To the Readers' Forum:
"Money as dope," I never thought of money like that until I heard someone recently make that remark. Dope conjures up illegal drugs, but can money also dope?
A congressman related an experience in his district with a family of a young boy. Striking up conversation with the youngster around 8 years old, the boy was asked what he wanted to be when he grew up. Instead of typical responses like doctor, fireman or policeman, the boy's dream is to have money just come through the door his whole life.
Money through the door is the government welfare check. How can you fault the boy with a life goal like that when his life has so far been conditioned by adults living off of welfare? There's no need to work for it. It just arrives free through the door of your house from the taxes on someone else's labor. Welfare already has the 8-year-old "doped." Generational welfare has been a dream-killer for that young boy and others like him. No matter how well-intentioned, entitlements crush the motivation and significance of work even in children. Isn't that a form of child abuse?
Contrary to popular but ignorant belief, the Bible frowns on welfare. Paul, the apostle, told the church in Thessalonica, "If a man will not work, he shall not eat." If you think Paul was tough, consider what Ben Franklin said, "I am for doing good to the poor, but I differ in opinion of the means. I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it. In my youth I traveled much, and I observed in different countries, that the more public provisions were made for the poor, the less they provided for themselves, and of course became poorer. And, on the contrary, the less was done for them, the more they did for themselves, and became richer."
This no way is in reference to the truly disabled or other conditions legitimately preventing someone from working. This is about able-bodied people living off the government system collecting check after check and passing on the lifestyle to the next generation all at someone else's expense. Compassion for the poor is not the same as welfare to the poor.
Money as dope buys votes and when welfare dopes, it's not compassionate. It's cruelty.
The Rev. Mel McGinnis
Frewsburg