posted by Sam Richards
Here’s an interesting event — an elected official referring to welfare recipients as animals. That would be “animals” and not, you know, “the human animal.” This is one of those rather unfortunate things that people sometimes think but can never, ever say in public. In fact, frankly speaking, I’d guess that lots of people have referred to poor people who may or may not be on welfare as “animals.” “They’re just like animals!” or “They act like animals.” or “Put ‘em all in a cage like the animals that they are.” The difference is that people on welfare are, in fact, human beings who happen to be represented by politicians. Oh yes, and do I need to say that most poor people on welfare are children? What decisions did THEY make to merit calling them “animals”?
And do I also need to say that everyone collects welfare subsidies of some sort, and that the vast majority of subsidies go to the very wealthy? I do, of course, because like most people, you probably don’t think of welfare subsidies that are given away to anybody but the poor.
Let me help you here. Think Obama’s “welfare queens” who live lavish lifestyles as they come begging to the distributors of public tax dollars. Actually, I just mispoke here because they don’t come begging; they send their puppets from “K Street” (that would be lobbyists, for those not familiar with inside the beltway jargon). Why don’t you take a moment and think about how many negative thoughts you’ve had about poor welfare recipients as compared to those you’ve formulated about rich ones…if you’ve ever actually had any of the latter.
So while some guy sipping a shot of JD and pounding down Miller Lites at the corner bar might call food stamp collectors “animals,” elected officials ought to keep their thoughts to themselves…or they might show their hand and reveal whose side they’re actually on.
“Sanford’s lieutenant governor, Andre Bauer, likens government assistance to feeding stray animals”
By Michael Sheridan
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER — Tuesday, January 26th 2010A South Carolina politician is making very a public apology – and this time it’s not Governor Mark Sanford. After likening welfare recepients to stray animals, Andre Bauer, the embattled Republican’s lieutenant governor, is hastily back-pedalling from remarks his rivals have called “immoral.”
“My grandmother was not a highly educated woman, but she told me as a small child to quit feeding stray animals,” he said during a Town Hall meeting on Thursday.
“You know why? Because they breed! You’re facilitating the problem if you give an animal or a person ample food supply. They will reproduce, especially ones that don’t think too much further than that.”
Bauer hopes to ascend to the state’s highest seat in November’s election, where he would succeed the sex-scandal scarred Mark Sanford, who’s affair with an Argentine mistress made him the butt of late-night talk.
The 40-year-old was quickly targeted by Democratic rivals for the remarks. “I am disgusted by these comments,” said state Sen. Vincent Sheheen. “His comments were immoral and out of line.” South Carolina schools Superintendent Jim Rex labeled them “reprehensible.”
No stranger to firing off intemperate remarks, Bauer has offered something of an apology. “Do I wish I’d used a different metaphor? Of course,” he said. “I didn’t intend to offend anyone.”
Despite his choice of words, Bauer noted he feels welfare recipients should be required to submit to drug tests and attend parent-teacher conferences if they have kids in school.
Governor Lieutenant Andre Bauer's statement was way out of line. It bothers me when these people in a place of power make these comments about those who put them into office. Chances are that some of these "stray animals" that Bauer is talking about helped him to get to the position in which he is in today. I have talked about the welfare system in many of my classes, and it seems that Mr. Bauer is a little confused about how the system works. I am not an expert by any means on the welfare system, and I have probably just begun to scrape the surface on all the information out there on welfare, but it seems that Mr. Bauer does not understand. First, it is not just the poor who receive welfare. Many middle class and wealthy families receive different benefits from the government. The wealthy may not be on welfare, but they receive help like large scholarships and subsidies. There are very few families in the past or present that have been entirely self sufficient without help from the government. As lieutenant governor, I am sure Mr. Bauer is receiving numerous benefits. Secondly, many families that receive welfare are those where the parents are working so hard to provide for their families, but just are not paid enough. Not all families are just laying around waiting for their welfare checks in the mail. Are there individuals and families that take advantage of the welfare system? Absolutely, but it would be ignorant to say that most of the individuals and families on welfare are doing that. There are many individuals who are working, who just cannot afford basics on a minimum wage lifestyle. To insult those who are working for a better life is giving them absolutely no credit for doing the best they can with what they have. Third, although everyone is entitled to their own opinion, people in higher positions need to be careful about what they say. Granted, Bauer was trying to make a point, but there are other ways to do that instead of calling those on welfare "stray animals". The thing that bothers me is that his apology was not even sincere. Chances are that many of these people got him to where he is today. Now, Bauer is stepping on those who helped him into office. It sounds like he only apologized to protect himself. It sounded like the apology was forced, and he did it so that he can still claim the governor's seat when election time comes. Should Bauer have to censor himself? No, but he does need to be more aware of his audience. Although we have free speech, we need to be aware of our surroundings. This can relate back to class. We talked about how where we are is based on half of what we were born into, and half of our decisions. Bauer is in a place of position partly because of how lucky his family probably was, where many on welfare are there because of their ancestors. In this situation, Bauer failed to realize that everyone is presented with different opportunities from the start.
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This article really hits a spot with the recent classes we have been having about inequality. As Sam keeps saying long ago everyone was playing King of the Hill and one group made it to the top and they made all the rules and thus are the advantaged people who have all of the resources and power. Then those at the top convince themselves and everyone that is lower than them that they deserve the best resources because they were the quickest to the top. How can we as a society or even those who are fortunate enough to not be on welfare take all of the power and resources and then blame the people who didn’t get them for needing help? Sam also talked about the luck of the draw on Thursday. Some people were born lucky and others unlucky. The fact of the matter is poor people will stay poor and rich people will stay rich. I think it’s wrong to refer to those on welfare as animals because some of those so-called animals may have been working hard their entire lives but because the cycle of poverty is cruel they just couldn’t make enough. I think what is particularly offensive about this statement is that this is a man of power. One of the kings of the hill and it is as if it isn’t enough to be up there. He has the power to change society even on a small scale but I guess social inequality and degradation are more to his taste. I am one of those fortunate people who came from a financially stable where my parents are able to provide for a family and help me whenever I need it so I can’t even imagine how awful it would have been to hear that you are considered an animal because you are on welfare. Imagine that you are a single parent and you hear that people with ten times more than you consider you an animal. It has to be so disheartening. This article also reminds me of the idea of moral entrepreneurship in criminology. Basically those who are in the power to do so pick a problem in their society and label a specific group as the problem causers. They use them and whatever issue they choose as scapegoats to distract everyone’s attention from all of the other problems. Their theory is that if they remove the people and the problem then all of society’s problems will disappear. Another part is that the moral entrepreneurs use this platform as a way to have their financial motives met or in Andre Bauer’s case to become governor. I think in this instance Bauer’s statements backfired on him and if there is any justice they will cause him his gains. Maybe knock one king of the hill down.
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I dont believe in the statement that humans should be regarded as animals. We are all people and some my live more privileged lives, however everyone deserves to be treated with the same level respect. I agree there are some towns by me that i try to avoid when driving. I drive on the throughway to get to the mall for two reasons. One, its safer and two, route 59 has some 'sketchy' towns you have to drive by. I intentionally lock my doors when i do drive by those areas. Not to be rude, but for the feeling of my own safety.
My grandparents moved 9 years ago to South Jersey. Before that, they lived in one of the towns that route 59 goes through. There house was beautiful, they paid the gardener to keep the lawn trimmed and there street was one of the nicer streets still around. However, it was to the point where if you went further into town you didn't know your neighbors anymore. Everybody either got older and went to college or got older and moved away. They were happy in there house, but not in town anymore, because those who were not as socially well off as them were around them. In high school, if i played them in sports, or if something is mentioned about them in the news, my grandparents do comment. It was nice growing up there. My mom grew up in that house and she even is dissapointed in what its become. I have never heard the words animal been tossed around by my family when describing other people. I feel as if they have the common decency not to use it and I therefore was brought up that way. My mom is a social worker and knows the hardships that people's lives are faced with. The area has become rundown and now a lot of people who are less economically well off live there. That doesn't mean, yes they should be considered animals, but its just a different subculture living in the town.
The fact that people do refer to other people as animals isn't degrading for those who are being picked at, but those who are poking the fun themselves. I feel that if you have such little respect in yourself that you have to call others animals, people you don't even know, then who are you to have the right to call them that. If you know the person, and feel they are deserving of the term, fine. By all means, call them whatever you want. However, if you're just going to look at somebody and decide you don't like them, then you yourself deserve to be called an animal, not those who are leading a troubled life and doing the best they can. When who knows, maybe living in a bad area is the best they can do.
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sjn5014 Reply:
February 13th, 2010 at 2:18 am
When I read Sam's blog comment, on a politician’s usage of the word "animals" in regards to the poor and those using welfare, thoughts of surprise, anger, astonishment, recognition, and thoughts of sympathy captured my thoughts. As I sit here and think about my reaction and the comment above, I ask myself "how and why would a politician do this?"
Does he really hate welfare users? Is he extremely disconnected from the world? What type of people does he surround himself with? All of these questions are difficult to answer without more information, but from my perspective any answer to these questions would in essence be ignorance.
