During my lifetime, charity has become the business of government. Before the “War on Poverty” began in the 60’s under LBJ, before it sucked up 16 trillion in our taxes, it was mostly the community that met the needs of those too down and out to make it. Then the government became the “one stop shop” for all help, permanent and temporary. Thus the shame disappeared.

If you needed help in the past, your neighbors helped and the churches helped. Word got around and help came to you. A hand up. You knew the people who gave you help. So, if you were doing something like drinking excessively, the community knew and the shame might make you stop the bad behavior. The help would dry up if there was no change in your disfunction. Now we send all in need to the government, they fill out some paperwork, and the checks start rolling in. Next they go and get a free Obamaphone they aren’t eligible for. Then they tell their sister to do the same. Whoever processes the paperwork is a faceless entity, providing from cradle to grave. No shame, no real change. 16 trillion that hasn’t worked and won’t ever be enough.

My sister requests that her small, aging church help out oneof the communities needy ones. What she gets back is “the government can help with that”.

If the welfare state worked, we would have reduced the need over time. We haven’t. The “War on Drugs” hasn’t worked and the War on Poverty hasn’t worked.