[masraum]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

Every one of us heard the same things growing up:

Mind your manners.
Listen to your parents and teachers.
Pay attention in school.
Get good grades.
Stay out of trouble.
Don't use drugs.
Don't get pregnant out of wedlock/don't get a girl pregnant out of wedlock.
Get a good education so you can get a good job.

These were not secrets. They were instructions for success. And we all heard them. Over and over.

Some of us listened and followed those rules, and got stuck supporting those who didn't.
Decisions and actions should have consequences so they can guide others down the right path by example. That was the entire herd benefits.

bleeding heart good intentions might make you FEEL better, but they usually do more harm than good in the big picture.
What happens when you provide a safety net? The high-wire act knows they can fall and won't get hurt. So they fall more. No big deal.

What happens when they know there isn't a safety net and there will be dire consequences for screwing up? They straighten up and fly right. They try harder.

IOW what happens when a girl with no education, no job, no means of self-support gets knocked up for the 4th or 5th time?
NOTHING except she gets another raise.


You really wanna help? You really want to make things better?
Take away the safety nets and teach the kids about consequences. THEN teach them what good looks like, show them that they can make it, teach them HOW to be a success instead of a failure.
But most of all, STOP making up excuses that tell them they can't be anything but poor.

What's a bit scary is when the highwire act has been doing their act with a super safety net for years, and they have gotten to where they just jump off of the high wire because the safety net is more comfortable and familiar.

If you were to then remove the safety net, things could/would get ugly fast.