I came across this article today about FDR's Second Bill of Rights Speech and it was like he was predicting the future in a way that would put Nostradamus to shame. But then again it was more likely that he just was a master at understanding Human Nature.
In it he talks about basic Human Rights. Not about luxuries or free rides but about the things in life that each person has a right to expect in a Free and Democratic Country.
What I find strange is how this concept scares some people, namely the Right Wing. Yes, the potential to abuse the system is inherent. Nothing in life is perfect, people are not perfect and if you expect it, then you are delusional.
When considering the alternative to denying these Basic Human Rights, that concept should scare you even more. The alternative leaves the majority of people in this country, the working class, at risk. Who benefits from that? Who benefits if we as a society say, you don't matter? If you come upon hard times... tough shit.
What moral person, what "God fearing" person would want to see anyone suffer? What kind of person says, I want all I can personally get in life and I don't care what happens to people who are not fortunate?
Trust me, I am not referring to people who scam the system because they are complete and total criminals and should be treated like it. There's no two ways about that. But the solution to this potential problem with people who will scam the system is not to deprive everyone, but to punish the ones who abuse it. You don't punish people for what they might do, you address it when they do something wrong. It would be like saying, let's completely get rid of cars because some people get stinking drunk and kill innocent people with them.
If you believe that people can and should choose for themselves and that it's not Governments place to dictate peoples lives, which is the GOP's entire belief system, then the only way to ensure that is to give people the freedom to make those choices.
The more intelligent way to go about dealing with this is to give people a system that provides basic rights and then what you do with those rights then becomes your responsibility. If you abuse the system then you suffer the consequences. Simple.
A Government provides the foundation for society, what you build on that foundation is up to you. But if you do not provide society a foundation then we all suffer.
