It's sometimes nice getting something for nothing. No matter if it’s hitting the sweepstakes jackpot, being picked for a job you really weren’t qualified for, scoring a free tank of gas with your next fill up at the local 7-Eleven, or a winning hand in Vegas, it’s in our genes from the moment we’re born till the day we die. But realistically, part of being a responsible adult knows what crosses the line between getting something for nothing, morally and legally, or the same abusively, therefore making others pay simply because a structure’s in place allowing some to walk through its jagged cracks.
Right now, one of the biggest expenses our nation faces is the costs associated with illegal immigration. When people illegally cross our borders, no matter from what country, they can take full advantage of our system. Our government educates their children, supports some of their living expenses, gives them free medical care, and turns a blind eye to their employers (off the books, of course). Many don’t pay taxes, have bank accounts, carry identification, speak our language, respect our laws, or give natural born Americans the honor we deserve for their living in our ultra-free society. They feel entitled, and I’ve noticed somewhat arrogant once they firmly plant their feet upon our land, and it’s a huge problem that’s ripping the flesh off our country’s financial shoulders.
As a pilot, I once split my time between Dallas and Miami for several years, witnessing the damaging effects of illegal immigration. In South Florida, the landscape and culture were constantly deteriorating, rapidly. Drugs, murder, and other crimes were always soaring through the roof. Tax roles constantly went down. The once pristine landscape dotted with clean streets and lush gardens became dingy and dirty. And unemployment went on a rampage partly because of illegal workers willing to work for drastically smaller wages, eliminating American workers. Now here’s the thing, it’s happening everywhere now. And we, the American taxpayers are being forced to pay the price because of other people’s sense of entitlement and our government leaders seemingly welcoming them with open arms. Kind of goes along with a certain politician’s famous bullet point, “The Fundamental Redistribution of Wealth,” no?
Texas was one of the latest states to try and adopt a voter ID law. It simply required someone to show proof of citizenship before casting a vote in a political election. It seemed no big deal to me, after all, showing some form of legal identification has always been required to become married, buy booze, enter a bar, buy a gun, rent an apartment, purchase a home, get a loan, write a check, open a bank account, use a credit card, form a business, become arrested, register a vehicle, board a plane, enter a hospital, pick up a prescription, donate blood, adopt a child, apply for Social Security, do business at a pawn shop, go to court, enter a jail cell, pay taxes, and vote in Union Elections, etc; but, of course, not to vote in a Presidential election. Hmm, I wonder why? A huge majority of those not bothering to apply for an official ID are Democratic voters. And that is exactly why the laws in Texas, and other states, have quickly seen their demise before ever reaching the starting lines. The current administration shutters at the very thought of losing those cherished votes. My point, those currently in office are hell bent on keeping their jobs, seeing their base’s entitlement money continue to flow, and keeping our land of opportunity open for business no matter how quickly our nations debt enters the stratosphere. No voter ID laws equal more votes, legal or not, and votes are what keep certain people in office, with no consideration to ethics, or the costs. Its kindergarten politics at its finest, in my opinion, but something that those of us looking for honored and respectable leadership are currently forced to endure. But playtime is about to come to an end, come November.
A sense of entitlement is something seen all the time in other areas of our culture, and it’s growing rapidly in the minds of our children, and everyday adults. As people become more pressured financially, their sense of entitlement matches their pain. They seek out ways of tightening their belts, but “free” is becoming the word of the decade. A sense of entitlement makes people lazy, unwilling to compromise, argumentative, and angry when their way of life is being threatened.
So why is this happening? Whatever became of the eras of self help, paying your own bill, working your way through school, knowing the value of a dollar, kids having paper routes (I did when I was 12), or some other job at an early age teaching our youth work values, and living within ones means. Now, the entitlement stereotype is the current school of thought.
I wish our country would go back to being the America of my Grandparents, their parents, and even my parents; a country whose people were driven by ingenuity and creativity. When people looked at success as something they earned, and weren’t given. When children were taught that sweat and knowledge equates to accomplishment, not entitlement. And that the sensations you feel when dropping a check in the bank is because you made that happen, not a government bureaucrat simply looking to buy your vote.
Looking forward to your comments…
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