I don't know what it is like to be "asked" to help anymore, the government "forces" me to contribute to charity by "stealing" from me.
Stealing? No that's not what's going on at all but rather a pooled effort of spending money we don't have. Contributing to charity is a lot different from the government handing money out - big difference.
As to people not giving, you should live where I used too. All volunteer fire and ambulance, people come out in droves to make sandwiches to buy a new truck or raise money for a family in need.
That is a direct need for a community and it is being answered by the community itself but how many will stop on the side of the road and help a stranger?
I don't think it because people don't want to help, they don't like being told that they have too. They don't like pouring money down that endless pit called "welfare" knowing full well that it will not change much of anything, bums is bums. Tired of paying for other sins, lack of ambition or sense of entitlement.
Two different issues. Charity is not welfare, welfare is not charity.
People give to charities for two reasons, one is a real and true altruistic reason while the other is to get tax credit. Many don't like to be told anything, which goes back to the selfish problem among our population, I won't take away from my Latte habit to help someone out.
Welfare was the means for the government to control things in the 30's based on the coordination of help by the government prior to the depression (a very interesting history about Hoover and Roosevelt and how we ended up with this mess). Before that people pitched in and even though there was selfishness and greed was all around, the community and people worked to solve the problems for the most part.
I will give you a good example. We have a serious problem in this country - people are still losing their homes at record rates (yes what recovery?) and what are people concerned about? Rebuilding Haiti. It is great we are concerned about the poor people in a foreign country but they now billions of dollars being dumped into their banks to rebuild their country so I have to ask why is Clooney and MTV planning a "telethon" to help even more? They don't need so much help that they can't manage it (welfare problems at that point), people here do. Once we have people here helped, then they can help others and most of the time that is how it works. The selfishness for MTV and Clooney is what will make them look good, nothing else. When was the last time Clooney helped out a famiy?
When people show some gumption others are far more likely to chip in.
Not really, if that was the case we would not need FEMA, and other government organizations. The exception is ham radio and disasters but that's another story. It used to be we were communities, we helped in different ways but we are now individuals who look out for number one.
I don't feel that I should have to pay for other's to raise their kids, I raised mine, so should they. The inability to do so is, for the most part, just excueses and laziness.
Great! let's get rid of public education - the biggest scam in our times.