air saying "screw this, I'm gonna go collect welfare or SSI", this world would go broke, and then what? My heart truly goes out to you and I wish you the very best in getting through this. Since your kids are teenagers, they will soon be adults where they will have to go out into the world and make their own lives and that's when I believe you'll have your life back. I got through things that I never thought I'd be able to handle and if I can get through it, anyone can. Hang in there because your time will come.

Wildflower and Montana,
I think both of you have mixed feelings about welfare.
You both make a strong case for welfare. Like the U of M study I referred to, you both got help and Montana didn't stay on it forever. Montana. Your encouragement to Wildflower was beautiful beyond words. Wildflower, I think Montana's right about "your time will come."

The issue is "Are we stupid for we're not being welfate bums?"

For the record, my widowed mother and children were also on welfare. I went hungry as a child, put cardboard in my shoes, and wore patches on patches. We had no phone, no car, no refrigerator. Enough of me.

The issue is: "Are we stupid for not being welfare bums?" This is a loaded question. As I have pointed out, nearly all people on welfare are not "bums." Children are not "welfare bums."

There is another mythology about being poor. That is the view that being brought up in poverty is enriching, character building, etc. etc. More horse s--t.

It must be nice to be rich enough to be able to talk in glowing terms about the blessings of poverty.

Thank you Billy. I appreciate that.

Billy, before I could even read any further response, I wish to tell you that you are the one full of a horse's ****, not me.

You know nothing about my life at all. Do you honestly think I grew up as some rich bich, in a country club. Try a trailor park in KY!! That is where I am from.

I got an education and bought into a nice neighborhood, far from what I ever dreamed of growing up in, for my children, not me.

Billy, don't you dare insult me. I can eat your spoiled butt alive!! Try me!

Wildflower, I can't believe I was misunderstood to such an extent. I said,

"The responses to Wildflower's question are filled with more horse s--t than all of John Wayne's movies combined."

That is not an attack on you. It was a comment about the responses. Perhaps a little heavy handed. But my hackles go up when I start hearing words like 'Welfare bums." or welfare queens. I was and am trying to say that people don't go on welfare because they lack "honor," "dignity," "pride," and "self-rspect." They go on welfare because of disastrous circumstances - as you and Montana explained.

I should further like to say that you and Montana have my greatest sympathy. Your plights are horrendous.
I hope this clears up this unfortunate error.