Kelly Crawford Brags About Not Being of Food Stamps

[Cassandra]

It amazes me how so many Americans seem to look down on welfare.

In most European countries, Australia & NZ we have generous welfare programs. We DO NOT have food stamps as people are given money to buy food-therefore no stigma attached. (Although money may be quarantined in some cases-ie child neglect)

My father, a Vietnam veteran, who is comfortably well off, receieves a government pension.

My aunt received a single mothers pension for 5 years before her little girls started school and she got a job.

My brother receieved a mature aged student (over 24 yrs of age) allowance for the final two years of his second uni degree.

No stigma. No drama.

Kelly needs to realise the whole world doesnt feel the same way as she does, and they reason she feels that way is because she is in the USA, belongs to a fundie cult and is stupid. If she was born to a Muslim/Catholic/Hindu/Atheist family in Denmark she would feel very differently, and believe very differently.

Its kind of a backlash of the 'American Dream' ideal where if you work hard enough you'll get everything you want and be successful!

So the assumption then becomes if you're on welfare then you must not be working hard enough blah blah blah.

Nothing has given me more perspective and empathy for the truly poor than being a college student living paycheck to paycheck. If my family weren't able to help me out I don't know where I'd be, but I probably wouldn't be able to afford my education.

[Milly-Molly-Mandy]

[its kind of a backlash of the 'American Dream' ideal where if you work hard enough you'll get everything you want and be successful!

So the assumption then becomes if you're on welfare then you must not be working hard enough blah blah blah.

.

Great point Cassandra! What a lot of Americans dont realise is their country has LESS movement between the socio economic groups than countries like Australia, Britain and Canada and a factor in that is the welfare and healthcare issues. People believing failure means you didn't work hard enough. So someone who is born to a poverty stricken, uneducated parent who is addicted to drugs and alcohol, no value for education, whose health is not considered important THEY are meant to, by themselves, overcome all this to become a sucess?

But I'm not hating on America...you guys have the best desserts...counting down to my trip to MN in 4 weeks and YAY cinnamon scrolls.

[justlurking]

We DO NOT have food stamps as people are given money to buy food-therefore no stigma attached. (Although money may be quarantined in some cases-ie child neglect)

Well, to be technical, our "food stamps" aren't really food stamps either (at least not anymore). They're electronic debit/credit cards.

[Wolfie]

Its kind of a backlash of the 'American Dream' ideal where if you work hard enough you'll get everything you want and be successful!

So the assumption then becomes if you're on welfare then you must not be working hard enough blah blah blah.

Nothing has given me more perspective and empathy for the truly poor than being a college student living paycheck to paycheck. If my family weren't able to help me out I don't know where I'd be, but I probably wouldn't be able to afford my education.

It also is a backlash against the few who abuse the system. (unfortunately I have a cousin who is abusing the system, I won't go into it but hey, if everybody could get away with going to work when they want to, and staying home when they don't want to, the world would be very different.)

[GolightlyGrrl]

Its kind of a backlash of the 'American Dream' ideal where if you work hard enough you'll get everything you want and be successful!

So the assumption then becomes if you're on welfare then you must not be working hard enough blah blah blah.

Nothing has given me more perspective and empathy for the truly poor than being a college student living paycheck to paycheck. If my family weren't able to help me out I don't know where I'd be, but I probably wouldn't be able to afford my education.

I'm so glad spending time as a poor and struggling college student gave you the perspective that seems to elude people like Kelly (who spent time on Medicaid).

I'm dealing with my own problems. I've also studied poverty issues and worked at an organization that focuses on poverty issues. These issues are very complex and very important. Not everyone who is on some type of government assistance is a Reagan-described "Welfare Queen." A majority of people I studied getting some type of assistant did at least graduate from high school, worked and did not have a boatload of out of wedlock kids.

Is there fraud in the system? Sure, but it's very rare. There is actually more fraud on Wall Street than with your average person on food stamps. But it seems fundies seem to ignore Wall Street greed and corporate malfeasance.

[Guest Anonymous]

I'm so glad spending time as a poor and struggling college student gave you the perspective that seems to elude people like Kelly (who spent time on Medicaid).

I'm dealing with my own problems. I've also studied poverty issues and worked at an organization that focuses on poverty issues. These issues are very complex and very important. Not everyone who is on some type of government assistance is a Reagan-described "Welfare Queen." A majority of people I studied getting some type of assistant did at least graduate from high school, worked and did not have a boatload of out of wedlock kids.

Is there fraud in the system? Sure, but it's very rare. There is actually more fraud on Wall Street than with your average person on food stamps. But it seems fundies seem to ignore Wall Street greed and corporate malfeasance.

yeah, but unfortunately the fundies view the corporate predators on Wall Street as role models, and the poor slobs who have to depend on Medicaid or other public assistance as life's losers.

[GolightlyGrrl]

So much word. I just finished Matt Taibbi's book "Griftopia" and it is eye-opening how the fundie/Wall Street mentality is so similar. One Wall Street greedhead even claimed he was doing "God's work." Hmm, sound familiar?

