Liberalism is a luxury. In the same way the hippies that protested in the 60s had plenty of jobs to chose from if they really needed to work — times were good. In bad times you worry about your next meal. With the poor it is no longer a life and death struggle in North America as it is in Africa. Your next meals are provided for. But all this is never enough to a liberal, especially a “poor” one. Despite their ipods, cell phones, money cigarettes, beer and cable... they are hard done by. Our culture shows them people like Brad Pitt and they think that they are poor in comparison to Brad and not some native in Africa. And that is such an affront to their pride. Therefore, more entitlements, more money throw at them for being the victims, more tax the evil rich. This attitude is a luxury and will drive the people who give to the poor through their taxes into the poor house.
Very frustrating, isn't it?
I remember well the time I helped out at my kids' school store at the beginning of the school year. They were in middle school. We were told that some of the youngsters would have vouchers from the guidance department that entitled them to free gym uniforms and school spirit t-shirts. I had just forked over about $50-60 per child to update ours, since the spirit day shirts changed every year, and the athletic department had just updated gym uniforms and insisted everyone replace the old ones. I wouldn't have minded helping out a youngster whose parents were really down on their luck, but it irritated me greatly to see the numbers, attitudes and dress of the kids who showed up with vouchers. For an upper middle class suburb, I was amazed at how many youngsters were considered needy. Nearly all of them had ugly attitudes of entitlement and were frankly rude to the people helping them as well as the other children in line (line? what line . . . ). Most of all, I was outraged at how nearly all of them had more expensive clothing (e.g.designer labels) than my own kids, expensive shoes, and the latest in cell phones and iPods. It made me so mad I could spit.
This year the school budget in our township is going up nearly 13%, mostly because of construction of a new high school. Unfortunately, there's also a chunk of money in there for a diversity program to try to close the "achievement gap". There are a number of township residents who have written scathing letters to the editor about how they fail to understand how it could be the fault of the school district when the kids are offered all the same opportunities to learn. Many thinking and hard working members of our society are getting fed up with dragging this cart full of freeloaders, and we're getting more vocal.