People on entitlements get worried when they see media posts challenging the practicality of providing them with a means to eat, to shelter, and to health care, with tax money.
After all, it is unlikely they would eat without the mercy of the people.
Usually it is the mentally ill who are the focus of efforts to shut down entitlements.
Some argue that charging less taxes would put more spendable money into the hands of those who much more deserve it, the hard working tax payers, and that money would go into the local purchases and that would create more jobs for more people who would in turn spend locally thus creating more jobs, and on and on.
It would be a kind of a domino effect, they say, that would solve all our economic woes.
Why spend it on the mentally ill, then, they say.
After all, the mentally ill are lazy and lack character, by virtue of their illnesses, so we are told.
But most often we are told ending entitlements would not actually reduce the amount of tax money people would be charged afterwords.
In order to really solve the economic problems of America, it is said, the national debt has to be paid down.
And that is where the money saved by cutting entitlements would go.
It would go to China, the country we owe all the money to.
China has been so helpful to us all, here in America, of course, by the way.
Taking care of them has worked well for us, right, and no doubt will continue to do so? But are the mentally ill lazy and do they lack character? I have a mentally ill friend who gives back to the community by volunteering for companies that are about things she loves.
She works regularly for a world class classical orchestra of a major city.
She works for at least three high quality commercial theater groups who do stage plays and concerts from New York and other major arts areas, also world class organizations.
Then there is her routine work with the Red Cross and a botanical museum.
She has done these works for many years.
She loves music, she loves theater, she loves the Arts, and feels very fortunate, in a way, to be apart of professional outfits that routinely excel in those areas.
I think it is all pretty terrific my self.
I am much impressed with her contributions to world class Arts, to the Red Cross, and to the botanical museum.
It really is a fine thing and she does her work very well.
But it is not all foot lights and standing ovations flashing around her.
Some of it is very sad.
Her mental health issues greatly dampen her ability to fully enjoy the importance of the work she does and the contribution she makes.
She often feels flat out unwelcome at her job sites due to her illness, even though one recent year she was the local Red Cross volunteer of the year.
(But that's another story I don't have permission to tell.
) By showing theater and concert goers to their seats, and in general, taking care of their needs as they settle in for the performances, and doing this free of charge, she helps make these productions cheaper to produce.
Cost effectiveness is central to the success of any business.
She helps make it all possible.
It is a pity she can't enjoy it as well as the concert goers.
Oh, well.
Just the same I think my friend is a good place to look for an answer to our question: Are the Mentally Ill Lazy And Do They Lack Character? I really don't think they are lazy or lacking in character.
I know a lot of mentally ill people and I find this frequently to be the case.
Many of them are carrying important responsibility on a daily basis, for their families, for their churches, for part time employers, for us all.
It is very much the case most of the time.
For that reason I ask you to refuse to write off the mentally ill as worthless.
They frequently earn their keep daily in a many ways.
My friend is a good example.