So there is a group on Facebook titled "Make drug tests mandatory to get welfare."
Now. Don't get me wrong, it's not entirely a bad idea. Most people are of the opinion that they have to take drug tests to get jobs, so welfare recipients should be required to test too.
My problem lies in the generalizations, and judgmental opinions about those who do receive welfare, medicaid, food stamps, and other assistance. Some of the people in this group say some pretty nasty things about people who receive assistance.
We are not all drug addicts, living off the system to pay for our drugs. We are not all lazy assholes who don't want to work for a living. We are not all baby factories biding our time to have another so we can get more government money. We aren't all fat people who need the food stamps to pay for their ding dongs and twinkies.
The people in this group are demanding not only drug tests, but mandatory birth control (some are even saying forced sterilization!), and forcing specific food on people because they don't agree with the food choices that people on food stamps make.
The people are bitching because people getting assistance have cell phones, or nice clothes, or nice cars. Because you know, the person can't possibly have owned those things BEFORE everything went to shit requiring them to need assistance. Those nice things can't be leftover from a life they had before they lost their income. The fact that they have those things and someone not getting assistance doesn't MUST mean they are abusing the system.
I'm not saying that no one abuses the system. I'm not saying there aren't drug addicts getting welfare. I'm saying this group is offensive because it is making judgments about everyone who gets assistance.
Some of you know that I don't have a job right now, so my house is relying primarily on this type of assistance to survive. Family members help out some with the monthly bills, but other than that, child support and assistance is how we are surviving. I have tried to find a job, but no one is calling, because the reason I lost my last job, on the surface looks really bad. But these false allegations are causing major issues for me, and with the lawyer appointments and hearings and whatnot, I'm not sure I could keep a job, because clearing this up, is the most important thing right now.
Now, lets look at the idea of drug tests. First, this will likely cost more money than would be saved by removing the drug users that get assistance. I'm not really clear on drugs and how long they stay in people's systems, so feel free to correct me if you know differently, but from what I understand one of the only drugs that will stay in your system long enough for a urinary or blood drug test to even be helpful is marijuana. As far as all the drugs in the world go, that is one of the least harmful and destructive. So what would be the point really? Hair follicle tests can go back further, but are VERY expensive, and would cost way more money to execute than could ever be saved.
I feel like everyone on this group needs to stop and consider, thats it's not just the trashy druggie people who are getting assistance. The economy is shit right now. There are lots of former professionals, who are well educated, that lost their jobs and cannot find another no matter how hard they try. Even if they are willing to take something below their former station, they cannot get those jobs as they are overqualified, and are surviving due to assistance alone. There are parents with disabled children who need to stay home and tend to the daily care of their children. There are families who would love to have a job that's just not there, and there are people who are bettering themselves through education while getting assistance so that it is not a lifelong thing.
In short, don't be so damned judgmental. You could end up there too someday.
