THE WELFARE STATE

Stop! Thousands of years ago, Jesus said “you will always have the poor.” Not much has changed but, accepting the stigmatic label of being part of broken homes full of lazy, addicted dependents often prone to crime and the exploitation of welfare opportunities is a grave error: You are not A repetitive, self-inflicted commodity to pacify with preordained meager rewards and punishments. That is what waits for many living below the poverty level! But it is your choice; to use or abuse resources and opportunities.

You are an intricate part of a “catch all” safety net protecting a necessary political economic monster seemingly out of control and driven by fear, resentment, and greed. But Jesus went further to urge the well off to “extend the poor a helping hand.” Perhaps, weathering out possible “anarchistic” effects from the great depression, Franklyn D Roosevelt’s 1936 “New Deal” sought to keep citizens above, not below the poverty level. Institutionalizing his economic relief package hurled the nation into Welfare Status. 19 consecutive Presidents have fought to better stay the course of intent with sweeping changes: Regan/mutual accountability, Johnson/The great society, Clinton/mandatory work, Obama/Health care. But, of 36 countries listed as Welfare States, recent global performance polls list America as 22 with France being number one.

But has the goal to protect and keep the national citizenship above the poverty level with temporary financial, education, housing and employment opportunities been met? Granted, where key institutions show signs of stumbling; financial aid keeps educational institutions alive, rent and food subsidies keep landlords, local merchants, and residents afloat as the “Hypocritical Oath” of the legal and medical machinery continues alive and well with steady pounds of fresh meat. Tax Dollars Unleashed! Yet with all the billions of dollars cited as a burden, only 8 % of the national budget is spent to keep the poor sucking Big Brothers Breast: Note! Only a Mothers breast gives free milk.

So, what happened to the other 92% of the budget? There is little argument against, or long-lasting mention of, how the welfare State also bails out negligent corporations (e.g., Wall Street, Banks, Real Estate, Car manufactures).  Although President J.F. Kennedy’s 1963 speech specifically addressed the growing racial tensions of his time, he implicated and warned how individual and institutionalized social economic inequalities are culprits behind growing national disarray: “Legislation cannot solve this problem alone. It must be solved in the homes of every American in every community across our country.” His brother Robert Kenney added “We dissent from the sight of most mankind living in poverty, stricken by disease, threatened by hunger, and doomed to an early death after a life of unremitting labor.” No! You are not a burden but the fall out of a broken system in need of overhaul and occasional scapegoats.

Against such forces igniting fear of unmet future wants, present acts of greed warn “No man, family, or neighborhood can stand alone”. Within the blinding sand and muck of the welfare state, there are still pearls to harvest through strong local community boards and non-profit organizations striving to initiate responses to neighborhood needs. Help and utilize them. Striving to serve as necessary vanguards, they need the support of residents organizing block associations to present and defend their cause: Better Representation through Stronger Residential Unity! So, for you still seeking to rise and succeed remember, Jesus said “All things are possible for those who believe.”