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Question by Reagan Republican: In her work “Uncle Sam’s Plantation” Star Parker compares the government to a plantation. Is she right?
Is the comparison valid?

Six years ago I wrote a book called Uncle Sam’s Plantation. I wrote the book to tell my own story of what I saw living inside the welfare state and my own transformation out of it.

I said in that book that indeed there are two Americas — a poor America on socialism and a wealthy America on capitalism.

I talked about government programs like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Training (JOBS), Emergency Assistance to Needy Families with Children (EANF), Section 8 Housing, and Food Stamps.

A vast sea of perhaps well-intentioned government programs, all initially set into motion in the 1960s by Democrats, that were going to lift the nation’s poor out of poverty.

A benevolent Uncle Sam welcomed mostly poor black Americans onto the government plantation. Those who accepted the invitation switched mindsets from “How do I take care of myself?” to “What do I have to do to stay on the plantation?”

Instead of solving economic problems, government welfare socialism created monstrous moral and spiritual problems — the kind of problems that are inevitable when individuals turn responsibility for their lives over to others.

The legacy of American socialism is our blighted inner cities, dysfunctional inner city schools, and broken black families.

Through God’s grace, I found my way out. It was then that I understood what freedom meant and how great this country is.

I had the privilege of working on welfare reform in 1996 which was passed by a Republican controlled Congress.

I thought we were on the road to moving socialism out of our poor black communities and replacing it with wealth-producing American capitalism.

But, incredibly, we are now going in the opposite direction.

Instead of poor America on socialism becoming more like rich American on capitalism, rich America on capitalism is becoming like poor America on socialism.

Uncle Sam has welcomed our banks onto the plantation and they have said, “Thank you, Suh.”

Now, instead of thinking about what creative things need to be done to serve customers, they are thinking about what they have to tell Massah in order to get their cash.

There is some kind of irony that this is all happening under our first black president on the 200th anniversary of the birthday of Abraham Lincoln.

Worse, socialism seems to be the element of our new young president. And maybe even more troubling, our corporate executives seem happy to move onto the plantation.

In an op-Ed on the opinion page of the Washington Post, Mr. Obama is clear that the goal of his trillion dollar spending plan is much more than short term economic stimulus.

“This plan is more than a prescription for short-term spending — it’s a strategy for America’s long-term growth and opportunity in areas such as renewable energy, health care, and education.”

Perhaps more incredibly, Obama seems to think that government taking over an economy is a new idea. Or that massive growth in government can take place “with unprecedented transparency and accountability.”

Yes, sir, we heard it from Jimmy Carter when he created the Department of Energy, the Synfuels Corporation, and the Department of Education.

Or how about the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 — The War on Poverty — which President Johnson said “…does not merely expand old programs or improve what is already being done. It charts a new course. It strikes at the causes, not just the consequences of poverty.”

Trillions of dollars later, black poverty is the same. But black families are not, with triple the incidence of single-parent homes and out-of-wedlock births.

It’s not complicated. Americans can accept Barack Obama’s invitation to move onto the plantation. Or they can choose personal responsibility and freedom.

Does anyone really need to think about what the choice should be?

“The trouble with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money.”

Best answer:

Answer by tigeress
I disagree with her statement. This is actually not a race issue because there are just as many, if not more, white and hispanic families on welfare as blacks. Since 88% of the population of the USA is white and only 12% is black this seems logical.
The Welfare system was designed as temporary support for dependent children and a select group of disabled adults. It was never intended as an alternative life style. The government can accept part of the blame but most of it falls on the individuals who do not accept the responsibility for their choices. They drop out of school, keep having babies out of wedlock and get involved in substance abuse. The government even offers free education, free college or trade school for those who want to move forward. It is not the governments fault if people refuse to take advantage of these opportunities, remain living below the poverty level in unsafe neighborhoods. People have choices; Children learn from their parents so those born in the system don’t know any other way of living so they often make the same mistakes, ie, have early unprotected sex, multiple unwanted pregnancies, drop out of school, and substance abuse.
I have worked in the social service field for many years and I know that it needs to be restructured. More studies need to be on cause and effect. However, there never seems to be enough interest in the poor because they don’t vote, don’t pay taxes and are seen as a drain on society.

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

Bridging the Gap for Disconnected Youth
Filed under: substance abuse education

A recent report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a U.S. think tank focused on youth issues, painted a pretty depressing picture for youth who are not in school or working. The policy report “Youth and Work, Restoring Teen and Young Adult Connections …
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Heart Disease is a Major Health Concern in the Valley
Filed under: substance abuse education

Some ideas how that prevention could work include a personal responsibility education program with James Madison University to combat teen pregnancy, a community garden to help curb obesity and two new substance abuse specialists already staffed …
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Serenity House – Ogden, Utah, A House of Hope Program

Serenity House, in Ogden, Utah, is a coed, adult residential and outpatient substance abuse treatment facility and a sober living home for men who have completed treatment. Serenity House is operated by the House of Hope, a non-profit organization. Serenity House Therapists and Case Managers provide caring, best-practice treatment for addiction and co-occurring mental health issues. Treatment is focused on the biological, psychological, and social causes of addiction, and is holistic in nature. Services include group, individual and family therapy; group and individual behavior management; substance abuse education; relapse prevention; life skills; communication skills; anger management; and trauma groups. Parents in the program are taught positive parenting skills aimed at rebuilding and strengthening the parent/child attachment relationship. Case managers link each client to needed community services, including medical care, educational/vocational training, children’s resources, mental health resources, housing, and others. DUI classes are available, as is the Sober Living Home for men who complete residential treatment and need a supportive, drug-free, caring environment, to help them move back into community life. Serenity House has 40 residential beds and can serve 30-40 outpatient men and women. The House of Hope’s Salt Lake and Provo programs provide substance abuse treatment services to women, pregnant women and mothers with children. The Salt Lake City program …

 

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