Gone are the days when the common man or woman was ashamed to take a handout It was with downcast eyes that men stood in line at the soup kitchens. Back then, there were understandable reasons for someone to experience hard times. The stock market crash, the drought and resulting Dust Bowl, and war to mention a few.
The current generation of young adults seems to be without the shame gene. There is a constant cry of “Where is my free stuff?” from this section of society. For example, at Tahoma High School, students must pay $40 for a permit to park a car in the school parking lot. But if a student is on the free or reduced-price meal program, they are automatically eligible for a reduced fee for their parking permit. How much sense does this make? They pay little or nothing for one or two meals a day (by the way, 60 percent of American public school students receive assistance or completely free meals, most of which end up in the garbage can), but they have a car and can afford both car insurance and gas to drive it, and the district allows them a reduced price for their permit.
This kind of illogical thinking is in kind with the increased frequency of back-to school drives. These include clothing, backpacks, school supplies and shoes. I have nothing against the truly needy – especially children – obtaining necessary items to ready themselves for work or school. What I find disturbing is the attitude that these things are free for the taking, and the mere fact that they exist is an excuse to take it.
Parents need to make sacrifices to make sure their children’s needs are met. I see the new housing in our area; it isn’t cheap. I see the cars on our roads; they aren’t old and run down. I see the physical stature of the people in our community; we aren’t tiny. So, we aren’t living in slum housing, driving old cars or starving. This community doesn’t do without cell phones, tattoos, year-round tans, highlights, cigarettes, iPods, acrylic nails, cable TV, gourmet coffee, luxury housing or an excessive amount of food. Why, therefore, do people need a handout every time you turn around? Why do they grab it with gusto rather than a feeble, downcast, shame filled, but weak smile? Need and want are indistinguishable to this generation. Our so-called poor live with more privileges than the wealthy in many other developed countries.
Fact: The economy is still growing. It may not be growing at the rate it has in the past, but growth is still growth and therefore not a recession. Fact: There are “help wanted” signs everywhere. If I had to clean toilets and dig ditches, I would do it before taking a handout to get my kid a new backpack.
I worked in a factory to get myself through college. I clipped coupons, bought clothes on the Target sale rack and Goodwill. At this point I’m pretty comfortable and don’t worry about paying the bills like I used to. The point is I did pay the bills myself. I don’t see this new generation of parents concerned about that. They seem to expect me to pay their bills, too. Guess what? I won’t do it. Pay for it yourself. I pay enough in taxes to help the poor. Further, I have a retirement to plan. Shame on people impatiently waiting for a handout. Shame on people too willing to give them one without teaching them to be self-sufficient.
I’m for everybody living comfortably. I don’t want anybody to be poor. When I give to the needy, I want it to go to a just cause. Our young adults have grown up in such riches that they don’t know what it’s like to sacrifice a latte a week so they can buy their children a backpack, breakfast and a parking permit. These people need to stop text messaging and get to work so my generation of hard-working Americans can look at them and say ‘Way to go!’
Timothy Haugh lives in Maple Valley.
