Welfare: Drug Addiction and People Essay example

Submitted By audreyjobarto
Words: 1176
Pages: 5
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Audrey Barto
ENG 201
6/5/13
Writing to Convince

Abusing Public Assistance
When I was employed at Gordon Food Service, it was common for families to pay for their groceries using an EBT (Food Stamps) card. There were always a few occasions when the family would come up to my register with lobster, shrimp, steak, chicken, etc. and then proceed to pull out their food stamps card. Every time, I couldn’t help but notice the mom would have her fingernails perfectly done, a new iPhone, and top brand clothing. I believe the families that truly need help from the government should have these cards, but if you can afford to have the latest iPhone, nails done and nice clothes, then why in the world should taxpayers be paying for one’s lobster? We should not let people take advantage of benefits from the government.
Here is another story from a daily news article. A woman was working at the cash register in a convenience store when a man walked in with his food stamps card and tried to buy cigarettes. She refused to sell them to him. The next day, the man returned to the store and raised a commotion about it. The owner of the store came in, sold the man his cigarettes on his food stamps card, and fired her employee (The New York Times). I find this completely unfair. The employee was not wrong for refusing to sell the cigarettes to the man. It is wrong for individuals to use others hard earned money on unnecessary items such as cigarettes. Drug testing is a common routine these days when applying for a job even though most people are not suspected of drug use. If we have to be tested for drugs to be employed, I believe that the millions of people living off welfare should be drug tested to receive the money we work so hard for. We can be denied employment until we test clean an if a person receiving welfare can’t pass a drug test; the result should be an immediate discontinuation of their benefits. I’m not saying that every person receiving welfare is using drugs, but the ones that are should not receive checks. How many people truly believe that it is fair the money YOU pay in taxes could be used to buy someone cigarettes? Can we trust people to use free money on things they truly need? Here is another thing to think about. Is it fair that Obama is handing out 20 million free cell phones and free minutes to those on government assistance? The so called “Obama phone” has gained Obama and his administration a lot of popularity by providing these people with cell phones using taxpayer’s money. Does this have anything to do with Obama being elected (The Economic Collapse)?
It is disheartening to know there are families out there struggling month to month trying to make it on their own without financial problems and then there are the people that give up altogether and rely 100% on the government. I do believe that there should be benefit programs to help people get back up on their feet. The benefits received from welfare should be used to help a person or family stabilize themselves (Should Someone Receiving Welfare Be Drug Tested). Programs like this are made to help recipients become employable. It is irresponsible for the people receiving these benefits to be taking advantage of it by using illegal drugs. Taxpayers should not be working to fund the lifestyles of those addicted to drugs.
According to a USA Today article, opponents of drug testing welfare recipients believe that denying benefits to drug users unjustly punishes families and takes money away from children (USA Today). In reality, drug users are denying their own children a healthy lifestyle and positive example. Welfare is being passed on from generation to generation. Parents aren’t teaching their children to be independent. Some people live in the mind state that it is easier to live off welfare than it is to work. It is not fair that there are people who sit and wait for their next check from the government
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