I feel compelled to believe that this man is short sighted in the fact that he has failed to make connections between the different aspects of his life and the multitude of sources that inform what he thinks and believes. A society dictated and driven by the desire for wealth accumulation makes this desire one of the most important factors in many of the decisions that dictate the decisions that those of the upper echelon of our society are privileged to make.
This mentality leads to a society of winners and losers. Competition is a fundamental piece of capitalism, helping to dictate who has control over certain industries. Now in the US, certain demographics, on an average, have shown to have certain advantages over other demographics. This has been the result of systematic controls over the history of our USA. Those with fewer obstacles have proven to attain higher levels of monetary wealth. Welfare attempts to remove some of these obstacles.
It is extremely frustrating from my position in society. This ignorant politician, charged with upholding and protecting the rights of the US’s citizens, with the hope of a brighter future for all, has shown his hand. One that contradicts his role as a politician, his ignorance should ban him from further engagement in our political system. A travesty has occurred, though this does not come as a surprise to me. It does sadden me.
Though at one time I too could sympathize with racist sentiments, though that was coming from an understanding that was not informed. An understanding that was ignorant uncultured and selfish.
From the discussion that has ensued from Sam’s response, the next logical question in my mind is “do we take action?” Do we decide to share our distaste for this misguided individual? If anybody reads this feel free to contact me. Feel free to share your point of view. I would be interested on moving further, even to simply provide some feedback on a students perspective. Though would this change his views. Would it help inform the decisions that he makes. I doubt that it would.
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It is bizarre to me that someone with such a lack of sense could be popularly elected to far into a state government. Yes, comparing children on welfare to stray dogs will offend some people. Doesn't require some sort of political sense to be able to be elected at that level? I would be more upset if I lived in or anywhere near South Carolina. However, I do not, so this is whole situation is pretty amusing. Maybe this guy being the alternative can save the disgraced governor's political career. Hell, I'm sure there are some conspiracy theorists thinking he's taking a fall for him.
But as funny as I think this is, it is still a little disturbing. These sorts of comments are ones that I would normally associate with my racist Grandpa or my friend's drunk uncle. He should know by now that the only acceptable outlet of these kinds of comments is on random youtube videos or 4chan or some other corner of the internet where social conventions and standards of society are inexplicably absent.
Unfortunately for him he made this statement on very public record. On “The Daily Show,” John Stewart literally thanked him and the entire state of South Carolina in their continual dedication to providing him with material. While I don't like wishing people the end of their careers, this man has no place in public decision making. I do not believe this was just an unfortunate choice in metaphor. He was comparing poor people to some stray half starved cat nursing its litter under some random porch. How can this man genuinely have the entire public's interests in mind when he's concerned about the poor “breeding” too much? What ideals is he dedicating his career towards accomplishing? Exterminating the lower class? Starving low income children out of the school system? Maybe if they only give food to the high achieving children we can finally accomplish what No Child Left Behind set out to do. Maybe we'll just become Spartans and punt the weaker babies off the cliffs so they don't dilute our society with their inferiorities.
I don't think the idea of putting restrictions welfare is preposterous. Actually, I like that idea. However, I do not think this is man has visions and ideals I can agree with. I hope the republican party puts up a little better effort in candidate selection in their next South Carolina election. If that State goes blue I think they should just disband the entire party. That would be more embarrassing than one hundred red Massachusettses changing their state animal to the elephant. Then they can secede from the union again out of shame instead of anger towards the north.
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This man was an idiot for saying this in public. Politicians all know that one of the last things you call anyone is an animal, because such a statement always gets people all fired up, and rightfully so. I like to believe that most people on welfare are actually in need of it, and not out of their own fault. While I'm sure there are many who abuse the system and figure they will live off welfare than go find a job, I do feel like there are many more who were placed in such a position through an act beyond their choosing, such as being layed off or maybe having a parent pass away. So for Andre Bauer to go out and call these unfortunate people animals, when they are more often than not just like any other normal person, is ridiculous and reprehensible. It was just luck of the draw for these people, and they were unlucky enough to have things go poorly for them. Now I have always had a problem with the government taking some of the money that I go out and earn every week and giving it to the welfare system. I have felt that the money always goes to lazy bums who do nothing to advance themselves and who are completely undeserving of hard working peoples' money. This is not a statement on the kinds of people on welfare of course; I think it's more a statement of how corrupt and abused the system of welfare is. I would have no problem at all helping people out who just fell on to rough times, but I have a huge a problem throwing away money to people who have no one to blame for being in welfare but themselves. What this means to me is while the idea of a system is welfare is great, it is in great need of revision and reform so that the system actually helps those who are truly in need of it. I mean it is the government running welfare so it was always bound to get corrupted, but in order to stop wasting Americans' hard earned money the time has come to revamp the system. This may seem a little harsh but even get rid of welfare altogether, if it seems that the government will never be able to effectively implement welfare. Now back to Bauer, I feel like there are many other politicians who probably feel the same way as him, but would never be as idiotic as him to actually say it out loud. I think this partially relates to why welfare isn't as efficient as possible because there is this underlying prejudice amongst the government. There's no way that the welfare system can truly help those in need until the politicians can get past those prejudices and distribute welfare fairly among all those deserving of it.
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Cleary something is wrong with our political system when elected officials are speaking in public and not filtering their thoughts. I am all for freedom of speech but there is always a time, a place and a manner in which to express your thoughts. All politicians are entitled to have their own opinions on touchy subject matters, but since they are in the spotlight and represent large groups of people they should think before they speak and keep some thoughts to themselves. There is definitely other ways in which he could have gotten the same exact point across using different words. The job of the politician is to make the people he is representing HAPPY not make them feel badly about themselves. The only similarity between people on welfare and animals is that, it is not up to the people on welfare to be on welfare and it is not up to animals to be animals. As a politician this man should be looking for ways to help the people on welfare and give them confidence that they can still succeed in life and make something of themselves, not rip them down and make them feel worse then they are. Clearly welfare is not the easy way out, it is probably the opposite, the hardest way out. It is the hardest thing ever to have to admit that you have no money and cannot support your family, and having to tell the government that. These people are admitting to themselves that they need help and cannot take care of their family on their own. To me that seems the opposite of easy, it seems difficult. As well, as a politician this man has probably had an easy life. In class we learned that if you are born with money is stays in the family. If you are born poor it is not probable that you will get money. This politician probably grew up wealthy and had no struggles in his life, since most politicians have politician fathers and grandfathers. I know that sometimes it is hard to understand someone else’s point of view when you haven’t walked in their shoes, but as a politician, to me it seems to be in the job requirement to have sympathy and understand other peoples points of view other then your own. As well as putting your point of view in the back of your head and accepting others. As well, in class we learned that there are two different points of view one being the poor person is poor due to choices they made or they are poor due to outside causes. This politician should not just choose one side that he agrees with as to why or how these people are on welfare he should view both sides and not be so judgmental.
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Wow….this article is shocking to say the least. I actually grew up on welfare, and not because my mom couldn't find a job, or used it just to raise her personal income a bit, but because she was a single mom with 2 children (at the time). Before someone can call someone an animal, they have to sit back and reflect on why they are there. I am from the Bronx NY where a lot of people receive welfare pension. However you cannot place us in this one category without asking yourself how we got there. Sure, there are people that abuse the system, using welfare checks as a means of "free money" thus meaning that they can stay on the couch all day. Some people use their "welfare checks" on things that are not pertinent to their well being, like jeredletorocks uncle using his towards an escalade. These people place a cloud over welfare because people believe that anyone can just waltz up to a welfare line and get free money. Then you have those, like mom, who NEEDs welfare to get through her daily life, who used to live from check to check and lived within her means. It pisses me off that people would abuse the system, but we live in America where abuse of any help does run rampant. However, it is key to realize that there are many different types of "welfare" such as foster care checks, SSI, and even disability checks. These three examples to me is considered "welfare" because they assist to the "welfare" of a person or people. However once people realize that "I can get free money every month or 2 weeks", they would try and ring the wash cloth for all that it has. So to the animal comment, I believe the REAL animals are the ones who abuse such a good thing, because it ruins it for those that actually need it. It's like "The Boy Who Cried Wolf", you continue to ask for assistance when you don't need it, however when you do need it, you wont get helped. So I believe that the people that abuse the system will have whats coming to them. But to generalize all people on welfare will not solve anything, it will just add on to the problem. A way you can assist is by publicizing some of the assistance programs that can help people on welfare find a job. If you give a man a fish, he will eat for a day. If you teach a man to fish he will eat forever and never be hungry.
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I was once on welfare when I was a kid and know I too think down on the welfare system but not because people are worthless but because the system is so badly managed that it can be exploited by people who simply don't want to work. people who's sole purpose in life is to collect and live without even thinking about work or how they're hurting others. these are not the majority of people on welfare and yet we look to all recipients as such. when I was a kid I heard these same arguments but never saw anyone looking to help us. I did see family's with 6 or more kids but they were happy families, because their kids brought them happiness. that is the thing we don't discuss is that sometimes the only joy these people have is to have kids. we need to start remembering that welfare is to help get you back to a living standard and try to get them there.
