A Michigan woman, Amanda Clayton, recently made headlines for winning one million dollars. She made headlines again for continuing to accept government assistance after she cashed the check.
What’s her excuse?
Did she think she deserved “$200 a month in state food assistance”?
“I kind of do. I have no income, and I have bills to pay. I have two houses.”
After taxes, Clayton took home a little over $500,000, “which she used to buy a new home and car.” In other words, she already had at least one house. Instead of paying it off like a responsible citizen, she bought another one and continued to accept government assistance.
To be fair, what Clayton did was technically not illegal, but it was most certainly immoral.
The complete lack of contrition and supreme entitlement mentality Clayton demonstrates is indicative of a broader cancer plaguing the United States. Millions of Americans actually believe that the government owes them a handout. Especially when the president’s rhetoric actively promotes class warfare.
Reflections of a Rational Republican 
Yes Sean she is being very immoral. Is there not a limit that one can have in savings or income or indeed a win by gambling that takes such a person out of the benefit bracket that prevents a person like the above from receiving benefits? There is in the UK.
This attitude is not just the fault of the social welfare system but an immoral agenda that society as a whole has engineered – politicians, industrialists, and directors and managers of companies like ENRON for instance saying greed, theft and immorality is what makes you wealthy, do it and enjoy it for as long as you can get away with it. Others follow suit.
All systems are at risk from both fraud and immoral behaviour. It is the moral side that has been corrupted and replaced with a me and my wants regardless. It can be a case of people thinking the state owes them a living, or it can be a case of I’ll do whatever it takes to get what I want regardless of moral and legal aspects of my actions.
“All systems are at risk from both fraud and immoral behaviour. It is the moral side that has been corrupted and replaced with a me and my wants regardless. It can be a case of people thinking the state owes them a living, or it can be a case of I’ll do whatever it takes to get what I want regardless of moral and legal aspects of my actions.”
All excellent and fair points, efgd.
The result of this “loss of morality” for lack of a better term is a true loss of a sense of community. I am sure in your communities as in mine, there are people out there spending endless time adding benefit to the community. And then you have the leeches who don’t even know they are leeches.
What I don’t understand is the proposition that it is those same government programs that create the leeches and the sense of entitlement. That sentiment heard daily in conservative media and emails is just inaccurate. It comes from bad or a lack of parenting and education. It is upbringing and education that generally imbues one with a sense of duty and honor. I agree wholeheartedly with efgd that it is a “greed is good” mentality generating the entitlement trap.
Somehow the “American Dream” has been turned into “everyone can be rich”.
These types have always been around . They are just tolerated more now.
Seriously. Be sure to check out all the Joseph P. Kennedy III posts. I’m pretty sure you’ll enjoy them.