If a new law in Florida is not contested, all welfare recipients will be subjected to drug tests. The idea is to make sure that people on welfare are not buying drugs. This law is the direct result of statements by members of congress, such as Orin Hatch. Hatch said that all people on food stamps were drug addicts, he went on to say that there were plenty of jobs to be had. He said this mere months ago, when the unemployment rate was at 9.8%.
It is a long standing myth, that the majority of persons on welfare do not need to be there. this myth is easy to perpetuate because people in lower income brackets are arrested more often. Also many of us are people of color, or have a disability.
Ever since I was young, I was aware of the unholy marriage of money and morality. This union has collected some cache among groups like the Tea Party, who see wealth as a sign of moral character.
In the book "The secret" one of the lessons is about how God wants you to be rich, only when wealth is achieved should you turn your thoughts to the needs of others. This book spread like fire through the LDS community, in a matter of months it changed how lessons were taught. This book gave people further permission to judge those around them.
This thought has so corrupted religious thinking, that the LDS church is having trouble retaining converts.
So, how does this faulty reasoning manifest?
1. It perpetuates the belief that social programs are wrong.
People believe that money equals morality, so clearly those of us who benefit from social programs are of unrighteous character.
2. It frees landlords from the responsibilities of maintaining rental properties.
I heard a contractor who was working on our home say that if people wanted nice homes they should buy them. This belief that if we were better people we would live better is deeply entrenched in society.
3. It allows bishops to ask personal questions to people who need aid from the church.
My bishop was very upset to find that my job didn't pay enough for me to eat. He made it very clear to me that I needed to change my situation all on my own.
We simply cannot allow this to continue. The idea that a hard working person is not good enough. The idea that kindness, generosity, loving care, are not admirable qualities in and of themselves. The idea that the size of your home is equal to the strength of your character. These ideas have no place in the real world. It is up to us to do away with this way of thinking. If our religious leaders allow this to be taught as doctrine, it is time to find new ones.
Showing posts with label social programs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label social programs. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Strict constitution
I was not going to give this man any consideration at all. Yesterday I went to a lecture given by a man who called himself a constitutional expert. He received his degree from BYU (Brigham Young University), the same place that Sen. Mike Lee graduated from. This makes his degree illegitimate in my view, because they are taught that God helped write the constitution. They are also taught that this country is founded on Christian values, which it is not.
The guy was a conspiracy theorist who had no ideas of his own, so I was not going to write about him. What made me change my mind, was the thought that his popularity might grow if I didn't say something.
So one by one, I will take apart (or attempt to) his ridiculous claims.
1. The constitution is not a living document.
FALSE: written into the document itself is the means by which it can be amended. If the founding fathers had wanted the document to stay the same for time and eternity, it wouldn't be difficult to amend, it would be impossible.
2. The 3/4ths clause was established so that slaves could be free by 1808.
FALSE: This clause was written into the constitution to ensure that the southern states did not gain an unfair advantage when it came to representation. There were many people at the national conventions that wanted to end slavery, but they did not intend to do so via the 3/4ths clause.
3. If we raise the debt ceiling the constitution will become void and we will have to write a new one.
FALSE: Raising the debt ceiling allows us to continue to borrow money. There is no horrible tragedy to follow, beyond accruing debt.
4. The Illuminati want us destroyed so that the French can take over.
You know I'm not going to touch this one. If you want to read about them here is a link. FYI they are not French, and did not morph into the communist party.Or did they?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illuminati
5. It is cheaper for uninsured people to go to the emergency room than it is to provide Medicaid and Medicare.
FALSE: The cost of one emergency room visit is much higher than the cost of preventative care. I cannot believe that I have to explain this. It is cheaper to let someone visit a primary care physician and get a prescription for his high blood pressure, than it is to admit him after he has had a heart attack and needs major surgery.
6. Global climate change is an unproven theory.
FALSE: Glaciers are melting, strange weather patterns are developing, the fact is the evidence is overwhelming.
7. If corporations could do what they want without regulation, they would bring jobs back to America.
PROBABLE: I would like to just point out that the cost would be great. The health of our food, water, air, would be greatly depleted. Also safety standards would revert to the days of the industrial revolution, so great I have a job, but I work 16 hours a day for $2. Wow that sounds great.
8. Without social programs there would be no need for taxes.
FALSE: We would still need roads, bridges and other infrastructure. We would still need public schools. Also, since this guy claims to be a constitutional expert; our government has the right to tax.
To be fair I will present his hypothesis.
His idea for getting revenue for all the items mentioned above is this. Increase taxes and terr-ifs on imported goods. Also we would have to repeal NAFTA so that we can tax our allies. The other plan is sell all public land for development. So no more wilderness areas, no more national parks. Just a bleak dystopia. A place polluted and overdeveloped where we enjoy 100% employment in the sweatshops owned by GE, LEVI'S and WAL MART.
When I suggested giving everyone access to health care he said I was living in a dream world. I would rather live in my "dream world" where there is clean water, than is his nightmare republic.
The guy was a conspiracy theorist who had no ideas of his own, so I was not going to write about him. What made me change my mind, was the thought that his popularity might grow if I didn't say something.
So one by one, I will take apart (or attempt to) his ridiculous claims.
1. The constitution is not a living document.
FALSE: written into the document itself is the means by which it can be amended. If the founding fathers had wanted the document to stay the same for time and eternity, it wouldn't be difficult to amend, it would be impossible.
2. The 3/4ths clause was established so that slaves could be free by 1808.
FALSE: This clause was written into the constitution to ensure that the southern states did not gain an unfair advantage when it came to representation. There were many people at the national conventions that wanted to end slavery, but they did not intend to do so via the 3/4ths clause.
3. If we raise the debt ceiling the constitution will become void and we will have to write a new one.
FALSE: Raising the debt ceiling allows us to continue to borrow money. There is no horrible tragedy to follow, beyond accruing debt.
4. The Illuminati want us destroyed so that the French can take over.
You know I'm not going to touch this one. If you want to read about them here is a link. FYI they are not French, and did not morph into the communist party.Or did they?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illuminati
5. It is cheaper for uninsured people to go to the emergency room than it is to provide Medicaid and Medicare.
FALSE: The cost of one emergency room visit is much higher than the cost of preventative care. I cannot believe that I have to explain this. It is cheaper to let someone visit a primary care physician and get a prescription for his high blood pressure, than it is to admit him after he has had a heart attack and needs major surgery.
6. Global climate change is an unproven theory.
FALSE: Glaciers are melting, strange weather patterns are developing, the fact is the evidence is overwhelming.
7. If corporations could do what they want without regulation, they would bring jobs back to America.
PROBABLE: I would like to just point out that the cost would be great. The health of our food, water, air, would be greatly depleted. Also safety standards would revert to the days of the industrial revolution, so great I have a job, but I work 16 hours a day for $2. Wow that sounds great.
8. Without social programs there would be no need for taxes.
FALSE: We would still need roads, bridges and other infrastructure. We would still need public schools. Also, since this guy claims to be a constitutional expert; our government has the right to tax.
To be fair I will present his hypothesis.
His idea for getting revenue for all the items mentioned above is this. Increase taxes and terr-ifs on imported goods. Also we would have to repeal NAFTA so that we can tax our allies. The other plan is sell all public land for development. So no more wilderness areas, no more national parks. Just a bleak dystopia. A place polluted and overdeveloped where we enjoy 100% employment in the sweatshops owned by GE, LEVI'S and WAL MART.
When I suggested giving everyone access to health care he said I was living in a dream world. I would rather live in my "dream world" where there is clean water, than is his nightmare republic.
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