I am for doing good to the poor, but...I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it. I observed...that the more public provisions were made for the poor, the less they provided for themselves, and of course became poorer. And, on the contrary, the less was done for them, the more they did for themselves, and became richer.
Benjamin Franklin
Quoting: LunaticFringe While I agree that some need to be prodded to become self-sufficient, the majority are trying to become self-sufficient but have to fight all the forces that lack of money brings to one's life.
I remember the mother who couldn't afford childcare, who had an interview for a good job. But she had a 7-year-old (or around about that age). She parked the car and went into the job interview. She got arrested for leaving her kid in the car. Jail time, a criminal record, loss of her child to children's protective agency, etc., etc. I'm pretty sure she was using food stamps.
It is people like that who should be helped, not continually screwed because they don't have enough money.
They shouldn't be flooded with money either. Some people who spent their whole life having nothing can't handle a windfall. But they should have resources to make it easier to care for their children and put food on the table while they effort to establish or re-establish a life for themselves.
There are all kinds of traps for people who have limited resources. Heck, some people can become homeless because of a traffic ticket fee. It's just that rough sometimes.
