The first Americans through to our great grandparents were wholly self-reliant. In fact, the secret to their success and our success as a nation was their spirit of individualism and personal responsibility. Being independent of government is a necessary characteristic if we are to attain our individual and collective goals.
Unfortunately, rather than encourage the characteristics of self-reliance and individual responsibility in citizens, we are instead indoctrinating them to become dependent on society and government. Rather than prepare citizens properly so they may achieve the American Dream, we are insuring they become comfortable, leading to complacency and ultimately dependency.
For example, just a few decades ago women were careful not to get pregnant until they found a long-term partner in marriage to help them raise their children. Because the burden of single-parenthood was assumed by relatives, a social stigma became associated with being an unwed mother. With no other support available, there simply was no other option but to act responsibly. As such, women regularly denied the inclination to have children until they were married, and then they worked to keep their family together.
In the 1960s, society began helping women who became single parents, showering them with free public support. Removing the burden from relatives slowly eroded the stigma associated with being an unwed mother, and pregnancy out of wedlock eventually became "beautiful."
Today, if a woman acts irresponsibly (indulges her primal inclinations to drop out of school, leave home, and have a baby), society effectively rewards her. She receives free rent, free food, and free healthcare for herself and her children.
Then society gives her free job training, free counseling, free legal assistance, and an opportunity to take a short cut in obtaining a high school diploma. Because society is so generous to women that act irresponsibly, it is only natural for other women to be tempted to indulge in similar behavior. Not surprisingly, motherhood out of wedlock has become the norm and society is suffering the consequences.
It must be frustrating for women who deny their primal inclinations to drop out of school, leave home, and have a baby to watch women being rewarded for being personally irresponsible and socially destructive.
Because family resources are divided, single parent households suffer economically, and the financial burden is passed on to the community. Without fathers, children are more often troubled than not, beginning with poor academic performance.
The cost to society is enormous including illegal drug use, delinquency, drug trafficking, prostitution, pregnancy, shoplifting, robberies, arrest, incarceration, rehabilitation, an explosion in outlaw gangs, higher insurance rates, dangerous streets, unsafe neighborhoods, more judges, more prisons, more social support services, more rehab centers, more family courts, and so on.
Giving free monies and services to troubled citizens gives them the opportunity to exist without having to work. As history has demonstrated, idle hands and minds can only result in attitudes and behavior that are destructive to society. Becoming dependent on society sets individuals up for failure, and society for its generosity can expect the favor to be returned.
At one time, people had to save for their future. If they were irresponsible, they went hungry or they had to turn to their family and neighbors for support. The consequences of not being self-reliant encouraged people to plan, delay gratification, and save for the future.
Unfortunately, Social Security has given people the false assurance that their retirement has been taken care of by government; that government will provide for their future. Consequently, many people feel there is little reason to conserve, delay, plan, and save, resulting in irresponsible credit card debt, paltry savings, and an "I deserve it now" attitude. As the population becomes older, more and more people are sure to retire as dependents on government, and society will be thanked accordingly.
Should we be surprised that so many people today retire in poverty?
Rather than arrest drug addicts for breaking the law, we give them paraphernalia, emergency medical care, a hot meal, a fresh cup of coffee, and enough money to perpetuate their addiction. Such an existence guarantees that drug addicts will continue to be a plight on society. Moreover, as benefits to them increase (including tastier soup and fresher coffee), we can be sure that more and more people will pursue a similar lifestyle.
Do we really expect the homeless problem to correct itself? Do we really expect that making people comfortable will encourage them to become self-sufficient? Have we not heard the adage, "Necessity is the mother of invention?" Without necessity, there is no motivation.
There are just a few of the glaring mistakes that society has made over the years and is still making today. Presently, over 60% of the population is dependent on government for free monies or services in some capacity. Social security, welfare, Medicaid, Medicare, and government housing projects create a sense of entitlement that will take generations to shake.
However, no mistake has been greater than what we are doing today. Teaching our children that government is responsible for feeding them is the ultimate blow to self-reliance and individual responsibility. Sending them to school without breakfast or a bagged lunch insures the dependency problem will escalate.
Although the national debt is enormous and will be difficult to pay down, the real danger lies in what it represents. What the debt represents is the existence of a second class of citizens — citizens that are dependents of society. Today, we are already spending our children's children's money to support them. Society will experience the consequences of dependency when the dollar collapses, and it certainly will if we don't stop the insanity now.
When the checks stop coming and the trucks stop rolling, what will happen to the millions of Americans that society has duped into becoming dependent on government? How do we think the dependents will respond? Will they suddenly become productive and responsible citizens, or should we expect them to transfer their dependency from government to you? What will you do then? Shouldn't we do something now to prevent this scenario from taking place?
The Patriot Party will break the mentality of entitlement. Though it will take generations before most people are self-sufficient, we will begin the process by removing the "free" from public support. If we are to ever correct the problem of dependency, those that voluntarily become dependent (they continuously make choices that are self-destructive) must experience shame and embarrassment. In addition, those that excuse bad behavior must be voted out of office.
