If you have watched any news the last two days, you are sure to have seen the uproar surrounding the comments of South Carolina's Lieutenant Governor Andre Bauer. While the majority of the backlash has been negative towards Bauer's comments, I think we should take a look at a number of the issues surrounding that surround this media firestorm.
If you are unfamiliar with the comments, last Thursday, Bauer was speaking at a town hall meeting when the topic of government assistance programs came up. Bauer proceeded to come up with this dandy of a metaphor-
"My grandmother was not a highly educated woman, but she told me as a small child to quit feeding stray animals. You know why? Because they breed! You're facilitating the problem if you give an animal or a person ample food supply. They will reproduce, especially ones that don't think too much further than that."
This day in age, with the 24 hour news cycle, you really have to choose your words a bit more carefully. We will continue to hear how these comments are "demeaning" and "immoral." (Both phrases used by his challengers in his upcoming gubernatorial race) What is lost in this conversation however, is the merits behind his comments.
Is it really a stretch to see what he meant by his comments? Do you truly believe he was mocking the unemployed citizens of South Carolina or trying to say that we shouldn't help children whose families are not able to feed them? Bauer himself was raised in a single family home and relied on government lunch assistance as a child. The point he was trying to convey was that the government must do something to quell the abuses of government assistance. Part of Bauer's campaign includes pushing for drug testing for welfare recipients and mandatory attendance at parent/teacher conferences for welfare recipients who have children is school. Isn't this something that all Americans should be on board with? I know that I personally do not want the taxes taken from my paycheck to go to someone who is abusing illegal drugs. However, if we required drug testing for welfare recipients, I would feel better about my money going towards rehab for those individuals as opposed to handing them a check and allowing them to blow it on illegal substances.
As a country, we need to have a welfare system in place to care for those in our society that need help. As a country with an ever rising unemployment rate, some families would not be surviving without government run unemployment agencies. This is a good thing for the people of our great country. With reform, we could assure that those in need are getting the help they so desperately need. It would also assure that those who try to beat the system must make lifestyle changes in order to receive the help that they need. It is a win-win for the American people. Although Bauer should have picked his words a bit more cautiously, let's hope that his message is not lost in the political bantering.
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While I cannot say that the words used by Mr Bauer were the smartest in the public arena (or private for that matter because what is even private anymore) I do have to agree with the overall sentiment of the arguement. I work in the public school system and I see time and time again people abusing the welfare, medicare, and medicaid system that my hard earned money goes to. Last semester we had parent teacher conferences and out of the over 110 students that are on my roster do you want to know how many parents I saw that night? ZERO!! How can we, as public educators, be expected to educate these children without the help of someone at home? I am not naieve to think that all these children have 2 parent households but 99% of them live with some adult that could be helping them with their schooling. We only hear from these parents when there is something wrong or they have something to complain about, if even then. God forbit they establish a relationship with a teacher first to see what the problem might be! With that said I just think that mandatory meetings at school along with mandatory drug testing would only prove to help those who really need it and exclude those who taking advantage.
ReplyDeleteI would concur with all comments thus far. I think the statement made was an accurate one. My grandmother use to tell me, "the truth hurts!" Okay, really she never said that, but I'm sure we've all heard that slogan at some point in our lives.
ReplyDeleteFolks, it really comes down to this. How much longer will we continue to support a system that doesn't technically have a system? Calling the system "broke" isn't even accurate. And continually throwing money at something so it shuts up doesn't work either. If I may....consider a child that is misbehaving. Is an intelligent parent going to do, A. - teach the child that crying and tantrums aren't going to get them their desires, OR B. - give the tantrum child the toy, candy, etc... until they shut-up, yet never taught them anything. Well my great folks of Northern Indiana, the government is doing a great job at choice B.
I think the point that Bauer was trying to make is giving the needy (use that word with a grain of salt) more-and-more handouts will only feed the fire. They will continue to have more kids not because of desire, but because if you have another child you increase that monthly welfare check. But instead of using that money for good, most will booze or by a pair of Jordan shoes. But how do you teach people who need assistance with budgeting, job hunting, or life management, anything if you just give them money with no education to support it. I think if you want a government check you need to have drug tests and you cannot cash that check until you've sat through at least 40 hours of classroom setting education that will teach these skills. And you can't tell me they don't have the time to attend these classes; if they didn't have the time they would be at WORK.
Until then, let's all continue to purchase the sin stocks (cigarettes & alochol) and try to make some of the money back that we give to welfare. And if you want an interesting fact, ask any liquor distributor when they make the most money. IT IS the first Friday of every month - the day the welfare checks go out. Even putting the money on EBT cards hasn't stopped the problems...