I have to hand it to you all: you didn’t kick my butt as bad as I thought you would over that recent post. Tresa knows me very well … it was not a well-thought-out argument … it was just something goofy that came to my mind and I put it on the blog. I don’t think I’m anywhere in Ann Coulter’s ballpark, though, right? Good.
I once had a crazy-ass homeschooling friend who found out she was pregnant with her 10th kid. She cried because the only insurance they had was from HER working at Starbuck’s 20 hours a week. Twenty hours may not sound like much, but when you’re trying to homeschool a bunch of kids, keep the house from falling down and praying to God that your husband will get some meaningful work, it can be tough. I asked a stupid question and she unfriended me immediately. It was something like, “Can I help you? Like pay a utility bill or SOMETHING?” She said anytime anyone helped them like that, they expected things in return.
I can see where she’s coming from. If I had paid her outrageous gas bill, I probably would’ve eventually made some snarky comment like, “Um, why is your heat set at 90 degrees so that I’m sitting here SWEATING when you can’t even pay the bill?”
Still, the idea of the handout drives me nuts. We are far from the Great Depression days, folks, and yet so many of us feel ENTITLED to free daycare, free medical, dental and vision care, free food, free money and outrageously low rent. I am ALL FOR people being helped … TEMPORARILY. If your life sucks for 15 years straight, though, why does that have to come out of the taxes of those who are working their asses off every day? People like my husband, who gets upset when he has to go out of town, but he does it ANYWAY because it is a damn job and pays money to support his family.
We all have our stories either backing up my idea of trading a welfare check for a Depo shot or thinking it quite controlling. I had to use Medicaid when I was 18 and had a horrible miscarriage, but never have had to go on any other kind of assistance because, frankly, the idea of it was just never played with in my house when I was growing up. It was either WORK HARD or figure something else out, but you don’t take handouts.
UNLESS …
Of course, unless you have been badly disabled through no fault of your own (I’m sorry, but being overweight or alcoholic in my world does not fly for disabled). Or your house caught on fire somehow and burned down. Or a car wrecked into you and you are in bad shape.
There are things that simply suck and things we bring on ourselves. I’m just saying we bring on babies ourselves. And then have a good 8 months to prepare for said baby. You may have to suck it up and live with your parents, ladies. You may have to go after the guy for child support and put your pride away. You may have to work 2 jobs throughout your exhausting pregnancy to save up for your own place, car or baby clothes. WHY SHOULD YOU GET FREE MONEY JUST FOR HAVING A BABY?
So save STATE FUNDS for serious crap. If EVERYONE was on the government’s boob, our roads would not be drivable, people who REALLY needed help couldn’t get it (that actually happens now), our schools would suck (oops, that’s already happened).
Where are the State’s priorities?
Crap, I’m afraid I’ve offended in a whole new way now. Well, go easy on me. My brain isn’t working right, and I’m having trouble making coherent arguments that don’t hinge on generalizations.
