Friday, September 17, 2004

The Gadflyer: Uncle Sam Wants You to Get Married

The Gadflyer: Uncle Sam Wants You to Get Married

i have a girl friend who works for the dept of health and human services; she flipped out when she was told 4 years ago that she'd have to start counseling her clients to stay married - or get married in order to continue their benefits or receive them.

she said, what does marriage have to do with this girl getting her high school diploma and finding a job?

absolutely nothing, i told her.

the republican mindset is amazing to me. solutions are often so easy, so band-aid like. poor? get married. too many kids? get married. no job? get married. hate the ghetto? get married.

the placebos make us feel better about charity but allow us to ignore real material conditions that have real, adverse affects on a poor family. we'd rather a woman be married to another poor man who can't support his family rather than think of ways to get them help to lead them out of poverty.

let's say it together: poor people need not to be poor anymore.

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