GeneralRaven2208 Help Those Who Help, Not Hurt, Themselves In the past year, and…Help Those Who Help, Not Hurt, Themselves
In the past year, and repeatedly throughout the holiday season, the Post has devoted an abnormally large share of newsprint to the “plight” of the vagrants who wander throughout the city in search of free handouts: i.e., the “homeless.”
As certain as taxes, the poor shall remain with civilization forever. Yet these “homeless” are certainly not in the same category as the poor. The poor
of civilization, of which we have all been a part at one time in our lives, are proud and work hard until a financial independence frees them from the category.
The “homeless” do not seek work or pride. They are satisfied to beg and survive on others’ generosity.
The best correlation to the “homeless” I have witnessed are the gray squirrels on Capitol Hill. After feeding several a heavy dose of nuts one afternoon, I returned the next day to see the same squirrels patiently waiting for a return feeding. In the same fashion, the “homeless” are trained by Washington’s guilt-ridden society to continue begging a sustenance rather than learning independence.
The Post has preached that these vagrants be supported from the personal and federal coffersin the same manner as the squirrels on Capitol Hill. This support is not helping the homeless; it is only teaching them to rely on it. All of our parents struggled through the depression as homeless of a
sort, to arise and build financial independence through hard work.
The “homeless” problem will go away when, and only when, Washingtonians refuse to feed them. They will learn to support themselves and learn that society demands honest work for an honest dollar.
The “homeless” problem will go away when, and only when, Washingtonians refuse to feed them. They will learn to support themselves and learn that society
demands honest work for an honest dollar.
It would be better for Washington citizens to field their guilt donations to the poor, those folks who are holding down two or more jobs just to make ends meet, rather than throwing their tribute to the vagrants on the sewer grates. The phrase “help those who help themselves” has no more certain relevance than to the “homeless” issue.
Examine the letter to the editor by Christian Brahmstedt that appeared in the Washington Post on January 2, 1989 in Chapter 6 of RRW. If you think it contains logical fallacies, identify the passages and explain the fallacies.Arts & HumanitiesEnglish
