Let's Break the Stigma Around Those Assisted by the Government

Recently, I was talking to a coworker about essays she is required to write for a college course. She informed me that one prompt asked her to answer the question "should random drug testing be mandatory for those living in government subsidized housing?"

She and I originally had the same opinion. We both thought, "well yeah, of course," but then with her preparing for her essay, she found out that in the state of Washington, a drug test was administered to three million people being assisted by the government. With each drug test the amount of money that they are being helped with decreases. Out of those three million people who lost the money that was helping them, only three of the tests came back positive. In the fine print of the papers that residents must sign, it states that if management feels they have probable cause to suspect that the individual is under the influence, they can drug test solely that individual.

My coworker is a credible source because she receives assistance from the government, and she works very hard. She puts in twelve hour days at least 3 days a week, goes to school, and supports her 2 children. She busts her butt night and day and she pays her bills. The only things that she gets help with is her housing, which she doesn't get much help with, and two hundred dollars worth of food stamps. That is very small in light of the fact that there are people living in her apartment complex who pay 0 dollars for rent. They have the government pay all of their bills, they don't have jobs or ambition, or even ambition to get a job, and they have kids. She let me know that all they do is sit around and smoke weed all day.

I've been thinking a lot about this discussion, and I'm a little scared for her. I don't think that the governmental welfare programs will disappear completely, but what if my coworker stops getting the help she needs? It's a sensitive and very bitter sweet topic. She works extremely hard to take care of herself and her family, all the while still getting an education to become an even bigger member of society. She deserves a little help. Those who do nothing in her apartment complex however, don't deserve the help.

When people think of welfare and government subsided housing, they automatically have a negative view of it all, but it is important to draw attention to the fact that they are not all lazy with a lack of ambition, some of them are hard working and just need a little help.