Dear Mr. President,
Thank you for executing the order to capture and kill Osama Bin Ladin. From what I have read, it was a brave decision. I felt a lot more peace yesterday as we remembered the victims and heros of 9/11 knowing bin Ladin is dead.
Please tell the Navy Seals and others involved that every American is grateful for their sacrifice.
Thanks,
KGR
Monday, September 12, 2011
Fostering Entitlement? Really?
Dear Mr. President,
Sometimes I find myself just shaking my head at what is happening with our economic problems. I'm not talking about what is happening on Wall Street, I'm talking about what is happening inside homes and families across America. Today I received a phone call from my cousin. She spent the entire 15 minutes on the phone lamenting about how the government isn't pay for certain things. I happen to know her husband makes about 45K a year. I know that isn't going to put them in the Ritz for their family vacation, but it should allow them some self-reliance, right?? Apparently not in her mind. She said she has an appointment today for WIC and is going to lie about their eligibility. Her husband just got a $50/month raise and this puts them above the income guidelines for WIC. I'm afraid the government systems that are in place to provide help and aid are really fostering entitlement rather than self reliance. Instead of looking at her husband's $50/month raise as an opportunity for them to stop needing WIC assistance, she sees it as a detriment because now they no longer qualify for WIC. She told me her husband has other opportunities to "move up the chain" in his company, but he has declined such advancements because it would make them ineligible for things like Medicaid, WIC, and Social Security Disability for their son. So, instead, they are stuck in an endless cycle of government reliance, which has created entitlement at it's best. Today, in her rant against government programs, she was upset because the government will not pay their utility bills. It is hot where we live and their electricity bill was $300, double what is usual during other months of the year. Part of the reason their electricity bill is so high is because their son uses an oxygen concentrator...and obviously it sucks a lot of energy. I don't want to sound unemphatic to their situation. I think it would be so difficult to have a child with a disability. The part that is concerning for me is the expectation the government should provide aid in every aspect of their lives because of the family situation. When I questioned her about it, "Do you really think the government should be responsible?" She, of course, became quite defensive. Defensive because she is living on a foundation of entitlement, and entitlement tells you that nothing is your responsibility, it is always someone else's fault. From experience, I have seen entitlement encourages depression, anxiety and decreased sense of self. On the other hand, I have seen self-reliance promotes confidence, happiness and advancement.
Please Mr. President, create programs that encourage self-reliance and stop fostering entitlement.
Thanks,
KGR
Sometimes I find myself just shaking my head at what is happening with our economic problems. I'm not talking about what is happening on Wall Street, I'm talking about what is happening inside homes and families across America. Today I received a phone call from my cousin. She spent the entire 15 minutes on the phone lamenting about how the government isn't pay for certain things. I happen to know her husband makes about 45K a year. I know that isn't going to put them in the Ritz for their family vacation, but it should allow them some self-reliance, right?? Apparently not in her mind. She said she has an appointment today for WIC and is going to lie about their eligibility. Her husband just got a $50/month raise and this puts them above the income guidelines for WIC. I'm afraid the government systems that are in place to provide help and aid are really fostering entitlement rather than self reliance. Instead of looking at her husband's $50/month raise as an opportunity for them to stop needing WIC assistance, she sees it as a detriment because now they no longer qualify for WIC. She told me her husband has other opportunities to "move up the chain" in his company, but he has declined such advancements because it would make them ineligible for things like Medicaid, WIC, and Social Security Disability for their son. So, instead, they are stuck in an endless cycle of government reliance, which has created entitlement at it's best. Today, in her rant against government programs, she was upset because the government will not pay their utility bills. It is hot where we live and their electricity bill was $300, double what is usual during other months of the year. Part of the reason their electricity bill is so high is because their son uses an oxygen concentrator...and obviously it sucks a lot of energy. I don't want to sound unemphatic to their situation. I think it would be so difficult to have a child with a disability. The part that is concerning for me is the expectation the government should provide aid in every aspect of their lives because of the family situation. When I questioned her about it, "Do you really think the government should be responsible?" She, of course, became quite defensive. Defensive because she is living on a foundation of entitlement, and entitlement tells you that nothing is your responsibility, it is always someone else's fault. From experience, I have seen entitlement encourages depression, anxiety and decreased sense of self. On the other hand, I have seen self-reliance promotes confidence, happiness and advancement.
Please Mr. President, create programs that encourage self-reliance and stop fostering entitlement.
Thanks,
KGR
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