The word welfare has labeled the human race in the worst way. When you say welfare, most people think dirty, trashy, ill-mannered people. The word to some means single mother with six children with different fathers, or a jailbird man who are freeloading bums. We never look at the individuals as someone who are down on their luck and just need a little help.

I have been on welfare off and on several times since divorcing, my oldest two children father. The way the caseworker treated like someone who was bagging. Well I was bagging to feed my children. I was 20 years old with two small children and nowhere to turn (the ex was playing dodge ball with the child support system). The workers act as though they do not want you to breathe on them, as if you have a disease or something. With small children, it was hard to find a good job and keep it. In addition, the degrading questions they use to ask, was just to dehumanize. After I had my third son some eight years later, I had to get back on welfare. The caseworker gave me a look that called me everything but my name, when she found out that he had a different father from the first two, and reaction like that is where the belittlement comes.

Most jobs are not tolerant of miss days under no circumstances, so when a young mother, child is hospitalize for lead poison, and she get fire for miss days, because she haven't been there long enough, what is she suppose to do. A retired grandmother finds herself with two small children who parents was gun down a drive-by, what is she to do until SSI kick in? When a man gets out of jail and finds that his junkie wife has abandoned the children, what is he to do?

The welfare system is there to help the poor, so why when poor people come for assist are they treated like the lowest creatures on earth. Not all poor people are bums looking for a hand out. Nevertheless, the bottom line is that they are just that PEOPLE!

There are many reasons for a person to be on welfare. Life has just kicked the hell out of you and then you get on welfare and get kicked some more. Therefore, to keep from being kicked again, do I robbed the corner store, or steal a car to sell to a chop shop? Or how about I come into your home as you sleep, with a gun and rob you? Because understand, all I want is for my children to eat and live. However, our society is so twisted, that if I make to papers for robbing someone to feed my children, then everyone would say that is a good mother, she had good intentions, all she wanted was to care for her children. But as soon as I sat at a caseworkers desk, the first thing she thinks, this sorry example of a mother dare to want my tax paying dollars, to lay up with a different man every night.

How did we get so turned around?

Learn more about this author, Renee Morgan.
Click here to send author comments or questions.

---

Add your voice

Know something about Reflections: On welfare (the poor are people, too)?
We want to hear your view. Write now!