[aggythenostic]

There's insanity in there right now! Go see. Someone is trying patiently to talk to Lori and Kelly to NO avail. I know, shocking ;)

Scroll and scroll to Lori's amusing insanity:

http://www DOT generationcedar.com/main/2011/06/debt-saving-money-and-large-families-dont-have-to-be-on-food-stamps.html#comments

[GolightlyGrrl]

Anyone get the idea Kelly views her church as one big cash cow?

[booksnbeats]

There's insanity in there right now! Go see. Someone is trying patiently to talk to Lori and Kelly to NO avail. I know, shocking ;)

Scroll and scroll to Lori's amusing insanity:

http://www DOT generationcedar.com/main/2011/06/debt-saving-money-and-large-families-dont-have-to-be-on-food-stamps.html#comments

This woman is great. Being a good steward means holding on to your money and giving it to people who are "really" in need, like your children! I had no idea that Jesus says tax rebate=good, food assistance=bad.

[treemom]

Those comments are sickening. One of the people actually implied if you don't get help from your church it probably is because you haven't given back to God.

[desertvixen]

I actually went and read the thread, and I liked what Cathy had to say, for the most part. Too bad she seemed to be the only non-Jingerite who made sense.

If Kelly got the EIC, why not just say so? I mean, you have so much else of your life out there - and personally, I'm translating "I don't have all the answers" as "I took it and don't want to admit it".

The whole "if we lived in a truly Christian nation" thing made me want to throw up in my mouth - they'd have no problem giving as long as you were just like them.

[GolightlyGrrl]

I actually went and read the thread, and I liked what Cathy had to say, for the most part. Too bad she seemed to be the only non-Jingerite who made sense.

If Kelly got the EIC, why not just say so? I mean, you have so much else of your life out there - and personally, I'm translating "I don't have all the answers" as "I took it and don't want to admit it".

The whole "if we lived in a truly Christian nation" thing made me want to throw up in my mouth - they'd have no problem giving as long as you were just like them.

Someone once asked Kelly if she took child tax credits. Kelly never answered. I take that is a "yes."

[Guest Anonymous]

There's insanity in there right now! Go see. Someone is trying patiently to talk to Lori and Kelly to NO avail. I know, shocking ;)

Scroll and scroll to Lori's amusing insanity:

http://www DOT generationcedar.com/main/2011/06/debt-saving-money-and-large-families-dont-have-to-be-on-food-stamps.html#comments

These troglodytes CAN'T be reasoned with. It's like teaching a pig to sing-all you can do is waste your time and annoy the pig. :roll:

[lilwriter85]

It also is a backlash against the few who abuse the system. (unfortunately I have a cousin who is abusing the system, I won't go into it but hey, if everybody could get away with going to work when they want to, and staying home when they don't want to, the world would be very different.)

I agree with you. I have also known a few people who abused the system a lot and some people in turn end up thinking or saying that all people on government assistance abuse the system. Most people I know who have used government assistance only used when they needed it or they got back on their feet. The system abusers that I knew abused it for ten or more years. I had a cousin who had two children from an ex-boyfriend and she managed to cheat the system to get food stamps, cash assistance and other forms of assistance and she did this even though her ex was paying child support. I had a friend who in middle school whose mother had been on government assistance since my friend was a baby and she kept having more kids to stay on it.

[InkyGirl]

I agree with you. I have also known a few people who abused the system a lot and some people in turn end up thinking or saying that all people on government assistance abuse the system. Most people I know who have used government assistance only used when they needed it or they got back on their feet. The system abusers that I knew abused it for ten or more years. I had a cousin who had two children from an ex-boyfriend and she managed to cheat the system to get food stamps, cash assistance and other forms of assistance and she did this even though her ex was paying child support. I had a friend who in middle school whose mother had been on government assistance since my friend was a baby and she kept having more kids to stay on it.

[Wolfie]

The annoying thing is, that while we know these aren't the norm, the cheaters happen often enough to give it a bad name. How can you weed those people out without hurting those that are using it for the right reason (as a bridge to get back out) or the children. And how do you teach the children raised by those people that their parents were wrong in what they did?

I remember talking to my dad about this, he was very involved in welfare reform in the 1980's. In so many ways it is a catch-22.

[PharmDMommy]

I see plenty of abuse of the system in my line of work. I have seen more than one person come through my drive thru in a 50k car and whine about their $1 Medicaid copay and how they can't afford it; oh and can I go grab them a $7 pack of cigs!!!! Infuriating, h/e these programs are necessary for the children. To shame people about taking help when they truly need it sounds very un-Christian to me. A lot of churches are overwhelmed right now helping people, so I'm sure they would appreciate members getting as much outside help as possible so church resources help more people.

If Kelly is getting so much suppOrt from her church what if another family or 2/3/4etc have a crisis I guess that's not her problem. They must not have been good.

This chick makes me sick. I hope she learns her lesson someday. I'm not a mean person, but she really burns me.