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The words of this South Carolina politician are absolutely sickening. To think, people elected this official into office and that he actually has power. The problem with many politicians today is that they all have money, and most of them came from money, so they really don’t understand the other side of the spectrum. For Bauer to liken homeless people to animals is absolutely despicable. Like we have discussed the past few days in class, most people born into wealth will wind up wealthy, and most people that are poor will remain poor. While we will all do better than our parents, it is highly unlikely that I will end up a multi-billionaire. It is not a coincident that these patterns follow through in such cases as politics. The Bush family is a perfect example: Yale graduates, George Bush, Sr. was a President, followed by his son George W. Bush and his other son Jed being the governor of Florida.
Bauer uses the quote from his grandmother saying that you need to quit feeding the stray animals because they breed. So, is his real proposal to stop feeding the poor so they die off? Like Sam says, most of these people are children, and what choice do they have? Just as he had no choice to be born into a family that would eventually help him become Lieutenant Governor, these people had no choice to be poor just like you and me had no choice to be in the situation we were born into. Additionally, there is not much helping this situation today. When watching the Oprah clip the other day on the drastic differences between the two schools only thirty-five minutes from each other, it was shocking. It was an issue I never really thought of – I came from a great public school system with exceptional facilities and while our school wasn’t as new as the one pictured, many schools within five minutes of my house are just like that. However, if you drive forty minutes north to Newark or south to Trenton, it is a whole new world. In my mind, especially in high school when I was surrounded in such a bubble, that’s just how things were. I didn’t think that I deserved what I had more than they did but I don’t think I really understood how drastic our worlds really were.
Like Sam has said, it is not that the middle or upper class people don’t work for what they get but they have a much easier path of getting there, and there is a less likely chance of someone that grew up with absolutely nothing ending up, for instance, where most people that graduate from Penn State will end up – just like it is not likely that I will end up in the same place as someone from Harvard Business School or Wharton. It saddens me to know that there are so many people in the United States (and the world) that will never get to explore the potential that they have because of what kind of financial situation they are born into, and as for Bauer, an apology will never erase his harsh words, nor will it erase the fact that he actually had the nerve to even think such things in 2010, a year where we are supposed to be equal and bettering our nation.
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Why would anyone ever call a human being or a group of human beings animals? I think that is such a horrible insult-calling people that are less privileged animals. I highly doubt that anyone would just be on welfare for an easy way out. Its not like they wanted that to be their style of living because I would think that if they had a choice they would definitely choose not to be on welfare. If there are poor people that act like “animals” I would think its because they are going through garbage trying to find food or something like that which is a great shame. As I take a moment and think about the negative thoughts for both rich and poor people as Sam has mentioned I am pretty sure I can think of more negatives about the rich than the poor. I feel bad for the poor and the less unfortunate. I also agree with Sam in the case that elected officials should keep their mouth shut. They should try and “walk a mile in their shoes” and see if they would be able to survive. Maybe if they did so they would have a greater appreciation for their own lifestyles that are better off and not so degrading to those less fortunate. I was greatly offended by the quote in the article stating, “My grandmother…. but she told me as a small child to quit feeding stray animals” as in meaning feeding poor people. That was awful to read. The grandmother mentioned that if you feed them once they will keep coming back just like animals do. How could anyone think of that about people? It is horrible that people have to look down on people like that. Bauer should appreciate what he has. He should not be complaining at all because through these hard financial times he a job that is I’m sure pretty good paying. I feel like Bauer is acting like an animal for his repulsive behavior. It was good to see that Senator Vincent Sheheen was also appalled by the comments that Governor Bauer was making toward these people. It is one thing if you think something because everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but it is a totally different thing if one says it to people. This sort of comment will not go over well with people in the public. A lot more than an apology would be necessary, you cannot take back or erase words you have already said. One cannot change the past or what has already have happened. I just hope Bauer will think before he speaks and do not make degrading comments like that ever again.
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I don’t think that people are excited and complacent about receiving welfare. Even if this is upsetting to a person and they feel that the person is getting free money, its unnecessary to call anyone an “animal.” I do no think that any person would want to be called an animal. Poor people are humans too. I do not see it necessary for people to throw names around, especially when they carry a responsibility in politics. I find I sad that people have this sort of attitude and it is disheartening that even disadvantaged people cannot avoid being attacked and ridiculed. I do not think an apology is enough to make up for this outburst.
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his guy has more problems than he realizes. He cannot talk to or about people like that and expect things to be okay. He cannot make a reference like that and not offend the majority of people. Most people, if not themselves, know people or are related to people on welfare. How would he feel if we referred to him as an animal for making comments like that. He has no respect for the human race. He has no respect for character, he thinks everyone should be just like him. He almost makes me think of Hitler by saying they are not good enough humans so we call them animals. They are not good enough and they should not breed, let alone live. Who in their right mind could say such a thing? He has not taken into account how those people got there or why they are there. There are so many things in this world today that put people into poverty and most of them they have no control over, it is not their fault all the time. Before you can call them animals you must know why and how they got to a point where they needed welfare. Some people I know are on welfare because they had a child with cancer and used all of their money on helping her and giving her the best care they could until she died. Now they are on welfare because they spend all their money, sold mostly all their things and went greatly into debt. The whole family, not even just the immediate family. These People are not animals. They are caring loving human beings who sacrificed a good life for someone they loved. Some people are also on welfare because that is what they were born into. Many people on welfare are children. They did not choose that life, they were born to that family by chance. It is not their fault they are on welfare and should not be treated like animals because they did nothing to deserve that, they only thing they did was to be born. There are many reasons why people go onto welfare, but it is not because they are animals. It is not like they enjoy being on welfare, they are on it because they need it to survive. It is so hard to survive in this world anymore. You make one mistake or you are dealt bad cards, you get pushed down. You cannot help it if someone in the family gets sick and needs the money more than you do (which medical expenses are way way too high in this country). I understand that there are a few people that are alcoholics and homeless that are on welfare that shouldn’t be but you also have to think, what turned them to alcohol? Why did they start drinking, what happened to them that was so bad that they needed alcohol or drugs to get rid of the pain? More often than not there is some reason and not just they are lazy animals that don’t care. This man’s comments were completely inappropriate and just makes me sick that there are people like him in the government. It is because of people like him that there ever was racism. Someone once said the same thing about blacks because they were different or lived a different life style than us. He should not be in government with views like that. He is not there for the good of the people, he is only there for the good of the people that are like him.
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I believe that Andre Bauer's remarks are utterly disgraceful, an should cost him his job. For the millions of people around the world who are on welfare, this is a inhumane, derogatory statement. Many or most of the poor Americans who obtain welfare, are using it as a last resort, and, i'm sure would rather be working to support themselves and their family. Whilst there is obviously some that do abuse the system, this is true on all levels of society, tax or subsidy based system is abused by someone, whether it is poorer classes cheating the welfare system, or the privileged classes taking illegal tax cuts. Incidentally, anyone who has responded to Bauer's comments in any sort of positive manner should consider which is the worst crime, people with next to nothing taking a little more, or people with everyone taking a lot more! People who have collectively grouped welfare recipients as lazy should take a little more interest in the economy before making such ridiculous comments, with 15 million unemployed, off the back of the worst economic downturn fro decades, it is naive and insensitive to belittle the vast majority of these people who spend everyday searching for work. It is far too easy to sit on a perch, with mummy and daddy's money in your pocket and judge those not fortunate enough to have their life set from birth. Whilst this is not true for all of the unemployed, I believe there is significant weight to Sam's comments in his lecture about the difficulty of jumping class barriers. Many of the unemployed on welfare simply haven't had the opportunities many of us take for granted, secondly, many of these poeple have suffered huge setbacks in their life, facing tough obstacles day after day. I guess my point is that whilst not everyone is deserving of the welfare they receive, for the most part they deserve and need it simply to survive.
Furthermore, in the backlash of the worst economic depression for years, welfare is more imoportant than ever, to think that prominent government officials are attacking the system at this time is shocking. On an altogether more frightening level, Bauer's comment stating that if you feed the 'stray animals' they will breed, he is clearly indicating that we should discourage some welfare recipients from having children, by cutting off their survival mechanism. This is disgusting and immoral, to speak with such contempt for people living on the brink of poverty shows disgusting arrogance, and should be met with nothing less than his job. Furthermore, his apology, where he claims he didn't mean to offend anyone is insulting the intelligence of those he offended. Finally, I noticed some comments suggesting that it was a slip of the tongue, a mistake to air these opinions in public, but ultimately one everyone makes now and again; This is irrelevant, he expressed his opinion, allowed the public to see his opinions, and as a result of the content of this expressed opinion, he has sacrificed his right to represent the people, period.
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I do not agree with him calling people animals. Referring people to animals is demeaning and to them having relationships as breeding is poverty is ridiculous. I am blessed not have grown up thinking that welfare was my only option to have good life, or as a tool of survival. I often have wondered what my life would have been like if my Grandfather did not have the opportunity to own his business and become successful. That is the only reason why my family escaped generational poverty. I feel as though welfare should not be the end all be all to poverty. It was a quick fix intended to bail out the nation during the Great Depression.
