Michael, I have clearly said that I supported welfare reform. I think that adults should have to work, even if it is community service work. I have never said there is no waste in the current system, either. However, one thing I am clear about is that it is not helpless small children who created the fraud, and I think we need to feed them, even if there is some waste, because not feeding them is cruel, and creates bigger social problems down the road.
Did you bother to read the urls I cited about how many of America's children go hungry? Those are the children who are at highest risk for becoming criminals, and generally failing in their lives. They then become a burden on society, as do their children. It is an ugly chain reaction. It is much more cost effective to feed children, fully fund HeadStart for preschoolers, and improve our public schools than it is to warehouse criminals. The rest of your argument is illogical, particularly your insinuations that because I think children deserve food to eat, I think everyone should have own a house, be guaranteed a job, or that we should spend a hundred million feeding people. Did you read those urls that Thomas posted? You use a lot of those same unfair arguments that are given as examples in the second one. They are not convincing, and are simply designed to slander other people with whose positions you do not agree.
I don't really care whether you are a Christian, Michael. Whatever your private religious views are, you are welcome to them. As far as my slamming Christians, you can say the same thing over and over until you are blue in the face, but it starts seeming absurd when I have said over and over again that most Christians are very nice people. Perhaps you do not understand the difference between religion as a political movement, or an institution, where much harm and hurt have been created by religion, and as a belief system, where everyone is certainly entitled to their own opinions. It makes me happy to know that people are comforted by their religious beliefs, Michael. It is interesting that when people come over here and slam the pagans and atheists, and accuse us of being evil, or witches, totally falsely, you never say a word in our defense.
Do you honestly believe that food banks and churches can feed 15 million hungry children? As I said in a previous post, the problem is too big for the government not to play a role. Food banks are already not able to meet the increased demands for their services, as people are pushed off welfare and into jobs that pay so little they cannot pay rent and buy food, no matter how they try. How would you feel if you were working full time, and could not feed your children? This happens all over America, every day.
I did not grow up really wealthy, incidentally. I did study sociology in college, and think I understand why it is harder for some groups in our society who have been really damaged, to pull themselves up by their bootstraps. This country has a third of all black males in jail, or on parole or probation. We have criminalized poverty, particularly drug addiction. We imprison a higher percentage of our people than any country on earth. This is very expensive, and I would argue that it is not an answer. I am sure we totally disagree. |
