Who among us would not want something done, seeing the squalor in which a lot of children grow up? The problem is, of course, that we can either make them wards of the state, or we can hold their parents accountable, but we cannot do both. If we try to do both, we simply create a perpetually dependent class of people, because their parents become, in effect, wards of the state, with all of the demoralization that implies for an adult. The breakdown in family life, and rise of illegitimacy, in the inner city was a consequence of poorly conceived social programs. Men became superfluous, and rarely raised their children. With a chaotic home life and no man to guide them or provide an example, children suffered, especially males. Inadequately socialized, some of them became predatory, adding to the squalor, uncertainty, and violence of the slums.
The whole idea behind welfare reform is make it harder to abuse welfare, and to expect something from those who are able to seek work. In other words, we will hold their parents accountable, give them a leg up, but expect them to make an effort. The hope is to break the cycle of dependency......... |