It is a reality that people abuse welfare and I think that more should be done to make sure that the money is going to communities that actually need it. I want to read more into the welfare system and know where my money goes to and who actually benefits from it. Often welfare is associated with poor people usually people of color, and what is the difference between welfare and bailouts? Do rich people ever benefit from welfare? These are questions that I would love to get answered.
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After reading this, my immediate response correlates to Thursday's lecture about how we all begin our lives at different starting points. People born into rich families are usually guaranteed education through college and are often sent on to graduate school or set up in a successful field with little to no serious struggle. Middle class families can almost always send their children to high school and some sort of college, whether it be community college or a university. Poor families begin on a completely different playing field. "Poor" is a very vague term that holds many meanings. There are poor people who cannot afford a house big enough to support their family, and there are poor people who cannot afford to eat. Sometimes poverty is all people know and they struggle to make ends meet the best they can. Other times, poverty strikes as a result of losing a job or having too many bills to keep up with. Regardless of the reason a family is poor, sometimes people have no choice but to go on welfare to support their families. The sole fact that a person or family is on welfare does not determine their worth and status as an American. Yes, majority of the time poor people receiving welfare do come from lower classes. A lot of the time they are not well educated and make some major financial mistakes, like having more children than they can support. However, this does not make them "animals" by any means. They are still people living in the same country as you and I. They are given the right as Americans to seek help and be on welfare. I was shocked to hear about the wealthy people who receive subsidies. That was the first reference I ever heard regarding the "welfare queens". Obviously Andre Bauer left this elite group out of his "animal" category of people on welfare.
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Wow. First of all, I think it’s awful to even refer to someone on welfare as an animal, even if it’s just a thought you had or if you’re joking around with your friends or something talking about it. But definitely not okay for an elected official to make that reference. Even if it was an accident and slip of the tongue, you have got to be more careful, especially when you’re in such a position. Like Sam said, a lot of people on welfare are children. I think most people who are on welfare didn’t choose to be in such a situation. It’s not like they are barbaric animals, people make mistakes in life, and some people just get shafted and have had bad luck to end up where they are in life on welfare. Sure, some people are the “animals” this politician has referred to, but I think as a whole, being on welfare was out of the hands of the people on it… I mean really, who would choose to be on welfare? A lot of things that lead to where people are or end up have to do with external causes outside of one’s own personal decision.
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What an idiot. This guy should have been fired on the spot. I'm almost at a loss of words after reading his statement. The fact that he says he was told that at a young age and he still lives by that proves that he shouldn't be in any position of power what so ever. His comment makes him sound like he comes from the royal class in the old French Monarchy during the time of Louis XVI. How could you ever refer to a group of people as animals. Actually, its not even the fact that he said it. Why is he even thinking like that? Like he is so much better than people who live in poverty. When in reality, people who live in poverty work ten times harder every day than he has every worked just to stay alive. Why doesn't he give up everything, and try to live like they do for one month and then see if he feels the same way.
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I think welfare system is the most gorgeous system human beings have ever created. It represents not only the sympathetic hearts of our humans, but also represents that we are connected. The society is connected to reach its heights and lows. There are poor people and there are rich people. Welfare is a beautiful way to balance it. The riches help the poors, so nobody were left behind. We are a huge family in some way. This means we share the happiness and undertake the bitterness. That is the core of being a human being. We act together! I understand why the guy said that. It's because he is rich and he kind of feels he doesn't want to be dragged back by those poor people. He didn't realize the responsibility on him. He makes money not only because he works hard, he's smart or he's lucky, but also because of the support from the society as a whole. That's why he should give something back to the society.
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Andre Bauer is an idiot for what he said by classifying all welfare recipients as animals. He is most likely from a wealthy background and so he is ignorant towards the needs of many people. However, as insensitive as his comments were, he was trying to make a point about people who abuse welfare and spend the money on things they don't really need. Before we jump into creating any kind of welfare program I think it is important to make sure the money is really going to those who need it most. The only thing I agree with Bauer on is that some welfare recipients should be required to attend parent teacher conferences and take drug tests if they have a history of drug abuse. Too many poor people, both black and white, take their welfare checks as soon as they get them and spend them on expensive clothing, expensive cars, and other luxury items.
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In what Governor Baur said, he spoke a piece of his mind. As a politican, though, he made a huge error. Political correctness is the name of the game in America, and one slip could become the next big scandal. Do not think I agree with what he said about welfare recipients being “animals”. I think that the governor’s words were extreme and completely untrue. Just because people are on welfare, they are not unruly and animal-like. They just happen to live in poor conditions many times. Also, many of the welfare recipients include children, who have no control over their life situations. It is unfair and unjustified to call them “animals” for not knowing anything besides what they are taught and conditions under which they are forced to grow up.
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Part one; I really don't like the south, I'm not kidding. I grew up in Pennsylvania, but I have lived in a couple different states in the south and it is a different world down there. If anybody reads this that's from the south, sorry its true. I know things like racism and hateful-close-mindedness exist every where but they are amplified in the south. It wouldn't surprise me at all if Andre Bauer wins the governorship. This story reminds me of the "why do people vote against their interest" story. Is the state of South Carolina that well off? I would be willing to bet that some of the people who desperately need well-fare will still vote for this guy. I don't understand where people get this idea that people on well-fare are lazy people just trying to collect a paycheck from the government so they can stay home all day and watch Jerry Springer and do whatever other cliches you can think of. The vast majority of people on well-fare desperately need it. Andre Bauer seems to think that these people are happy to be on well-fare, that they're living the good life. It drives me crazy when people say "why don't they go out and get a job?" Yeah because it's really easy to go out and find a job these days, especially when college grads have to take crappy jobs just to get buy. This guy Bauer is completely out of touch with whats going on in this country and probably his own state. It comes as no shock that a comment like this came from South Carolina, every time I turn on the news there is another crazy story coming out of South Carolina. In fact the only good thing to come out of South Carolina is Stephen Colbert.
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I think it is ridiculous that an elected politician would make such a statement. I feeling like giving speeches is one thing that they put a lot of practice in to so that they will not a mistake like that. Politicians are the people who should be the most politically correct since they are representing a mass of people and it does not look good for Bauer when he makes comments like that. It will be especially damaging to his career because of the weak apology he provided for his comment. Simply saying that you wish you had used a better metaphor is not a good apology. I also do not like he said his grandmother was not highly educated and then quoted her. If you do not think that someone is well educated, then why quote them? It does not help get your point across and it also does not look good when he is putting down his own family.
While I know there are people out there who are taking advantage of welfare, there are also a lot of people who are receiving it because they truly need it. Since our nation’s companies are experiencing a lot of downsizing and layoffs, you would expect more people filing for welfare because they cannot find another place to employ them. In these struggling times you would expect some sympathy from the politicians. Another good point is what Richards brought up in the introduction to this piece about how welfare does not only benefit the poor, but also pays a sum to the wealthier parts of America. Bauer should have done his research on this topic before making his speech because now he has just damaged his career by being unprepared for this topic.
It is not fair for the rich people to look down on poorer people and a general assumption about them as a whole. Just because Bauer grew up with a better opportunity does not mean he is better than anyone else. There are those who do not apply themselves and feed off of the government’s money, but there are way too many people who do not fall under that category. A lot of children are born in to these situations and there is nothing they can do about it until they can get an education to become a productive member of society; unfortunately, some of these kids cannot afford to go to school and suffer for it. Instead of insulting these people, Bauer should be focused on helping them or coming up with a better program. If you are going to criticize a current program, you should have an appropriate way to fix it. Just complaining about the problem is not going to solve anything.
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What ever happened to thinking before you speak? I know its America and we have freedom of speech but some things should be censored. He is completely and I mean completely out of line for his statement. We all have people in our family, mostly older relatives, who have strong views about things, people, cultures, ethnicities, or races that they will never change. They say discriminating things they feel is true and give bias advice that they believe is sound and useful but the reality it is not. It is our job as intelligent American citizens to know what to believe or not! Even if he did believe it he did not have to come out his mouth and say it.
Are they not humans? What is the difference in him calling poor people on welfare animals and the slave masters referring to blacks as property? There is no difference. It is completely inhumane. Not to mention the fact that he is running for government office. He should be completely stripped of that privilege (yes I say privilege). He expects to govern people, including the poor with his inability to think before he speaks. What else would he do before he thinks? I would not want anyone without common sense making vital decisions about my laws or policies. If I was a poor American I will feel that he is an untrustworthy candidate and I will not feel comfortable with him governing me because after all he called me an “animal”.
Like Sam mentioned, children are the vast majority on welfare, what merits them to be called “animals.” What are they to think as they grow up believing that they are animals? I know you might question their ability to find out that they were called animals. Firstly, some of the children are probably older enough now to be aware others will hear later on in life. These poor children will be mocked and picked on by those of middle and upper class on how because they were on welfare they are so much inferior. I know this for sure because in my own community I watched the children if poor families become the center of jokes in school. Kids had students saying “your momma on welfare”. Recently I have been hearing less of the jokes from kids but his statements may have just reopened an injure wound for some.
