What Entitlement Spending Has Spawned

"That's what we're creating" ~ Judge Judith Sheindlin



Monday was the first day of the month. The first day of the month is the day retired people get their Social Security checks. It is the day Welfare recipients get their Welfare checks.

On the first day of the month, those with the entitlement mentality go out and walk (and shop) among us.

I've seen the first of every month come and go for years, but this past Monday was the first time I really noticed how forcefully the addiction to entitlements has negatively affected our society.

I've mentioned this several times on this and other blogs. I've pointed out how lines of people park their cars in the fire lanes at retail stores instead of in the designated parking spaces. I've pointed out how this is a demonstration of the entitlement mentality at work. They park where they want because it's closer to the door. It's more convenient to walk a few feet than it is to walk a few dozen feet.

Unless they are stopping there momentarily to let some handicapped passenger off, I don't know what else to attribute this to other than they feel somehow entitled to park their cars illegally.

This past Monday, I witnessed an extension of this phenomena firsthand.

I was in WalMart talking to an electronics associate, questioning him on GPS devices. A man walked up and rudely interrupted our conversation to demand where the Virgin Mobile phone cards were located. The associate excused himself to me, and replied the store doesn't sell Virgin Mobile phone cards. The man gruffly retorted, "You sold 'em two weeks ago!" After some more contentious conversation the associate helped the man locate the Virgin Mobile broadband-to-go cards, and explained that since the store doesn't sell the phones, he couldn't say for certain whether the broadband cards would work with the phones.

Instead of thanking the associate for his help, honesty, and patience, the man stalked wordlessly and angrily out of the area.

As I was standing before the register preparing to purchase my selection, a family consisting of a man, a woman, and a daughter walked up and demanded to be checked out first and, partly because I was in no hurry, and partly because I wanted to alleviate any possible contention between the associate and his "customer", I courteously allowed the associate to take them ahead of me.

As the associate tried in vain to initiate a friendly short discussion, the family stood unresponsive to his pleasantries and scowling. Then, they started complaining about the price, which, incidentally, was already marked down below list price.

Meanwhile, the daughter occupied herself by picking up various items, looking at them briefly, and then dropping them wherever she happened to be standing, regardless of whether that's where the items belonged. Not once did her parents request that she keep her hands off things or reprimand her.

Irresponsibility begets irresponsibility.

After they left, I made the observance to the associate that there seemed to be an abundance of rude, classless customers in the store that day.

He replied, "It happens the first of every month."

The welfare checks go out that day, and the recipients descend upon the merchants in hordes, spending their checks on luxuries, entertainment, alcohol, cigarettes, and other items that do nothing to lessen their debt, or help pay their rent.

All the while pushing, demanding, insisting, they get everything they want at the absolute lowest prices, and if the items they want are not exactly what they expect, the merchants can count on them to raise a loud, boisterous objection.

This is what the Welfare state in this country has spawned.

And, it will only get worse. In fact, our Government encourages the addiction. In our altruistic hope to help poor people afford living expenses, as well as the expense of giving birth and providing for the children born as a result of their promiscuous behavior, we are creating the perception that it thus becomes a reward for breeding and multiplying.

Their progeny inherits this entitlement addiction from the equally addicted parents.

And so it goes.

Where will it end?

Will it end?

Who knows?

The Democrats insist that increasing entitlement spending will increase demand and decrease unemployment.

How is that possible?

The Government (We, the people) has not shown any inclination to put a stop to this self-destructive cycle.

If we the people don't, who will?