America, we have a problem...and it's a matter of perspective. With all the focus on universal healthcare, welfare, wage disparity and the like, there are a lot of "clever" one-liners being tossed around out there. Now, don't get me wrong; I believe that a well-structured thought born of knowledge and wit can go a long way to stir the minds of those who hear/read it into more evolved patterns of thought. However, the problem with the pen being so mighty is that just about anyone can wield it, and the results can end up being more along the lines of devolution. Take for example, this little gem: "Instead of spreading the wealth, spread my work ethic." *rolls eyes* Alright, where do we begin?
The big issue for me here (and the cause for all the eye-rolling) is that this statement makes a very bold, very false, and very tasteless claim. It is an attempt to convey the idea that people are poor because they are lazy, that all it takes is a good, solid work ethic to have the life that you want. Well sure, being an industrious, hard-working individual goes a long way, and those types of qualities are to be commended. We should absolutely encourage people to do their best! However, far too often, we not only discourage people with harmful words and ideas, but we also keep many people from having a chance at a self-sustained existence altogether.
When looking at the combination of low wages, little job opportunity, the poor state of education, and the rising cost of living, how can one expect that there will be no one who needs help? Sure, there are some who abuse welfare and other such programs, but there are many more who actually need the help. Most estimates put welfare fraud numbers between 1 and 5 percent, but even if it were 10% or 20%, that still leaves a vast majority of folks who truly need the assistance. Wonder why? Let's do a little thought experiment:
Let's use a couple as an example. We'll call them John and Jane. Let's say that John and Jane grew up in a rough, low-income neighborhood where the schools are lousy and full of drugs and violence. Let's say that they came from poor families and didn't have parents to guide them. Perhaps one had a single mother who was drinking all of the money away and emotionally detached, and the other had a single father who was hooked on drugs and physically abusive. Combine these factors with the need to be accepted and respected by peers (most of whom are behaving irresponsibly), and you have two lost souls who don't have the tools to cope with life. (And if you think this is too dramatic, visit an inner-city high school sometime.) Let's say that these two meet in their junior year of high school, fall for each other, do some good old-fashioned boot-banging in the backseat and VOILA!, Jane is pregnant.
But now, let's make it a little less depressing and say the pregnancy snaps these two kids into reality and they realize that they don't want to be like their parents. So, they decide to keep the baby and try to raise it. Now, we can see that these two kids don't have any marketable skills, don't have parents on which to depend for help, and (understandably) have a bleak outlook--they will need to find a place to stay, a way to take care of their child, a way to make ends meet. Is there anyone out there who truly believes that without government programs, without help from their fellow human beings, they could just get jobs at McDonalds or a store at the mall and everything will be okay? NO!!! Maybe if they both worked two jobs each, they could afford a small apartment and some food and diapers. But, what about transportation to work? What if their city is small and doesn't have a decent public transit system? Most cities in America don't have a decent transit system, by the way (if at all). Can they afford a car? And what if it breaks down? And what should they do with the child at home? Just leave it alone for hours at a time since they can't afford daycare? And these are people who are trying to do the right thing.
Basically, all that I am trying to say here is that laziness is not the problem so much as the idea that laziness is the problem is the problem. (You get that?) By saying things that imply that those who are struggling just need to suck it up and work harder, we are not just ignoring the problem; we are creating a society in which people are less and less willing to give people the chance to help themselves. Sometimes, people need a net beneath them in order to be willing to walk out on the wire. If I removed your net, would you be so willing? Do you think you would still have a "work ethic that needs to be spread?" Don't make these kinds of blanket statements when it comes down to financial inequality...I guarantee you don't know the whole story!
