Edit: This is the infamous post. I’ve decided, with inspiration and encouragement from a friend I dedicate this to, to go against my instinct of trying to not to upset masses of people and post this after all. My friend is the main reason I am posting this because I see her struggles and it reaffirms my belief in this post. She gets screwed by programs meant to help people in need because so many take advantage of them. So, I stand by this as much as I did 2 weeks ago when I first wrote it. She deserves someone to speak out for her.
Yet, I oddly don’t care.  Maybe it’s not odd that I don’t care.  This is why I’m a terrible person. Over the weekend I saw a “ecard” type meme that said “complaining about EBT being down while on their iPhone 5”. I laughed because stereotypes amuse me and I’m a firm believer that stereotypes exist for a reason.
I thought about this for a bit. I always point out before I rant about this that I’m not opposed to people that work their butts off and fall short getting help from the government. While thinking about it, I get upset. I get irate. If you can afford tattoos, Air Jordans, cigarettes and videogames, you can afford to buy yourself food and diapers. If you can afford all that solely on the government time, I think it’s shameful and you’re stealing money from people in actual need. If you don’t feel like working at McDonald’s or another honest job to earn your way and better yourself, I don’t feel I should have to pay you. I’m absolutely sickened by this and I’m equally sickened by people who think everyone getting help is leeching off the system. There are people working as many hours as they can and attending school that are getting slapped in the face by people who just want to watch television while ignoring their meal tickets, I mean children. There are hardworking people out there in need and there are a lot of people that should be ashamed of themselves for taking money out of the mouths of the truly needy.
I’ve posted this same sentiment a lot. I hear news people calling everyone on these assistances lazy slobs. They’re focusing on the people taking advantage of a system of good intentions, failing to acknowledge that the best intentions usually fall victims to the ill will. While you’re collecting free money to watch television or play videogames, think for a minute about the soup kitchens or homeless shelters that could benefit. These are services that help the truly needy and are severely underfunded. Think about that mom working as many hours as she can, or that student that doesn’t sleep because they spend every second at work or at school. Think about our veterans, the ones that fought for your right to sit at home doing nothing, who need medical care or who has families that need help while their loved ones are overseas continue to protect us. Those are people in need. Need isn’t because “I don’t feel like it”. In life, sometimes you have to buck up and do things you don’t feel like because that’s what adults do.