When Welfare Goes Wrong...

[Aliantha]

Originally Posted by Bullitt

I'm sorry if you have a disability, etc. but that's life and if you don't want a huge bloated government that wastes billions of dollars, then don't ask for programs and handouts.

There are plenty of people who need help long term because of disabilities.

You don't sound very sorry. You sound more like a person that says they're sorry when what they really mean to say is, 'I don't care if you have a disability...'.

Maybe it's ok for you to say so. Personally I think people who find themselves in a bad situation through no fault of their own should be entitled to help from the society they're born into. Maybe some people do take advantage of the situation, and like Zen, I don't believe it's 20% or more, but for every one of those people who do take advantage, that's at least 4 others who're doing the right thing and trying to get back on their feet.

After the comments I've seen around this place on what some people think of charities etc, I wouldn't buy into the whole, 'there are programs to help people short term'. It'd seem to me that there are a lot of people who don't give a shit about helping anyone who's down on their luck.

[Bullitt]

Originally Posted by Aliantha

There are plenty of people who need help long term because of disabilities.

You don't sound very sorry. You sound more like a person that says they're sorry when what they really mean to say is, 'I don't care if you have a disability...'.

Maybe it's ok for you to say so. Personally I think people who find themselves in a bad situation through no fault of their own should be entitled to help from the society they're born into. Maybe some people do take advantage of the situation, and like Zen, I don't believe it's 20% or more, but for every one of those people who do take advantage, that's at least 4 others who're doing the right thing and trying to get back on their feet.

After the comments I've seen around this place on what some people think of charities etc, I wouldn't buy into the whole, 'there are programs to help people short term'. It'd seem to me that there are a lot of people who don't give a shit about helping anyone who's down on their luck.

See now I should have more clear here. What I don't approve of is the government stepping in with the broad stroke that is welfare and wasting millions of taxpayer dollars. I am very much for programs to help people back up on their feet through voluntary societies such as Habitat for Humanity, etc. I prefer smaller govt. that only directs people's lives when it absolutely has no other choice. Some people genuinely do need a hand and we should stand together as communities to help one of our own. We should help those in genuine need become self sufficient again, but leave them to their own devices after that. Welfare is giving a man a fish when we should instead be teaching him how to fish, and if he screws up from there it's not on us.

I was previously on the path to becoming a special education teacher before I took an interest in firefighting (if you can't tell I have a thing for serving the community in times of need). I most certainly do care for those who are disabled, but looking to the inefficient government is not the answer IMO. Voluntary societies are; we need a serious resurgence of them.

[morethanpretty]

Originally Posted by Aliantha

After the comments I've seen around this place on what some people think of charities etc, I wouldn't buy into the whole, 'there are programs to help people short term'. It'd seem to me that there are a lot of people who don't give a shit about helping anyone who's down on their luck.

I would like to see some examples of that. I've seen the opposite for the most part. Just methods and reasoning are different.