Poverty
I joined a new forum last night, it doesn’t happen often but it does happen from time to time.
I ran across this post
One of the Founding Fathers, another example of his genius:
For my own part, I am not so well satisfied of the goodness of this thing. I am for doing good to the poor, but I differ in opinion of the means. — I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it.
In my youth I travelled much, and I observed in different countries, that the more public provisions were made for the poor, the less they provided for themselves, and of course became poorer. And, on the contrary, the less was done for them, the more they did for themselves, and became richer.
There is no country in the world where so many provisions are established for them; so many hospitals to receive them when they are sick or lame, founded and maintained by voluntary charities; so many alms-houses for the aged of both sexes, together with a solemn general law made by the rich to subject their estates to a heavy tax for the support of the poor. Under all these obligations, are our poor modest, humble, and thankful; and do they use their best endeavours to maintain themselves, and lighten our shoulders of this burthen? — On the contrary, I affirm that there is no country in the world in which the poor are more idle, dissolute, drunken, and insolent.
The day you passed that act, you took away from before their eyes the greatest of all inducements to industry, frugality, and sobriety, by giving them a dependance on somewhat else than a careful accumulation during youth and health, for support in age or sickness.
In short, you offered a premium for the encouragement of idleness, and you should not now wonder that it has had its effect in the increase of poverty. Repeal that law, and you will soon see a change in their manners. St. Monday, and St. Tuesday, will cease to be holidays. SIX days shalt thou labour, though one of the old commandments long treated as out of date, will again be looked upon as a respectable precept; industry will increase, and with it plenty among the lower people; their circumstances will mend, and more will be done for their happiness by inuring them to provide for themselves, than could be done by dividing all your estates among them.
When I read the post it all seemed to make sense and I wondered how anyone could argue with that, to my surprise many came and many disagreed with the common sense that was left in the above post.
So, I responded with the below.
I don’t live in the US, I live in Colombia S.A and I see people every day sitting and waiting for someone to help them.
At 8 years old I use to go to the coffee farms with my mother to pick coffee to help support the family. It was only my sister, my mother and I trying to support 2 younger brothers and a younger sister.
At the age of 14 I was kicked out of the house to fend for myself because I wanted to go to school and there was no way to support me.
Today I own my own business and employ about 20 people; my 2 brothers and sister are still sitting and waiting for someone to support them. I’ve tried giving all them jobs, but they just don’t like sitting in an office all day.
The difference in me and them (other than I live good and they are still poor) is that I had to work my way out of where I was and they were being given everything.
They don’t understand why I don’t give them a car or help them get a better house, I am bad because the only help I want to give is giving them a job.
Now…here is what I find sad.
Someone on the forum asked the question,
What are Ben Franklin’s credentials as an expert on poverty reduction?
I guess I’ve got no credentials either, living in it and with it every day is nothing compared to some rich kid that went to school to learn about it.
