Taylor remains under orders to try to seduce the Amish into dependency on government. His job is to persuade them to take accept money from outside the community, money, the Amish understand, that has been forcibly taken from others – stolen, in other words...
But think about the moral bankruptcy of a system that desperately seeks to entrap an independent people into dependency. I mean, even if you believe in food stamps and other wealth redistribution programs, shouldn't government's primary job be trying to get people off the dole?
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Instead of looking at the Amish community as a success story and public assistance as a necessary evil, these Ohio state officials look at self-sufficiency, independence and a good work ethic as diseases that need treatment...
The state requires the counties to lift participation rates. They see communities not accepting food stamps as failure. They've got it exactly backwards, of course. So, poor Taylor plans to resort to small-scale advertising campaigns – maybe billboards – to reach the Amish. He's also going to suggest they use the food stamps to buy seeds and plants for gardens...
You mean people really don't need the government to help them? You mean there are really self-sufficient communities in 21st century America? You mean it's possible to live a good life without national health care? Do they know about this in Washington?
Say it ain't so, Joe.
Hat tip to Mr. Chanman of Buckhorn Road (see blogroll at left).
In many ways this parallels the attitude about the Free Lunch programs. Yes, you have to qualify to be on the program, but once qualified there's no real importance attached to removing you from the rolls. I know a woman whose three children were on there all through school. At first she was a single mom and that was fine, she needed the help. But she married and divorced a wealthy man, getting a house, a new sports car plus court mandated child support from her first husband. The kids stayed on free lunch. She married again and the kids still stayed on the program. Why this is critical is that some colleges give points toward admission to children who were percieved as "poor" and being in the Free Lunch program is one of those indicators. Her kids all got free rides for mediocre grades and sporadic problems. It seems a little odd to me.
ReplyDeleteIt's pretty disgusting when government wants to corrupt these peoples' values.
ReplyDeleteThis makes my head want to explode.
ReplyDeleteNot having "enough" people on food stamps is a "failure"? Um, as an American taxpayer, who has money taken out of my pocket to fund that...I'd say a hearty NO, that is NOT a failure.
Trying to make a humble group of religious folks, who have as one of their tenets not being dependent on outsiders, into another entitlement group, sucking at the government teat, a desirable thing?
I would argue quite the reverse; that people could look towards the Amish as a model of self-sufficiency; as something to aspire to (maybe not quite in the same horse-drawn carriage, no-electricity way, but I think you get what I mean).
This is so broken and so screwed up. I'm glad I don't live in Ohio any more, although I'd bet more states than Ohio have this mindset.
The amish are too righteous, aelf sufficient and self respecting to take any kind of help fromt he government. The government should feel really proud about this.
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