Welfare Mentality

     “I don’t ever want to get off of welfare, ” Bonita confessed to a counselor.   She explained that being on welfare was comfortable for her.  She looked upon getting a job as something that would hinder her from living the lifestyle that she presently enjoyed.  The counselor tried to steer her mind to look at the advantages of being independent, self-reliant,  the possibility of generating a good salary, and living a life free of constantly reporting to the system.    But Bonita was adamant, explaining that going to work meant she would have to pay all of her bills herself.  Under the welfare entitlement program, she enjoyed food stamps, subsidized rent, cash assistance, and medical benefits.  With all of these bases covered, why should anyone want to venture out into a work world with its uncertainties?   We call this “welfare mentality”.  Most people who work for a living can’t understand it, but those who like to “milk the system” do. 

    Some families have perpetuated this mentality for at least 50 to 60 years by not only living on welfare, but teaching their children how to survive and beat the system.  When the welfare carpet began to be pulled out from under their feet, this class of people began scheming and planning on how they could comfortably move into the Social Security programs for the indigent.   One such example was a young mother who explained that she purposely took drugs and smoked so that she would deliver an underweight baby.  Her first child received a monthly Social  Security Disability  check for being underweight, and would do so until she reached the age of 18.  Being assured of this, the young mother determined that two checks were better than one, so she made sure the second child was in the same condition by not properly taking care of herself.  To me, this is criminal.  To her, it was called “survival”.  She told her daughter, who was very bright,  to go to school and act unintelligent.  This way the checks would keep coming. 

   Under the entitlement program, even obese people are given SSI checks.  In other words, you can stuff yourself with food, get fat, and qualify for a monthly SSI benefit check.  Most of the time recipients of such checks have a tendency to brag about it,  while the tax payers foot the bill.