"What Happened to American Spirit?"

Mark Twain once said," When I was fourteen, my father was the dumbest man in the world; when I became twenty-one, I was amazed at how much he had learned!" Every time I think of Twain's statement, I recall my youth and my attitude about life. Everything was simple and clear at the age of fifteen. I was naive, easily influenced, eager to embrace ideas that today, I would find ridiculous. Fortunately, for me, I had a very intelligent Mom and Dad who understood my youthful innocence and naivety. They took the time to explain how life worked; if you don't work, you don't eat. Save your money, don't overextend yourself with undo credit debt. THERE IS NO FREE LUNCH! This belief was dominant during my childhood. There was a welfare system for those truly in need; yet most people felt it was a last resort after all other options were exhausted. Then something happened after the Kennedy murder; LBJ installed the "Great Society" and the "War on Poverty", launching an avalanche of social programs of public entitlements. Abuse of the new welfare reforms began; it became a "cottage industry" as more people took up the pursuit of a government check, and gave up the pursuit of gainful employment. Low income housing, food stamps, and aid to dependent children gave a soft bed to poverty. Why work when the government will subsidize every aspect of my life? The "welfare mindset" was born. Amazingly, the very programs that were devised to cure poverty actually stimulated poverty. The incentive to "get off your butt and go to work" was removed, replaced with the career welfare family.

We now have a man in the White House who is the "Universal Champion", when it comes to government entitlements. He constantly talks about how Americans should feel guilty for success, how we must share the burden of the rest of the world. He believes we must lower our standard of living because people across the world don't have electric lights. He feels anything American citizens need should be provided and regulated by the government. The government should decide what proper wages are. The government should decide how your health-care should be regulated. The government knows best and will take care of you; cradle to grave.

We now have a generation of people who believe, we who work, we who are responsible, we who live within our means, should pay for those who don't do any of that. They believe it is the government's responsibility (taxpayers) to foot the bill for people who won't be responsible for themselves.

I believe there are people who legitimately deserve welfare, and they should receive it. I also believe each case should be examined as to its legitimacy. Prosecute those to the limit for cheating the taxpayer. Make it a requirement to do something, even if it is just answering phones or picking trash up, for those that are physically capable of performing those tasks, if they want a government check. Make welfare uncomfortable; make it more attractive to have a real job. Perhaps, then we will pull ourselves out of these economic doldrums. Individual responsibility has made this country the beacon of success it has become to the world. All we need do is look to Greece or Sweden; riots in Greece, the world's highest suicide rate in Sweden, both nations with huge government entitlement programs; yet, our President pursues a path to "big brother ism", government control and regulation. If this course of social activism through government control persists, America will dissolve before our eyes. Ambition, achievement, the quest for success, is the real solution to America's economic troubles. Let's restore the "American Spirit", that's how we became America!!