His apology, like those of many other politicians seemed rehearsed and unauthentic. It was presented as if he was just truly apologetic for being looked upon that way. He does not feel sorry for thinking it or even saying it, its just the capacity in where he said it. His apology should be a lot more sincere it lacks emotion and remorse.
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Part two; The fact that he uses the world "animals" really shows what this guy is all about. Like when he says "do I wish I'd used a different metaphor? Of course" what the hell does that even mean, his point would be the same. I can't imagine how people could be sticking up for this guy. He meant exactly what he said, any explanations or apologies afterward is just damage control. I wonder what he would say to all the kids that need well-fare just so they can eat. And what does it say about the media in this country that the Mark Sanford story received a huge amount of coverage, while this story basically died off after a couple of days. Andre Bauer just didn't miss-speak he really meant what he said and he should be run out of town for it.
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Ok, so this guy is a complete idiot. Once again, as I have said before in my blogs, I don’t understand how people think that saying things like this is acceptable. Even though he made a public apology, the fact that he didn’t have enough sense to control himself when addressing the public is baffling. People like this should not be able to speak in any sort of public forum if they attack anyone that is of a lower financial class or of a different race. However, with the apology that he made, the stupid politician has a good point. I think that the idea of making people take drug tests is a good idea to prevent people from taking advantage of the government. Although there are many people that collect welfare, there are people that use the money to support their personal drug addictions. In the end, Bauer was completely in the wrong with what he said, but he did bring up a good point to think about.
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well for a guy that was hoping to become the new governor next year i think it's pretty safe to say that he just single-handedly fried those chances. What amazes me the most is that this person relies on the very people that he insulted for his career. Like Dr. Richards said in his post, this isn't some random guy on the street putting people down, but rather the guy who the citizens of South Carolina elected based on the fact that he was going to help them. On the other hand, I think that this was a thought based on ideas of his that simply escaped his mouth. He stated that he would like welfare recipients to have to submit to drug testing and go to their children's parent teacher conferences. I doubt that anybody who is not taking advantage of their welfare would agree that this is a good idea. No matter who perfect you try to make a system, there is always going to be somebody that finds a loophole and takes advantage of the situation. This is the problem with welfare. Although it is designed to help people in need, such as children, the elderly, and people with disabilities, what ends up happening is people that are too lazy to get a job and support themselves will milk the system for all its worth. My aunt was on welfare for many years while I was growing up and i never understood why because she was perfectly healthy. Then she told my mom that because they require that you try to get jobs and keep track of interviews, she would go to interviews dressed like a slob and make herself seem completely useless so that they would not hire her. That way she does not have to get a job, but she gets to meet her interview requirements. This is bogus! Nobody should be able to that easily cheat a system that the taxpayers of America are supporting. And I think that this is what this guy was trying to show. Could he have said it in a better fashion? absolutely. Should he have not said it at all? I don't think so because people need to hear comments like this every once in awhile to open their eyes and make them question things like this.
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I realize that this class is all about thinking outside of the box. We should at least hear what others have to say, and take their thoughts and ideas into consideration. I’ve believe I have done that so far this semester. Classes and the small group recitations have been eye-opening. Although at times, I’ve thought that others might not agree with what I’ve had to say, I spoke my mind freely without repercussions. Therefore, I don’t have a problem in admitting that I agree with what the South Carolinian politician, Andre Bauer, had to say. He said, “My grandmother was not a highly educated woman, but she told me as a small child to quit feeding stray animals. You know why? Because they breed! You’re facilitating the problem if you give an animal or a person ample food supply. They will reproduce, especially ones that don’t think too much further than that.” How does that not make sense to anyone else? Sure, many people need and deserve extra help, but when they continue to have more and more children, they aren’t necessarily making the situation any better. That just creates more mouths to feed, which means more tax dollars to pay. The children of men and women on welfare probably have a better chance of ending up on welfare when they are adults compared to other children whose parents aren’t on welfare. Would it be asking too much to make sure that these men and women on welfare stop reproducing until they no longer need government assistance? My mother and father work extremely hard, and to think that their tax dollars are going to help people who are making no effort whatsoever to better their lives is very disheartening.
I just started reviewing all of my peers’ comments, and it appears that I am most definitely in the minority when it comes to my viewpoint on Senator Bauer’s comments. I did not realize that welfare subsidies go to the wealthy. That really doesn’t make sense to me, but I’d like to learn more and find out what Sam is referring to. I also wanted to make the point that he never referred to poor people on welfare as animals. He simply made an observation, and likened these people to animals by using a metaphor. It seems that everyone is overlooking what had to say at the end of the article. According to the document, Bauer noted he feels welfare recipients should be required to submit to drug tests and attend parent-teacher conferences if they have kids in school. This is a great idea. I assumed this was already in place. To think that parents on welfare are spending that money on drugs is seriously messed up. I’m sorry, but I can’t help but agree with Bauer.
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This is utterly outrageous. While Lt. Governor Bauer is lucky enough to have not specified a specific class or race in his comment, this is the kind of thing that should never ever be said by a politician. As a public relations major, I know one of the most important things about being in the public eye is realizing that the microphone is always “hot,” AKA you must censor what you say because you never know who may be listening. Regardless of the fact that much of this welfare money is going toward children, this statement wouldn’t have been any better if it had been directed at adults. No one in a tough financial situation ever deserves to be called an animal, even if they are saying the welfare could be going towards wealthier people.
In this country I think that many people look at welfare as something that doesn’t actually solve problems because you are just giving people handouts rather than teaching them how to help themselves, and while in some situations I agree, I don’t think that we are ever at liberty to judge others for the measures they take to protect and take care of themselves and their families. Just because people accept welfare doesn’t mean that they are happy about it. I’m sure a majority of people wish more than anything to make enough money that they would never be in this situation, but unfortunately that is not the case. These people are embarrassed enough that the last thing they should ever be dealing with is being judged and called names by anyone let alone an elected official. Being on welfare is not something that most people would ever wish on themselves, but it is a situation that is a last resort for most people and is out of their control. Most people on welfare aren’t the wealthy who are trying to exploit the system, they are the people who absolutely need it.
Also, I am appalled by Lt. Governor Bauer’s apology. It is pathetic that he said he’d wished he’d used a different metaphor. What he said is beyond offensive, and as an elected representative dedicating to serving his people, these kind of thoughts should not be going through his head to begin with. As a government official, he has an understanding of the types of people who are receiving government assistance and what their situations are, and if anything you would think he would be glad that the government can help these people who otherwise might be in a dire situation. The fact he not only had a bullshit excuse for his word choice, but also in a time when everyone is so focused on being politically correct, especially those in the public eye, this situation is absolutely unacceptable.
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Wow. I never knew that cutting off people’s food supplies would control the population. Basically, that’s what Bauer is saying. I think he’s forgetting that some of these people will starve to death without food. But whatever I guess, as long as they don’t have kids and food stamps don’t have to be distributed to them it’s not Bauer’s or anyone else’s problem.
Politicians really need to watch themselves if they want votes from anyone. They are supposed to be leaders for their communities, but many of them have become more like animals themselves than any unfortunate person on food stamps. It’s extremely disappointing to hear a politician say such terrible things about people – human beings with brains and hearts like everyone else. I don’t think he even considered how hurtful it must have been for people on food stamps to hear such things. Not only was it terrible that Bauer’s apology was insincere (because by saying he “didn’t intend to hurt anyone,” he really was putting it onto the people who were offended instead of himself), but the fact that he even used that metaphor in the first place was ridiculous. There is absolutely no connection between stray animals and people on food stamps. Plus, he is stereotyping an entire class of people. Yes, maybe some people on food stamps are cheating the system, and I agree that adult food stamp recipients should be drug-tested, but to classify anyone as an animal is wrong. Like Sam said, the majority of people on food stamps are children to make things worse. So not only did Bauer make his outlandish comment, but he clearly didn’t know what he was talking about at all because I would hope that if he knew that the majority of food stamp recipients were children he wouldn’t have been blaming them for anything. After all, children don’t choose who their parents are or what their socioeconomic status is. They get by on what they are given, and it would be a shame to see food stamps taken away from children. I understand that some people to have more children to get food stamps, but at the end of the day, those children need basic necessities to survive or need new homes. We can’t punish them for their mothers’ decisions.
Overall, Bauer was way out of line and should look into the facts of public matters before making comments to the press. I think he made a fool out of himself, especially because he really didn’t give a decent apology. This just shows that he meant what he said. I don’t think he deserves any political power, because his comment showed that he isn’t working for the whole community, only those who have enough money to care for their families without public aid.
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I know one thing after reading this article; Andre Bauer is going to have a rough time in his upcoming election come November. He lost a lot of voter’s not only from the poor working class but also the upper-class who have hearts. Welfare is defined as government aid intended to help those with little to no income, including the working poor. Welfare is aimed primarily at families with children, older individuals, and those who are disabled and can come in numerous fashions; such as cash assistance, food stamps, and Medicaid.
