General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: I saw something rather disturbing today. [View all]athena
(4,187 posts)It goes against all the other points. It's too influenced by the Republican notion that it's a shame to accept gifts and that one must be self-reliant. Well, some people simply cannot be self-reliant. Some people have disabilities, illnesses, or addictions. Some people are too old to be self-reliant. Some people are depressed and need years of therapy before they can be functional. Some people are so depressed that they are simply too weak to work with a therapist to become functional. Those people are human, too, and they deserve to live in dignity as much as those of us who are lucky enough not to be in their position.
We have what we call a "society" for a reason. And the point of our social contract is for the strong to help the weak, with no expectation that the weak use the help to become strong.