AFRO-Americ@: Community Discussions

Topic for 8/5/96: Do you think that the proposed welfare reform supported by President Clinton will prove to be insensitive to America's children?

Name: Grad. ex-change student in mexico
Email: es200326@udlapvms
Response: Speaking with a social work undergrad. degree, Cutting welfare off after so many years is not the answer. I personally feel like the gov. should have demanded a educational classes or social service program that all these people would have to attend in order to allow them to be able to get there gov. welfare. you can't just turn our fellow citizens on the streets loose with no other alternatives. What's going to hapen is crime is going to go up. I just hope that something can be done in the future. Theses poor, uneducated ,proverty stricken people are going to do what ever it takes in order to make a living. And having then placed in jail is not the right thing to do. Please some one respond! what's going to happen to our social class system? if these people, that were on welfare for so many years are going to find work is our class system going to shift? what about our senior citizens?

Name: Ralph A. Randall
Email:
Response: I am not sure about the details of the Presidents package. I know that welfare reciepeints come in all ages, sizes and colors. Because I believe in the power of GOD. ANy things possible. Welfare is man made. Everything mans makes needs maintenance (cars, houses, clothing, computers, the Welfare System, you name it). The system needed changes. Have we forgotten about how the early system mandated no man in the household of welfare mothers and now DEAD BEAT DADs is a big thing. The Welfare system is part of the dysfunctional problem of many poor families. Everything man makes needs update.

What I have heard about the presidents welfare reform package is that they are trying to change "the something for nothing" process. I've heard that the system change attempts to build on the saying "Give a man a fish,, he eats for a day, teach a man to fish he eats for a life time". If the reform changes these things then ,,,do it,,,We know the saying an "idle mind is the devils workshop". If the new system is an attempt to make parents reponsible I believe that responsiblity will be passed on to the children. I believe children are more likely to do as parents do moreso than simply as they say. I have used a few cliches hopefully they will be accepted seriously. My personal opinion is that the system need to be changed. Will the new changes hurt the children? I hope the changes will destroy the opportunity for children to never see there parents work. I hope the changes gives kids a response to the question often asked in elemnetary school; What kind of work do your parents do? I beleive that a kids response to the question affects the development of a responsibility outlook.

Name: Brother Messiah Akindele of MAD Writer Productions
Email: akinyemi@emuvax.emich.edu
Response: Welfare reform...reform welfare..etc. the welfare system here in this country is finished. President Clinton just signed the welfare reform bill recently and guess what? No more food stamps and you must get a job in two years or you can forget it. Now to tell you the truth, I feel that Nubian Americans in this country (and poor people) shold be able to get up off their ass and create jobs for themselves. Many churches as well as other religious institutions can create opportunities as well as employment in our community for our people. There is no such thing as NOT BEING ABLE. You can create a job and make money. Welfare creates lazy people. It makes people sit on their butts and collect a check. Hopefully, when the entire welfare system is demolished people (especially Nubians) can begin to build for themselves. Remember...welfare is fare-well to the Nubian people. Think about it.

Name: G.P. Williams
Email: gwillia1@tx.ncsu.edu
Response: Certainly the welfare reform will have an immediate negative impact. Everything possible should be done to make sure that children suffer as little as possible. But it is necessary. Churches and communities in this country have abdicated their responsibilty to the poor. We have left the care of the poor to the government which is not equipped to do a proper job. People who are chronically poor often have other needs that cannot be met by a monthly check. If harsh reforms are the only way to get the churches and other community based organizations to step up and care for the poorest citizens, so be it.

Name:
Email: Blkcat411@aol.com
Response: These so called reforms are beyond insensitive, they are inhumane. The poor in general will suffer, as far as i can tell this bill is completely punitive. It punishes people for being poor. We will always have poor people, there will never be 100% employment in this country. There are those who don't see a problem with people working for slave wages instead of a living wage. The chasm between the haves and have nots will continue to broaden, parts of our urban environments already look like third world countries and no one cares because these places are largely inhabited by what this country considers as third world people. Every unable to become gainfully employed will suffer, the children worst of all. African Americans will suffer worse than we'd have to, because we will not unite and put our 300 billion dollar spending power to use for the benefit of ourselves instead of others!

Name: VC JAMES
Email:
Response: I am a Native Washingtonian (District of Columbia). As I was growing up here within the city I've seen the system ABUSED/MISUSED. I know that it is unfair for those who need assistance to be persecuted but someone has to STOP this ABUSE. This ABUSE is not hear say; I've seen it myself growing up in the city. I also had a program within my office to assist families with needs. ( FOOD,CLOTHING,or SUPPORT). We assisted 5 families my co-workers and I would go to these families when they were in need. Out of these 5 families only 1 family needed assistance. The other homes we visited were well to do homes with several luxury items that were not put into the apartments by management( washer/dryers, dishwasher, Big screen TV's, ACunits, and luxury cars. PEOPLE LIKE THESE MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR OTHERS. peace...