When You Think About It: The Spirit of Things

Words and photo by F LoBuono

There was a recent posting on Facebook with many expressing outrage that students trying out for high school sports teams may be drug tested while welfare recipients are not (this is not entirely accurate).

On the surface, it seems completely reasonable to find outrage in this. If we require it of "innocent" students then we certainly should from those asking for a handout, i.e. public assistance.  After all, they are, in a sense, getting something for nothing. Right? In fact, they should be GRATEFUL and, therefore, eagerly willing to submit to drug testing. Yes?

So, where is the issue?

Well, it lies in the SPIRIT of the law, i.e. what is the motivation and the impetus for passing this, or any other, law? Why is it needed? What do we, as a society, hope to gain from its implementation? Who will it help? Who might it hurt?

So, let's see if we can answer these questions. First, if we live in a truly FREE society, why are we drug testing ANYONE, especially without probable cause? To drug test randomly without a REAL reason, suggests that people are inherently bad. We begin with the premise that they are "dirty", rather than "clean" - dishonest rather than trustworthy. This mindset is particularly applied to those who seek public assistance, i.e. POOR PEOPLE. There is the assumption that these people take the money to buy drugs rather than to feed themselves or their families. I mean, the reason these people need the help is because they've screwed up their lives in the first place, right? And, why should I subsidize their bad behavior/drug habits?

Now, I know that there is fraud in the welfare system. There always has been and, most likely, always will be - because it is human nature. Where there are people there will always be greed and graft. However, when you think about it,  do you REALLY believe that the majority of  those who need the help would squander it on drugs? That's absurd! Sure, there are unscrupulous people who would choose to feed their addictions rather than their children, but they are the exception rather than the rule. Still, there are those who would have us believe that most welfare recipients take our money with one hand and with the other give it to a drug dealer. I don't know about you but, if I needed the help. I would resent the hell out of someone degrading me like this. And, make NO mistake, that's exactly what it does - degrades those who are already suffering.

And, beyond the obvious stereotyping of poor people, the statistics simply do not support this premise. Study after study of States that have implemented drug testing as a prerequisite to receiving welfare have produced underwhelming results*. The myth of the so-called Welfare Queen, i.e. a woman who lives lavishly on public assistance, in exactly that - a MYTH. The facts do not support THE SPIRIT of the law. In other words, despite its claim of good intent,the law is really about simply (please forgive the vernacular) breaking balls and keeping poor people down by destroying their very integrity.  Drug testing welfare recipients is not only ineffective, it is unnecessary and counterproductive - costing more to initiate than it saves by claiming to defeat so-called welfare fraud. It simply reinforces old, worn stereotypes.

This mentality can also be seen in the latest round of the so-called Bathroom Restriction Laws like the one recently passed in North Carolina. Here, The Spirit of this law is also flawed. It serves NO PURPOSE beyond attempting to vilifiy those who may be different than us (them). The framers of the law claim that it was passed to insure the safety of women and children while in a vulnerable area, despite the fact that there is NO STATISTICAL EVIDENCE that would support their premise. It is simply more ball breaking!

It is also odd to me that people would accept random drug testing in their own lives so readily. This is still a free country and I, for one, resent the fact that the government looks to control what we do in the privacy of our own homes. Instead of railing against this intrusion to their own lives, people look for scapegoats. They think that they've found them in the welfare system. I also find it strange that many of the people who believe in drug testing welfare recipiants generally support so-called Conservative Causes, which, in general, eschew interference by the government. Except, apparently, when it comes to social issues. Then, if it doesn't fit within their vision of God and Country, it must be controlled (think reproductive rights, gay rights, etc.). Of course, it is more than mere coincidence that the States that have passed most of these draconian measures are controlled by Republicans.

So, when you think about it, it shouldn't be too hard. In fact, it's pretty simple: Live and Let Live. Look with your hearts as well as your eyes. All the poor people are NOT trying to rip you off.



*http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/welfare-drug-testing_us_56156d38e4b021e856d344cd