Sage

Now, normally I don't reply to these sorts of threads. Discussions of this type, to me, usually end in everyone not agreeing. But I have been thinking about this for the past hour, and have decided to at least share my opnion, in the hopes of sparking some thinking on the issue.

Vincentt already posted some of what I was thinking about. If, for a moment, we all choose to say (and I think some of you have been saying) that "handouts" are "bad," that everyone should work for what they have, and no one should be given anything for free, then we have to go on to define what actually gets categorized as a "handout."

If there are people (such as Vincentt and I) who wish to go to college, but who cannot afford to pay for college out of our own pockets (and if you dig a little, you'll see that most of the population cannot afford, without SERIOUS pre-planning, to send their kids to college) we must rely on federal student aid for college. This, to some, is a "handout" because it means we are going to college on someone else's dime, with no gaurenteed return on the investment. I know that the reason the goverment likes to give money for people to go to college is because it's an investment in that person, as people who go to college are more likely to have higher paying jobs, therefore paying more taxes and boosting the economy in the long run. Still, that doesn't help the fact that I am going to college "for free." (granted, I have to pay the money back sometime, but that is a very, very lienient system).

I have health insurance, but it costs a lot, and based on my income for the past year Martel and I get free health care at the county Health Department. I am, in essence, getting a "handout." Granted, the quality of service isn't as high as at a private practice (in my opnion), but it's still keeping me from being sick.

I took sociology in college, and one of the things I learned from it is that, when you are poor, it is very, very hard to get out of the cycle of being poor. "The System" has some very hard cut rules about how much money you can make at a job before they deem you making enough to "live without assistance" and unfortuately, that amount isn't enough to find a house, feed yourself and any children you might have, and afford healthcare.

Now, being the Libertarian that I am, I firmly believe that people should take care of themselves, but I ALSO realize that it's very, VERY bad for a country if everyone is walking around homeless and destitute (which would be very near to reality if the goverment pulled the plug on "The System"). I also think that a frightfully good many of you are way, way too cynical. You seem like the type of people who bitch about things and then never take five minutes to think of what to DO about the things you don't like. No, you can't change the goverment, and no, you can't single-handedly fix every social problem that exists, but you CAN do small things that make a difference.

Like what you ask? Well, Mal has already stated that while she is cynical about the whole thing, she voluenteers at soup kitchens. Perhaps you can make the sacrifice of one Double Grande Mocha Latte a week (hell, every TWO weeks even) and donate $10 to a charity every month (it's tax deductible!). Go through your closets, which are bulging with clothes that you never wear, and donate what you don't need to Goodwill (that's tax deductible too- hell, the goverment is offering you INCENTIVE to donate to charity). No, I am not in favor of helping those who just want to bleed the system dry and not do anything in return. People who aren't contributing to the greater good of humanity (in the sense of sitting on the couch smoking pot all day on goverment assistance) don't command my respect. But, what makes me even MORE mad, what really fries my noodle, are those who constanly complain about the system, the goverment, the president, and the world and then never DO anything, much less educate themselves as to WHY things "aren't working."

My take on the whole thing- ignorance is the path to cynicism, but knowledge and understanding are the path to change. Go educate yourself, and be one step further from being the guy on the couch.

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