Hand Up vs Hand Out

Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.

Hey look, enough is enough.  We have to find  different ways to help people get out of poverty other than just keep writing out checks that we can’t pay for.  I don’t have a problem  helping those truly in need but when they are on food stamps and every other government program that exist and leave the grocery store and load up into the latest model SUV of what ever make it just makes me want to scream.  These people see nothing wrong with that because the government is so big and has so much money why not get theirs.  They have no clue and don’t care where that money comes from.  Those of us who work hard to get ahead are paying for every thing these people need so they can pay for their luxuries.  Is this wright? No it is not.  There is no incentive for the government employees to help decrease the fraud in the system because their jobs depend on their budget at least staying the same or growing every year.  I’v worked for the government and know how that works.  If you don’t spend everything in your budget it gets cut back the next year. If everyone applying for benefits had to under go a credit check then you would be able to see their spending patterns, that nice new car and how many credit cards they have and how they spend their money.  I know, this would be an invasion of their privacy.  The fact of the matter is we can’t keep up with this kind of government spending on social programs for people who really don’t need it.  These programs were never intended to be used by people for their whole lives but it is sad to say, that also is a fact.  Living on the government programs has become a way of life which makes it a hand out not a hand up.  Why should I work if I can make the same if not better on all the programs?  Why should I ever get married if I loose my benefits?  We have to break this cycle some way or these people will drag us all to hell. I read a report on yahoo, I’m sorry it just caught my eye, on the decline of the birth rate and what that will mean down the road.  At first glance that sounds alarming but when you think about which population that the birth rate has actually declined it become more alarming.  Those of us in the middle class realize we can’t have more than 2 kids because we can’t afford it.  That doesn’t faze the people on all the welfare programs who keep reproducing at an alarming rate.  I have a solution for this too.  The government should not have to sponsor more than 2 children per married couple and none if you are not married.  If you want to have 12 children then God bless you and good luck. Once you view the content of this story through this prospective then it becomes more than just alarming.  Once again I have no problem taking care of those who can’t help themselves but taking care of generations of people because they don’t care to make anything more out of themselves is disgraceful.  What is even more disgraceful are politicians who continue to promote these solutions in order to get a vote and have more power.  In the end what are these politicians going to have left to be in power over? At empower network everyone can get ahead if they put in the effort.  The success stories are endless and each one has a message of self improvement and liberation from the bondage that keeps us down.