Labor and Welfare - 8/29

        With Labor Day coming up this weekend, we need to remember those who work. Recent information shows that over 100 million Americans are on some form of government assistance such as welfare, and not working. At the end of 2012, 51 million Americans were on food stamps, 83 million on Medicaid, and 4 million were on unemployment insurance. Out of the nearly 313 million Americans at the time, about 44% (138 million) Americans were on some form of government assistance. America is nearing a “tipping point” where the amount of people on government assistance will outweigh the number of working citizens and therefore sway the tide of the political system to cater towards those who are on government assistance. If that happens, there will be no going back to the “American dream” of working for your living. America will turn into a pseudo-socialist nation, with government handouts left and right, being fueled by the mentality that people deserve things that they don’t work for; the entitlement mentality. These people just want whatever they can get their hands on.

“Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he will be fed for the rest of his life.” - Maimonides

        Not all people on welfare or disability are cheating the system, however. There are many veterans, for example, at least 5.5 million according to a 2008 statistic, who are on disability of any kind. These people have earned their right to receive government assistance, as opposed to the other people who just don't want to work. Working for your income is the right thing to do.

“If anyone does not provide for his own, and especially those of his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” - 1 Timothy 5:8

        In this next voting year, we, the voters, need to really assess the candidates, policies, and propositions well to make sure that we can keep our economy stable and restore control to the working people of the United States.

Ferguson - 8/22

        On August 9^th, 2014, Michael Brown, a teenager from Ferguson, Missouri was shot and killed by a police officer. The officer who killed Brown, Darren Wilson, was being charged at by the 6’4”, 300 pound 18 year old when he shot at him in self-defense. Brown was accused of robbing a convenience store for nearly $50 worth of cigars, and a police report had been filed. Wilson was aware of the robbery, but was not responding to the call when he saw a man standing in the middle of the road. That man was Brown. Brown, who was reportedly high, decided to attack Wilson, who was still in his car. Wilson told Brown to stop, and he didn’t. Wilson drew his weapon, and shot at Brown six times, in self-defense. Brown is now dead, and the town of Ferguson is up in arms.

        The people of Ferguson, however, did not have all of the information. They saw the 12 year old, innocent Brown that the media is reporting him as, not the violent and disrespectful adult that he was. They reacted by protesting, some peacefully and some not so peacefully. Stores are being robbed, and the store owners are fighting back. Ferguson has turned into an all-out war zone. Ferguson is a primarily black community, but only three of the fifty-three police officers are black.

        Brown’s death is, of course, a tragic event for the people of Ferguson, but their reaction is out of proportion. If the people of Ferguson really want to send a message, they need to organize. Rioting and looting is not the solution to the so-called “racial crimes”, it is the reaction. All that the people of Ferguson are doing by being so rebellious to the authorities and the law is showing that they do not deserve respect, but that they deserve to be treated like rebels.