Speakout

What is definition of poor?

Recently I read in SpeakOut where a person thought Medicaid needed to be expanded in Missouri. This person talked of the poor. Just what is poor these days? When I was young, we were poor. We had no air conditioner, no color TV or cable. At times we had no phone. We wore hand-me-downs and had one pair of shoes. We went to church and were taught at home to respect others and work hard. My mom worked at numerous jobs and did receive trade school assistance. She used that schooling to support her children. We received no free housing, no energy assistance, no free phone and did not wear $150 tennis shoes. We did not have our names on Christmas trees and expected nothing that we did not work for. You did not go to the doctor unless you were really sick and never went to the emergency room unless you thought you were dying. We did not call ambulances for stomach aches and attention-getting situations. Never did we think we were entitled to be taken care of by the taxpayers. Never did we claim disability fraudulently to live on. Instead of more entitlements and expansion of Medicaid, we need tougher welfare to work laws. Disability recipients should be reevaluated. There should be penalties for abuse of Medicaid, hospitals, ambulances and doctors. Never would we have acted like heathens emptying shelves because we thought it great to steal from the system that was already taking care of us. If a child goes to school hungry, their parents should be looked at. Commodities should be brought back. A life of welfare should not be easy. It should be hard and teach independence. It should not be a choice. We have conveniently forgotten what poor is. The solution is not always more. Last the government speaks a lot about childhood obesity but does nothing. Food stamps will buy sodas, candy, chips, pizzas and many more unhealthy foods. Only fresh or healthy canned food should be covered. It sickens me to look at very large family from parents to children with a cartload of junk paid for by my taxes. Welfare and disability were meant for short term assistance until someone gets back on their feet. Now it is a birth to death way of life for many.

Come together

Is it too much to expect that just once Obama not make all these situations about himself? Could he just once use his uniquely historical position to lead this country toward color blindness rather than effectively fanning the flames of racial animosity? We really need to come together and you need to help us heal, not drive us apart Mr. President.

No mass for the troops

I think it's quite comical that the president is not allowing the priest to say Mass to the troops since the government is shutdown. The Catholics were the ones that helped put him over the top to be president. He believes in abortion so what would you expect?