The Tenther Grapevine
I get angry every time I hear the word entitlement. I have to ask; how am I entitled to anything but my own labor? We have this unhealthy attitude in America that seems to be growing that just because we want it, we should get it. We have politicians feeding this selfish sentiment, and the funny thing is they call us selfish for wanting to keep the money we earn to raise our families. If you want to depend on a government program for your life and family, you will be limited to what a politician can take from others. I suggest you count on yourself. It is a better bet and it the way a moral society works. Teach a person to fish…
I know I am entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I am entitled to speak my mind about my government. I am entitled to constitutional rights because I am an American citizen. But am I entitled to half of Bill Gate’s Microsoft fortune? If not, why not? What makes that different from any social program? What is the purpose of government? Is it to provide the means necessary for each of us to live? Or is it there to provide a set of rules to allow individuals to prosper. In America it was always the latter. We need to get back to taking care of ourselves and our neighbors without government programs. Look at what we have done for Haiti as an example. People are compassionate, government is soulless.
Government programs that were designed to help people through a hard time have become a means of subsistence and that is ruining our country and people. It is not compassionate to get people onto government programs, it is criminal. The American dream is an individual pursuit of excellence. The government has nothing that helps individuals achieve excellence. Government programs are the quick sand into a miserable life.
We are not entitled to other people’s labor unless the people paying agree to support the program as a social contract with their fellow citizen. The current administration and many before it have broken any contract we may have had by taking beyond the agreed upon terms. So now we have an angry citizenry and an entitled class of people dependent on politicians taking at will from the productive citizens. And the productive citizens are saying they are entitled to stop this madness. And believe me; the corporate welfare must end as well.
Today we have a government acting entitled to our money. When is enough, enough? When will we be entitled to keep our money so we can maintain our way of life? If others believe they are entitled to a better life I say; you are entitled to your opinion and opportunity; nothing more…
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We already have so many programs that take care of the truly needy. When is enough enough? It seems we continue to grow poverty with the same programs we are saying will "cure" poverty. If we only gave more money?? Government can't be compassionate. It steals the future of every American that has put their trust in a government program. Government programs are not compassionate, they are criminal. I have yet to see an "efficient" government program. The country is going bankrupt and we continue on the same path that has put us there. We can take care of our neighbors at the church, local non-profit, and state level. We don't need the feds.
I believe the closer the government is to the people, the more responsive. That is why I am a member of the Tenth Amendment Center and my campaign is grounded in taking the power away from the fed as outlined in the constitution. Thanks for the comments.
Rich
Beautiful and a sad commentary at the same time…
We must fight to get it back!
Usally: Thank you! We need to remember what has given us the "luxury" of all of these government handouts; hard work and individual incentive. We are compassionate without a government hammer just look at Haiti. We have given enough to rebuild two times over but it will be fruitless because of the government that is in place. Freedom and individual liberty will rebuild Haiti. Collective government bureaucrats will destroy it again. Thanks.
Rich Hand
Joe: Thanks for the comment! I think we have what we need to rally around; our constitution. There are nearly a million voters in Colorado that are unaffiliated. Nearly the same as both the D and R parties. I am a great admirer of Thomas Jefferson, George Washington and Madison. If you read their thoughts on party politics I am in good company. People need to engage and stop voting a ticket or a letter. Thanks again!
Rich Hand
very nice prose Mr. Hand, but the premise is inaccurate.
a program like national health insurance or welfare or social security is not about you being born entitled to it. Regardless of whatever misnomers have been applied. It is about 2 specific concepts:
1) we as culture have the ability to take care of the less fortunate among us and therefore carry a moral obligation to do so. the infrastructure of government provides an efficient mechanism for cross generational efforts of this type.
2) a lesson we learned from the great depression is that if we allow the weakest among us to completely drop off it drags the entire society down. programs like SS, FDIC, and UE were created specifically b/c of this and the others developed out of the general concept.
whenever I hear a rant like this I must ask; why are you willing to pay taxes for a military empire, but not to take care of your neighbors?
Who are the politicians.
But those of the social elite,the wealthy class businessmen running this country.
The people have fallen under their servitude and have become dependent on their money.
Money is nothing more than to get you to consent to servitude to them and their needs .
They in fact use money as their right to rob us of what we are entitled to.
The Freedom to live freely on this planet.
Which is the right of all living creatures on this planet.
one we lost ever since the first coin was made and people started serving Kings and other wealthy elite classes.
Using money to charge us for our rights.
I agree with what he is saying, that we are entitled to what we work for.
But you have a system that uses money to rob you of what you work for,by keeping us in debt to them.
It robs us of our Freedom,Independence,and limits our liberty's.
Ask your self ,why do we need Taxes,Doesn't the Federal Reserve own the printing Press.
They can print as much money as they want to.
The value of money is worthless anyway.
its a IOU. nothing more than to pay off a debt.
It is man production that has true value!
Yet we have so many out of work because of money cost.
Does anyone remember a time,
when a man was a man, and towed his own line?
No one to assist him, succeed to survive,
does anyone remember a time?
Does anyone remember the clash,
when a tiny new nation broke free from its past?
Drove England from the field, its a fluke it won't last!
Now 234 years have past.
We conqured this continent through pain sweat and toil.
doesn't anyone belive in these things anymore?
Do we really want the government to provide everything?
How did we get here? We used to be free!
Those who sacrificed all that they had, gave their lives to be free,
brothers sons and dads. They truely must wonder why they did what they did,
cause we don't value the freedom, that they died, to give.
I think as I listen, I hear the patriots cry, I cry a little too,
as I watch freedom die.
BRAVO!! This is a standing ovation article!!
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Interesting. So, if my moral values include the fact that the only human lives with any reason to exist are those of my family and my friends, I can just run around the world killing everyone else? I mean, that's what I think is right and wrong based on my own moral values and no one elses. And I only had to change your words to make them apply to first person ("I" and "my" rather than "you" and "your").
A moral obligation is when you are compelled to do something based on YOUR OWN MORAL BELIEFS and no one elses. Others may think we are morally obligated to throw our money into a pot but not everyone believes that so shouldn't they have the right to opt out of that? The right to pursue happiness includes the right to pursue what you think is right and wrong based on YOUR OWN MORAL VALUES and no one elses. You choose that by practicing the freedom of religion since religion is the main source of our morality. Essentially, you are only morally compelled to do what you think is the right thing to do. You do not have the right to assume that right from someone else nor does anyone have the right to assume that right from you.
I could not agree with you more on this, Rich. I wonder what differences you had with the Republicans that made you leave the party? The GOP needs people like you.