“The lessons of history … show conclusively that continued dependence upon relief induces a spiritual and moral disintegration fundamentally destructive to the national fiber. To dole out relief in this way is to administer a narcotic, a subtle destroyer of the human spirit.”
That sounds like Ronald Reagan, doesn’t it? But they are not his words. The quote is from a State of the Union address by another President, one whom you would least expect, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. In his day, acceptance of welfare from the government was a source of embarrassment for most recipients. Pride and self-respect were motivations enough for people to work their way off the dole. Time has brought change. When a woman cries with joy on public television because she believes under the new President the government will pay her mortgage, you know Roosevelt’s observation has come to pass.
Food stamps are now distributed to 41.8 million people, about 14% of the population. That’s a lot of destruction of the national fiber. That’s a significant bloc of voters on the narcotic of welfare who will be voting for another fix. That’s yet another reason why we must make our voices heard.
RANDOM THOTS 