Savannah Moments

Jack Cafferty (CNN) has totally lost it. In the April 14 Situation Room
broadcast with Wolf Blitzer he decried the nanny state, saying that 1
American in 6 was receiving some form of support from the government –
citing such areas as food stamps, unemployment insurance, disability
payments, etc. Wasn’t that just terrible? Where is the self-sufficiency of
our forebearers?

There were no handouts for them then. — That is the thrust of his argument.

He must have given it all of 15 seconds thought. Charles Dickens would be
right at home.

Today’s America no longer lives in a rural towns and villages. Cities have
always been tough  places for the poor — many of whom lived and died
early deaths as infectious diseases swept through the slums. Child labor,
six-day 12-hour work weeks, sweat shops  — let’s bring them all back.

So I ask you Mr. Cafferty, who are these 1 of 6? How many are children?
How many are over the age of 70? How many have chronic diseases for which
we have no real cures?

Most of the 1 in 6 don’t receive cradle to grave handouts. Most
individuals and families who may be on some form of welfare or subsidized
living at this moment go through periods of their lives when they are
productive citizens. We are a compassionate nation, Mr. Cafferty. When we
lose that compassion we lose our collective soul.