Now welfare is a topic that many people have concerns with. Giving money out to people who do not earn it could give off the option to just stay on welfare because they’re getting money for free. On the other hand, there are people out in this world who work extremely hard and fight to just get by, who have numerous children and have a disability in the family. I feel welfare is needed for a few reasons. First, welfare goes to many families that are in dire need of money just to live with their families. Bauer is wrong when he relates to these people as animals. Though, he does have a valid point when he says that he feels welfare recipients should be required to submit to drug tests and attend parent-teacher conferences if they have kids in school. I also don’t know what the qualifications for welfare are but I think people on welfare should either have a job or be applying for jobs and not just living on the welfare checks.
This all comes back to what Sam was talking about in class on Tuesday. We all know Bauer was wrong for calling welfare recipients animals, but sadly if you are born into welfare or below poverty level family it will be extremely difficult for you to move up vastly in the socio-economic scale when you become older. This lack of movement is partially because your family may not have enough money for you to get a good education. The parents of welfare children may not have much of an education either. Starting on welfare should not deter someone away from trying to succeed. Life can be what a person makes of it and when the going gets tough you have to fight harder. One of my favorite quotes of all time is, “Life is like a toll road, the more you put in, the further you will go.” If you want something go out and fight until you achieve it. Rather than calling people on welfare animals, communities need to support one another and help people reach their goals. I feel strongly that our future in this world is now and we need to start building up today’s youth. Everyone should worry more about helping welfare stricken people with getting a good education and a strong caring from home. This help includes starting with the welfare families pushing their children, inspiring them, and making them set goals.
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I am wondering if every politician are doing or saying stupid things nowadays. Some of them are getting caught having sex outside their marriage; others are saying offensive comments about the less fortunate. Not everybody chose to be on welfare…I know my family’s friends didn’t. The economy is at its worst right now. People are getting laid off, they can’t feed themselves, they can’t dress their kids, and they can’t do anything. Without money, everything is impossible, when are we going to realize that. I wish I could change Andre Bauer position with my friend’s mom for one day. He would finally be able to realize what it is like to not have much. What is it like for a caring mother to look in the eyes of her starving children and tell them that everything is not going to be OK this time? I remember when my a friend of our family got fired from her job, she didn’t know what to do, she is a single mother, she two kids in college and her little niece to take her off. She had to spend all of her savings to keep her house, she found a job at Wal-Mart, which really isn’t much. Finally, she needed welfare and this is where the government comes to help, that’s the kind of support we want from the, our, government, is that too much to ask for?
Also who gave him the right to call another human being stray animal, like seriously, what is wrong with our politicians nowadays. My grandmother wasn’t a highly educated woman either, she said a lot of ignorant things when in I were growing up, I’ve heard and god forgave me, I have repeated those words to other people, people of different races. However, when I got to college, I think it was when I got to the twelve grades; I started to think like a man not as a boy anymore. I realize all those things she was saying were very ignorant and she wouldn’t have said and she has known better. This politician is a college graduate with degree and knowledge in all sorts of things, and he had the never to make such a statement…oh lord, shame on you my friend. His grandmother is probably disappointed in him right now, lol. Moreover this man hopes to ascend to the state’s highest seat in November’s election, if the people from the state elect this ignorant man, they better expect their welfare to be stop.
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Is this guy for real? Since being in the public eye is part of his job description he should know better than to speak without thinking. I find it heinous that someone who is running for a high political seat can own such cruel ideas. It scares me to think that the people who are running this country and have the power to make positive changes, can be so low in their real intentions. I really cannot believe that he used “stray animals” as a metaphor for people who, for whatever reason, are not as privileged or lucky as he is. And he brought his grandmother into the situation! This guy does not know a thing about respect…someone kick him out of office, please!
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It's incidents like this, among others, that give politicians a bad name. It's extremely hard to trust our leaders when they behave in this manner. Politicians are supposed to have their public's best interests in mind- although some approaches to welfare may not be the best solution to a problem, it is never acceptable to disrespect your people, the people who you represent and who have faith in you, like this. It's sad to realize that someone in such a high office holds these thoughts and prejudices against the very people who helped get him elected into office, who are relying on him to improve their situation.
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There’s few things in the world I find as depressing as hearing about people in places of power speaking with disdain about those they represent. The real problem with situations like this, especially when the official in question is referring to them as “animals”, is that it clearly shows to us that they are looking down on their constituents. Such an attitude really worries me, something that all corrupt governments throughout history have had in common is the tendency for it to view itself as being separate and superior to the people it’s supposed to represent. Last I checked governments are supposed to derive their power FROM its citizens, to be nothing more than an extension then their will. The moment they being to look down on those citizens, they’ve breached that agreement. This leads down a very dangerous road, after all if the government begins to think of its citizens as being secondary to the people of the government itself, than the policies it creates will reflect that belief. Quite honestly even if it were not coming from a person from within our government, I would still be disturbed by hearing this. One reason in particular is the incredible selfishness that such a statement implies. Certainly I don’t expect that the general populace back the idea of a redistribution of wealth such that we are able to pull all those in poverty up to the middle class (though I’m sure that more than enough wealth exists in this country to do so). What I do wish however is that perhaps we can show at least some kindness towards our fellow man, especially those that are less fortunate. Really, I just have never seen why it is such a big problem for some to show some charity and be willing to pay a little extra towards programs like welfare. Especially since the individual cost is quite low. Honestly, while I’ll be the first to admit that I do not relish the idea of having to pay more taxes, I’ve never even heard of someone who’s quality of life has ever been heavily impaired by the high taxes in this country. Certainly I’ve heard stories of people that have had trouble paying, but in those situations it always seemed to me that they were so far behind and there were so many other factors that the amount of taxes being collected was almost irrelevant. Also, I find a major problem with the whole “stray animal” comparison because it implies that the welfare money is too much like a crutch. Obviously the point the congressman is trying to make is that by paying out welfare we are enabling people to continue their negative life styles. Rather, I believe welfare is more of a safety net, something designed to stop people from sinking further than what they can dig themselves out of and thus a worthy investment.
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I agree that this guy made a mistake. He is entitled to his own opinion. However, he is an elected offical and should know when to say how he truly feels and when to keep those to himself. I know that he was trying to make a point in that those who receive welfare should go to those who will use it for what it is intended to be used for such as food and clothing, houses or cars (the essentials of life) instead of being used for drugs or alcohol. But I completely agree that using "name-calling" will not spur people to make a difference in their lives.
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This guy might have miss spoke. However, although he might have ultimately destroyed his political career with a single speech maybe it was actually in a positive light. Welfare has been an extremely touchy subject racial because a majority of welfare collectors are in fact minorities. Blame this on the general idea that minorities are lazy, stupid, and untrustworthy. Welfare could possibly be the most over used and manipulated subsidy provided by the government. Personally I have had some extremely bad experiences with these so called welfare “animals”. I think welfare is a great thing and can actually help people if it were to be applied correctly.
I remember a time when I was 17 years old working in my local grocery store when my image of welfare changed dramatically. I was always under the impression that it was a good system that the right people benefited from. Then I went to work one day and witnessed what we referred to in class as a welfare queen trying to use her food stamps to purchase a pack of cigarettes. When I witnessed this it made me sick to my stomach, she was essentially taken food stamps from someone who truly does need them in order to try to use them to purchase a pack of cigarettes. Obviously, this is not legal and the store refused to do it which in return made the women begin to start fighting with the clerk and store managers to get what she wanted.
My second truly bad experience came just this past summer. Over the summer I work for my local borough. There is a low income housing unit located within our borough. So as we went over there to fix a curb in the blistering heat I saw quite a delightful sight. There was a man (keeping the race out of this) in this housing unit that had his door wide open and all the air conditioning units in his house on full blast. Now I understand that it was hot and I don’t blame him for having them on high, but with the door open? Did this person care about the electricity use or the environment for the fact? No, because the residents there don’t pay for utilities.
I’m not saying that all people on welfare are bad, but there is a large majority that are just using the system to their benefit. There are some people that actually do need to welfare in order to support their families and make ends meet. Let’s not forget about the true welfare “animals” that are taking food stamps from other people’s mouths in attempt to purchase cigarettes; or the man using the tax payer’s money to get fresh 90 degree air and run his air conditioning units at the same time.
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After reading the comment that was made by Bauer I was offended. I say I was offended because I that was a sorry metaphor for him to use no only that it was just down right ignorant. Its bad enough that people who are on welfare are often stereotyped but what was a good point that was pointed out by Sam Richards even the people of the working class receive welfare as well so does that make them any much on welfare as the other people who don’t have jobs are. Its funny as well when people make comments like this because its often a reflection of who they are and what sides of the fence that they really play. I honestly don’t think its fair that people who are on welfare are stereotype its seems as if people try to make it seem like they choose that lifestyle like they choose to be poor with out any money including those of very large families. I think that in the sense since some of the wealthy people are reciving this welfare subsidies is that is pretty much intended to those who are less fortunate is only proving one thing and that’s the old quote how the rich get richer and a poor get poorer. Its not fair when you think about it because these people are being robbed of a living. There are people who are really in need of help and to call them or make them seem as thought they are animals is really unfair and not true.
