Duggars and Welfare

[fencesitter]

And yet, I don't see them only driving on private roads and only using hospitals funded solely by private payers.

It's almost as if it's okay to use things that tax money pays for, provided it's for the common good. And I can't think of anything that serves the common good of our society better than not letting children and people going through hard times starve.

I did not say anything bad about people who get welfare. Just explained the mentality of some people regarding the Duggars (and only the Duggars) and Welfare, which is the title of the forum. Someone alluded to the fact that they don't have welfare, but do accept charity and I was pointing out that for the most part those are 2 very different economic vehicles.

If you'll excuse me now, I am going to go drive on my welfare road home... Now that you have clarified to me that driving on roads is the same as food stamps, I am excited to finally be cashing in on this government welfare. I hope you enjoy yours the next time you go to the store too!

[valsa]

I did not say anything bad about people who get welfare. Just explained the mentality of some people regarding the Duggars (and only the Duggars) and Welfare, which is the title of the forum. Someone alluded to the fact that they don't have welfare, but do accept charity and I was pointing out that for the most part those are 2 very different economic vehicles.

If you'll excuse me now, I am going to go drive on my welfare road home... Now that you have clarified to me that driving on roads is the same as food stamps, I am excited to finally be cashing in on this government welfare. I hope you enjoy yours the next time you go to the store too!

Yes, I know. My post was directed at the Duggars and other anti-welfare/foodstamp people, not you.

[tropaka]

I haven't read through all the responses yet, but my first thought is that paired with the attitudes against debt/government help is one that seems to be that it's okay to starve your kids or live in shitty environments - hey, they might be getting by with tomato soup on bagels as pizza and have vitamin deficiencies ("sometimes my bones hurt'), or have kids stacked on shelving, but by gosh at least they're not on government assistance!

[bananacat]

I absolutely hate the pride these people have. They would rather let their kids (and pets) starve than to accept the money that exist specifically for them! Anyone who admires the Duggars is a fool or an asshole. On a scale, starving your kids is far worse than accepting charity any day. People need to get their priorities straight. Starving babies, or government assistance? It should be the easiest choice ever made!

[onlyorganic]

You know, the Duggars have as much right to brag about how financially free they are as people who win the lottery do. They are a large family and they happened to come upon celebrity and they use that celebrity and all the perks that come with it as an outlet to blab about how financially free they are. To be honest, while there are some scumbags who work the system, it's there to HELP people and there is no shame in those who truly need it asking for help.

[Visionoyahweh]

You know, the Duggars have as much right to brag about how financially free they are as people who win the lottery do.

QFT! Don't forget they made a decent amount of money rent to cell tower companies. NOBODY, even wise JB, saw the cell phone revolution coming. He basically got lucky owning a few acres of cow country at the right time in history.

[roddma]

I guess you can assume Joan Crawford wasn't on welfare. The no welfare no debt is a mute point when you consider the damage that has came ATI.

[Witsec7]

Lets not forget Jimboob got a mountain of money and property when his old man died.

[MandyLaLa]

That happened to me too. I was on food stamps and wic back in the day when you had to tear the food stamps out of a little coupon book. I was standing in line getting both food and wic items and the guy behind me wanted to make small talk. He was so nice and even said how refreshing it was to see that I had only healthy foods for my little guys and wasn't buying junk food or soda. Well when it came time for me to pay and he saw that I was using food stamps he came unglued. He started screaming that I was using his tax dollars to buy my kids fresh fruit and veggies when I could buy canned goods. He was pissed that I was buying things to make homemade bread and cookies instead of generic cookies and how dare I buy my kids good meat when they could just eat canned pasta instead. I mean this guy was foaming at the mouth pissed. I was pregnant with #3 and burst out into tears. The manager of the store came over and yelled at him that I was a very good customer and never fed my kids crap and then made Mr. Angry Pants leave. After that the manager always checked me out and helped me out to my car so that kind of thing would never happen again.

It sucks when people make snap judgements and don't have a clue of what they are judging.

That's just disgusting behavior for anyone, I'm glad the manager made him leave.

I'm on welfare and I get food stamps, they come on an EBT card which is just like a debit card. I always feel self conscious using it and try to cover it with my hand. It gets really frustrating at some stores that you have to say I'm using food stamps.

[Feberin]

I absolutely hate the pride these people have. They would rather let their kids (and pets) starve than to accept the money that exist specifically for them! Anyone who admires the Duggars is a fool or an asshole. On a scale, starving your kids is far worse than accepting charity any day. People need to get their priorities straight. Starving babies, or government assistance? It should be the easiest choice ever made!

Exactly! I remember a blog I read that their family spent a few months living off ramen noodles but they didn't get any government assistance. And the mother was pregnant with young children. How is that good for any of them?

[Wolfie]

Kind of on a tangent- has anybody seen this movie? foodstamped.com/ I'm debating going to a showing this weekend.

[JesusFightClub]

Ladypuglover, how horrible! I hope the guy was banned from the shop. There is no excuse for that sort of behaviour.

Shoobydoo, yeah, it is weird. One guy said welfare recipients should have to put in a list of what they spent each week and on what as their "duty". He had a Biblical justification for it too. If they bought any "luxuries" they would get that amount of benefit taken off them.

I was thinking about that discussion yesterday as I was suckeling on the evil teat of government. My landlord has given us notice to quit so I will be officially homeless shortly. Therefore yesterday I flung myself on the mercy of the council and applied to be rehoused in a council flat (I think Americans call it Section 8 ?) Considering the alternative is moving from couch to couch or sleeping in a cardboard box, "welfare" is the only sensible choice.

For most people who are on it, it's the same. Hmm, choice between feeding kids or not feeding kids out of misplaced sense of pride? After all, most people don't have a TV show to make them money...

[MrsKay]

ladypuglover, I'm so sorry you had to go through such garbage.

I'm in Canada, and have no idea how the food stamps and WIC things work - could someone explain them to me?

DH lost his job right after I gave birth; I'll never forget trudging to the welfare office in the dead of winter with my newborn, thinking how pathetic and how much like a bad movie the whole thing seemed. I wanted to die of humiliation. I'd gone from growing up way below poverty level, homeless and eating at soup kitchens at various points, to finally owning an old but sturdy good-size home, and having a DH with a good job. And as I'd warned DH as something that happens every day, gone from stability etc. to a crappy apartment and welfare almost overnight. But as I learned from my parents, and taught DH, when you have babies, you suck up your pride, and you do what you damn well have to, to make sure those babies are warm and fed and have what they need. That's what welfare is there for, and it's nothing to be ashamed of. Things are better for us now, but I throw my dignity out the window when it comes to making sure my kids' needs are met. And you can bet your ass that I'm grateful for every bit of help we've received. These people who'd rather give their kids gloodles than accept gov't assistance don't deserve those kids.

[Silver Springs]

I guess you can assume Joan Crawford wasn't on welfare. The no welfare no debt is a mute point when you consider the damage that has came ATI.

Pet peeve - it's "moot", not mute. ;)

We started getting WIC for the first time ever in Nov. 2010. My husband's business was down/slow and we just needed help. I was home with a baby and taking care of our other kids (one of which was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in Dec. 2010) and the formula we got helped so much. (I would much rather have been fully nursing, but I have a medically-documented inability to produce adequate breastmilk, no matter the intervention.) We still receive WIC and SNAP, and we are thankful. Oh, and my husband pays taxes even on a down income, so trust me it's not a free ride.