"Glad I could help...I guess."
THERE AIN'T NO SUCH THING AS A FREE LUNCH
Why is it that so many people feel free to take what is mine and what I've earned?
A little background. I grew up the son of a son of a sharecropper. My grandfather, whom I never knew was a sharecropper in Arkansas and he died before he was 45. My was about 2 years old when my grandfather passed away. He joined the Air Force and became an jet engine mechanic. Growing up with 6 kids we never had much but what we had we worked for. I graduated high school and entered the Navy. After 14 years I got out and went to college (the only one of us who got a 4 year degree). I graduated with my BS and MBA after 7 years. Since then I've had 3 jobs and am, finally, making a decent salary.
Now, my wife and I both work to support our three children and pay our bills. We don't expect anyone to bail us out if we overextend ourselves and don't expect that we should be required to bail anyone else out. However, there are those among the general populace that believe that because we are (somewhat) successful we should be paying to support other people who are not as successful. Why should that be? Why should I pay for someone else's kid to go to college when it is in doubt that my own children will be able to attend because we make too much money to qualify for certain financial aid programs that are afforded to other kids? It is my money that goes toward those aid programs. Tell me how that is fair. Tell me how it is reasonable that, even though I have health insurance, I still pay out of pocket costs for health care for myself and my family when others pay nothing to visit those same doctors because they have Medicaid? Isn't it my money that pays for that health program? Tell me how it is reasonable that I go to work, take care of my house and property, and raise my kids to be decent citizens when others stay at home collecting money they haven't earned and STILL can't even take care of their own children? I still end up paying for "After School Programs" that don't address the problem along with supporting them and their parent! How the hell is that fair? And then those same kids join gangs and end up murdering someone anyway. Don't tell me that about the few kids who actually stay off drugs and out of gangs because they are the exception, not the rule. Those damn after-school programs don't work; they're designed simply to keep kids off the streets and they don't even do that.
Don't tell ME that life isn't fair, I know that, tell that to those that I'm currently supporting and tell them that I don't want to support them anymore. I've worked hard to support my family and I expect others to do the same.
Instead of trying to achieve equality of outcomes let's achieve equality of opportunity! In otherwords I can't guarantee that you will become wealthy, but I can guarantee you will have the opportunity should you choose to work hard.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Titus Techera on -
Smiles can cost you your life...
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Permalink Reply by Brandon Michael on -
I'd give my life and a smile. What I get in return is so much more.
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Permalink Reply by Justin on -
I'd give my life and a smile. What I get in return is so much more.
Truer words have never been stolen, directly from lyrics by The Banana Splits.
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Permalink Reply by Brandon Michael on
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Seriously from a song?
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Permalink Reply by Titus Techera on
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Well, I hope smiling won't cost you your life. I just said it is not free necessarily. & I implied it takes good-natured dim-wittedness to say that sort of thing...
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Permalink Reply by Titus Techera on
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Mr. Rick Shelton, I have no intelligence of you.
You are making a fool of yourself in berating me rather than asking honestly. As such, I pretend in answering you that you are not moralistic, but merely decent. Finally, as I do not like people commenting on my thinking & speeches in such cursory, derogatory manner, let me clarify this & at once urge you to ignore me henceforward, promising to ignore you in return, as is only fair.
You have below the message to which I was alluding, it is on the first page of your discussion. Read it some time. You will learn I was on your side, foolishly enough...
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Rick,
I certainly don't doubt that you have earned all that you have achieved. I don't know anything about after-school programs or how effective they are. I am grateful for your service in the Navy. Were you an accomplished sailor when you entered the navy? Do you feel that the Navy made you a better man? Provided you with the skills that allowed you to get into college and make yourself the successful man you are today?
Excellent. I'm glad. You are the benefit of a government funded training program paid for with my tax dollars. I don't begrudge that. That's the social compact. I don't know if after school programs benefit every child, nor do I know that every soldier I pay to go through basic training will become a good soldier. But isn't that the opportunity we owe everyone?
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Permalink Reply by Rick Shelton on -
Titus:
I reframed my Reply. Unfortunately you saw my reply prior to the reformation. The "After School Military" comment was in jest.
I usually enjoy your comments even if I do not agree with all of them.
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Permalink Reply by Titus Techera on
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No need. The matter is cleared. That is all.
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Permalink Reply by Steve Imparl on -
We're all in this together.
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Permalink Reply by Titus Techera on
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Peace, dude!
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Permalink Reply by Todd Serveto on -
THIS just about sums it all up:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LO2eh6f5Go0&feature=g-vrec&c...
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Permalink Reply by Justin on
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I was just telling my friend the other day, I says, "I love me some Bill Engvall- you know I do. It's just that he isn't political enough..."
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