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I am always reading stories about politicians who say something rude and offensive, but I keep saying that what catches my attention more is how other politicians on opposing sides seem to take more offense to the remarks more than the people that the remarks were meant for. Bauer made a mistake with his choice of words obviously, and gave an apology, not saying that he will or even should be let off the hook, but why must people make a big deal about what people say? He said it himself that he made a terrible choice in a metaphor. With all this being said, an elected politician should be very careful with what words he uses, or else those who put him in an office will second guess that decision the next time a vote comes around.
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I am not sure that I agree with any unmerited handout of “free” money. Allow me to rephrase that, I do not agree with any unmerited handout of free money. It is true that members of all classes receive government handouts: the upper class receives tax breaks, the middle class receives first time home buyer rebates, the working class receives federal grant money for college, and the lower class receives food stamps. Is the handout warranted? If the upper class is creating jobs with tax breaks, if the middle class is stimulating the economy with their rebates, if the working class is getting and education with their grant money, and if the lower class is providing a healthy, productive, nourishing household for their children, the answer is a resounding YES!
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Alright, first of all, what this politician said was uncalled for and demanded an apology no matter what your opinions are. Where he stated about that all they will do if they receive food is reproduce is a bit over the top. But in the end he did apologize and I think that was very classy of that guy, because everyone knows that politicians don’t normally apologize for their mistakes no matter how bad or wrong they are. And that brings me to my next point, it was a MISTAKE. Everyone makes them and you can’t even say you haven’t because that would be a lie. It was a slip on his part, but like we spoke about in class, he was raised in thinking this stuff. I’m not backing up his statement saying that it was all right and good, but if you’re growing up being told these things, it’s going to affect your views on things. And I personally believe that there is somewhat of a truth in what he said about people on welfare. Of course I don’t mean everyone on welfare, but there are a lot of people that get welfare that use it for drugs and other things that are harmful. That’s why I personally think that they should change the way they do the welfare distribution. Just so that people who don’t have any kids, don’t have a job, and don’t do anything, don’t receive welfare and people that are working two jobs to raise four kids receive some kind of benefits. There are people in the world that need to be on welfare that don’t get any help. I know some of this is because of a pride issue and they don’t want the help. But if they do want help and the government can’t give them any that’s just not fair. Like we were speaking about in my discussion group, I think a drug test to decide if people can get additional help is a great idea. Drugs stay in your system a long time and if they can point out the people on welfare that are using their money to buy drugs, they can quit giving them help and help someone out who really needs it. I understand how this statement this politician made would be offensive to a lot of people, but like I said before, it’s the way he was raised and you can’t help from acquiring some of those thoughts from relatives. I don’t think he was right to make these claims or statements, but in the end he did make a sincere apology and life’s too short to really dwell on such a silly and stupid statement.
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After reading this article only three words come to mind. ARE YOU SERIOUS? Is this guy seriously serious? Seriously? I think we’ve all had some terrible thoughts cross our mind—especially about the disenfranchised who’s easily targeted as a group that just takes, takes, takes, but I would never utter any of these thoughts because I know they are irrational and just plain stupid. I’d be lying if it didn’t cross my mind that mine or my family’s tax dollars are going to a bunch of ill-minded drunks or crackheads at some point in my life—but I know these are not truths and I know it’s my mind—or maybe society—or some other force behind these thoughts and I would never speak them aloud in a close group of people let alone a public forum as presumably a person of power and influence. I think this man should never be re-elected for any position of political office ever again. I am so offended by his speech—not simply because of the words he chose—but because we, the American people, have elected such an asinine individual into public office. If people with ideologies such as him exist throughout our nation’s states then we are in big trouble as a country. You know what, even if he was simply ACTUALLY talking about animals I would still be offended. “Don’t feed the strays because they will reproduce.” I think even if that statement would be uttered literally it would show someone’s character as an uncompassionate fool, in my opinion at least. I understand it’s hard to give up something for the betterment of another stranger’s life but as Sam noted in class—who said we deserved anything we have been given? Its all just a luck of the draw and we—ME—could as easily be collecting welfare checks if I were born into another family, on another side of town—on the wrong side of the tracks. I think its easy to discredit that statement by simply telling ourselves that we’d be different, that we would make it because we just couldn’t bear to live like that. But the truth is you don’t know. If you grew up in completely different circumstances and were forced to make some very tough decisions in order to even survive– imagine how different your thought process would become. I think if we all realized this the world—America—would be so much better off. I think its tough because you do have some people abusing the system. But that’s life—and every system is fundamentally composed of human beings: who make mistakes and sometimes take advantage of such opportunities to exploit the “system” but I think if we look at it as a whole, we would realize its actually a good thing, and if we could just stop thinking about ourselves for two seconds, we could help somebody else in the process.
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think that Sanford’s lieutenant governor, Andre Bauer is completely and totally out of line likening any human being to “animals”. I can honestly say that I do not think about people on welfare as anything less than human or feel that they are receiving unfair benefits. In fact I think people on welfare have to make much tougher monetary decisions in their situation. Of course there are people who are better off collecting welfare and committing welfare fraud, like Wu Tang Clan’s Old Dirty Bastard (R.I.P). But the majority of people on welfare or at least the people I have observed on welfare are in very tough situations and would benefit greatly from some form of supplementation.
I can speak for myself personally that the supplementation my parents and I received when I was a bit younger, in the form of section 8, was greatly beneficial to us and allowed my parents to better themselves and eventually own their own home and property and send me to this prestigious university. How dare Bauer call us animals? I do not know his story but I am assuming he has never been on welfare or understands the struggles of someone in a bad situation trying to pull themselves up but in need of a helping hand. People on welfare also have to make hard decisions. Some of them might like to work but cannot find any jobs or the jobs that they find pay less than they would get on welfare. They are forced to make the tough decision to seem lazy and stay on welfare or work but not make ends meet.
On the other side of the situation I can see why some might be hesitant to see the benefits of welfare. There are people who abuse the system and collect unfair benefits. These people make it worse for people who are actually in great need to receive benefits. When these people are exposed it is easy to assume that a lot of people are freeloading and exploiting the system. Instead of criticizing welfare recipients Bauer should be trying to fix the flawed system so that funds are properly allotted and not ending up into the hands of people who really do not need it. When Bauer apologized for his comment he says that there should be more rules regulating welfare like drug testing but he doesn’t mention trying to regulate the system so that funds are allocated properly.
Andre Bauer had no right to say what he said and I think even if it’s something that people think all the time, it is a complete and utter misrepresentation of people who are one welfare, because the way people view them is tainted by well off people commiting welfare fraud.
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After reading the article and the comments by Lieutenant Governor Andre Bauer, I am completely appalled. I think this article is extremely relevant to the classes this week. Governor Bauer was most likely raised in a wealthy, Southern home, attended private schooling, and had family or close friends in politics that were able to hone his political skills and career. These attributes most likely led him to his distorted beliefs about those in need of welfare.
This is exactly what Professor Richards was pointing out to us all week – we follow in our parents footsteps, and our birth and social rank are predetermined by that of our parents. We normally follow in our parents footsteps: we like similar foods, music, movies, and although we rebel, we come to enjoy the things that are familiar and comforting to us. Clearly, Lieutenant Governor Andre Bauer is comfortable with degrading others. And as Sam also pointed out, most of those that are on the welfare program are children. So how can he direct his negative connotations of those on welfare as animals towards children? What have they ever done to deserve being called animals? Infants and children have no control over their current situation. Granted that the welfare system is a government program and many people can weasel their way unnoticed and abuse our tax dollars, there are those that truly depend on welfare as a means of sustaining life. Should these human beings that need welfare to survive be considered animals? Or should these negative comments be directed towards those that abuse this government system? This brings me to my next point – calling out those that abuse welfare is a completely different situation compared to degrading those that need it to live. Those that truly are lazy and have zero motivation to go find a job are now even less likely to be responsive to government officials and attempt to look for employment.
Further, Lieutenant Governor Andre Bauer should have seriously considered what he was about to say before he gave his speech, and seriously reconsider who his speech writers are. How could he have read his speech and given it, knowing the aftermath would have severely altered his political appearance. Politicians such as Andre Bauer cannot continue to make insensitive, degrading comments and expect to skyrocket their political career into the Senate. Especially as Mr. Bauer is attempting to take over Governor Mark Sanford's place, you would expect someone that was going to be constantly thrown into the political spotlight would much more carefully choose his words.
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While most will disparage the elected official for making such an absurd statement, such that those on welfare are animals, I cannot completely fault the official as his statement did have some logic. The logic behind the official's statement is that by "feeding the stray animals", or providing assistance to those on welfare, we are creating a system which many may not want to get out of. I mean if one thinks about it, what more does one need if they are on welfare. They are already being provided with money and food stamps. Granted, their lives may not be admirable or lavish, but those on welfare are receiving enough to live off of. It seems as if welfare does not provide any incentive for those to make something more of their lives when they can just continue to receive care from the government. However, the elected official does not take into consideration the flip side of welfare. Many of those on welfare are actively trying to get out of welfare and make an honest living in order to make something of their lives. Many of them are just currently unable to do so. Many are working as much as they can or are actively seeking jobs in order to become self-sufficient. Additionally, the official does not seem to consider the fact that many on welfare are there for a reason. Maybe they have done something in their past that has made it very difficult for them to get jobs. Maybe many of them are addicted to drugs and are unable to receive the help they need in order to move on with their lives. Many of those currently a part of the welfare system were born into the welfare system and do not have any real means of getting out of it. Additionally, the welfare system does not provide its participants with enough sustenance to many times rise out of the system. The welfare system is a very important and necessary part of society. It provides many with a means of staying alive while they at least attempt to change their lives. I feel as if the governor's remarks were a bit ridiculous, but they were not completely unfounded. He just needs to gain some perspective and information about the welfare system, so that he can make more informed statements. I think that the welfare system can however, make some changes in order to help those in the welfare system to get out of the system. Such measures could be mandatory drug tests and possibly even government provided jobs for those in welfare. Being a part of the welfare system generally drastically damages many peoples' chances of receiving steady employment. Overall, I think that the welfare system is a good thing for the people of the United States.
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When I read this article I was amazed that somebody would say such things about human beings. To call a human being an animal is terrible, especially because they most likely didn’t have the same opportunities in life that he did. Even if Andre Bauer thought this in real life I thought politicians were supposed to be smart enough to know not to say everything that comes to their mind. Don’t politicians have publicists who write their material for them? For Andre Bauer to still believe he has a chance at becoming the Governor is crazy. I wouldn’t be surprised if people started asking for his resignation now.
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Humans as animals. We are animals. We are savages. The human race is a disgusting pile of shit and we all know it. Referring to welfare people as animals is an understatement because what is true is that we are all animals. Disgusting filthy animals who need to look at us as a whole and under stand that we will never be anything but filthy dirty disgusting animals. As people we suck and any other worldly race that may one day come here will see us as animals and probably hunt us down and kill us. I’d like to thank the academy.
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I am going to have to agree with Laurie, I think that the discussion always goes back to black and white more because of the civil rights movement than slavery. To reflect on that more, I think that many people who were alive for the civil rights movement in the 60s are still alive today. My parent were, and so were my grandparents, and I think its overlooked at how correct me if I'm wrong but how more accepting of other races younger people have become. Everyone has that racist great uncle or grandfather in their family, who when they say something out of line everyone credits it to being alive when the civil rights movement was going on. Just also to speculate on this black and white topic, I think this is also brought up because of black people in the media. For instance some rappers have the rags to riches story of growing up in the ghetto, you rarely hear that about a white rapper. I think this whole topic also has to do with the clear social distinction between black people and white people. We discussed this in class how the average black family makes considerably less on a median family income basis than the average white family. I think these large social contrasts add if not generate this discussion more and more.
I've seen this happen during one of the race relations discussions I have been involved in, and why there's clearly no answer I think it remains to be said that there is still some general discontent between black people and white people that has yet to be resolved. This even happens in Soc 119 class, we seem to revert back to black people all too often, and then immediately after that we talk about white people again. Could it be something subconscious making us do so, or could this topic relatively die out when our kid's kids are old and grey. Hopefully our society will be more tolerant by then.
I think an interesting point to bring up is brown people. After 9/11 many people were on a manhunt for anyone with brown skin, but this event is more recent although not as profound as the civil rights movement. Yet you don't see people still marching through the streets looking for brown people, as they once were. What this discussion also has a lot to do with is the clear cut sterotypes and the difference between black people and white people. I think its not to discuss blacks and whites in a race discussion when our country has such a large recent history of discontent between the two. This is a really thought provoking topic though, that no one will competely ever understand.
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The comments made by Andre Bauer are completely out of line and are unbelievably offensive to not just people on welfare, but to the likes of all citizens. For him to compare people on welfare as animals is so far from the truth that it warrants a need for action to be taken. People on welfare are not there because they choose to be and they want to mooch off of the American people. They are there because they were the “unlucky ones” who ended up there. They didn’t choose what social class they were born into or what wealth their previous family members earned. They are there because they were dealt a harder hand in life and they are finding ways to make ends meet.
Many people on welfare are supporting their families due to unforeseen circumstances such as the death of a family member, the loss of a job, or the simple inability to afford the simple staples of life on their current job pay scale. Times have certainly become tough with this economic downturn and there are plenty of people who are quite capable to earn a living in jobs but companies are simply not hiring because they too need to cut back. We cannot hold it against the people on welfare that they need the extra assistance to get back on their feet. It is the duty of all Americans and all citizens of the globe for that matter to come together and help those that are in need. Many times it is the luck of the draw as to who is well off and who is in need of assistance.
I personally am not in the in either group, but I highly disagree with the comments that were made. Who is this lieutenant governor to determine that these people are worse than him? They are not animals; they are people that deserve the same chance as everyone else, including Mr. Bauer. What about all the students who are some of the smartest people in the world but simply don’t have the money to balance the essentials and paying for a prestigious college education. They are the future as well as they deserve the same chance. These programs are available to assist those in need and they should not be ridiculed for that. It is not for people to judge them on their abilities.
I think that this government official should definitely be stripped of his political responsibilities and asked to step down. These types of comments are not to be spoken in a private setting let alone in a setting where the press will publish them and bring light to these words. It was completely out of line and a real shame that there are people out there that are ignorant enough to make these comments.
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I believe in the freedom of speech as much as anyone and I do feel that anyone should have the right to say anything or just about anything about anyone whether it be derogatory or not. That said I also believe that people should have the responsibility to face the consequences of their actions whether these are simply making an idiot out of yourself, having a group of people mad at you or saying the wrong thing to someone at the bar and getting beat up. People should also have the foresight to think about the outcome of their actions and words before they make the mistake. Politicians are especially susceptible to backlash from what they say more so than other celebrities. Movie stars and musicians are almost expected to stir controversy and their actions will be forgotten in a week. Politicians on the other hand one wrong move could possibly ruin their career. Politicians are accustom to lying and so much of their lives are all but scripted. In that sense this should have never happened if he believes these statements or not is beside the point if every politician was ostracized for one of their beliefs there would be absolutely no support for any single person in Washington. There is really nothing that can be done except for the people in prominent places and power to try to watch what they say and maybe think before it actually comes out of their mouths.
In no way am I saying that I agree with or support what Mr. Bauer said. It was immoral and just plain stupid. It is irreverent whether he actually believes this or not it is about his words and actions. No politician is going to do something or say something to possibly jeopardize their career. Politicians are held to a higher standard because they are elected as representatives of the people of the United States and in a perfect world they would never make mistakes or do anything that offends anyone but this is not a perfect world not everyone is going to agree all the time and some things are going to offend people that’s just the way it is. The welfare debate is one that is going to live on for some time in regards to who should receive money, how much, and what the distribution should be. There was a comment I heard on the radio about how nothing can ever get solved by simply throwing money at it without having some sort of expectations. And there are people that are receiving welfare checks without being anything close to a productive member of society, without even trying to better themselves or their situation. Also as the article stated there many more people that are receiving welfare subsidies that are very wealthy and have no need for additional assistance.
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I cannot speak on part of what this politician meant when he said “his grandmother told him at a very young age not to feed stray animals”. I can however, relate to what he must have meant on a spur of the moment questioning, though it seems immoral nonetheless. I really wouldn’t even know where to begin to break down his train of thought other than he thinks that we are just giving poor people free money. Though, not entirely accurate I believe there is some truth to this statement. I have heard of stories that date back decades ago. People that are not very wealthy have adopted children with the intention of collecting welfare on their behalf. Now to me, that is more immoral than stating an opinion that holds at the very least, some grain of validity. Though its not politically correct to the standards of today, I can understand both sides of this argument, and that may have adverse reactions and ignite some fellow classmates thoughts, but not everyone out there on welfare has the best intentions in mind for the children that not only need this money but depend on it for survival. It reminds me of a story I heard about that occurred decades ago where ordinary citizens were assigning their pets social security numbers in order to claim them as dependents for tax exemptions. Immoral as it sounds, why not get a free hand out with how much the system screws us over, why not try to screw it back? Welfare recipients have to fall in a very low tax bracket, to even be considered for the welfare program you have to make an extremely limited income, so when I read that you write about rich people receiving welfare, I really don’t know where that information is coming from, unless you are talking about immoral tax write-offs and such for free money? I am under the assumption, coming from a career in the military where they pay us just barely over the threshold to receive welfare benefits, so again, I am not sure of the validity of your argument on rich people receiving benefit from this program. Nevertheless, if I fell under the threshold of welfare requirements I would be sure to collect this hand out. Who declares what is immoral and wrong, besides a society that is not worth its weight in gold nor would I ever be tempted to idolize. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I receive a monthly living allowance stipend from the GI Bill along with medical retirement pay, and I would be unable to be in school without that free money. So I guess this argument goes both ways and the moral and point of my two cents I guess would be, this dude can call me a stray animal all day long as well. I would not care, nor think any less of himself or myself for receiving additional funds that come from the tax payers wallet and lastly, I would thank him for his own contribution.
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