Entitlement programs; more debt than benefit

As Americans, we receive many rights and freedoms. Chief among them are the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

While these freedoms are offered to all citizens in the modern society, there is little reflection of why we should be entitled such privileges. These rights and freedoms come with a heavy cost. For those who have stood in war-torn countries, there is a deep understanding that these freedoms must be paid for by more than just taxes. Our country has been fighting a war for more than a decade with little impact to the average citizen. Our culture has become so separated with the duties of citizenship required to earn our freedoms, that it is easy in our daily lives to forget that we are a country at war.

But it was not the war that I want to write about today.

I did not even want to address the question of our worthiness to have our fundamental rights. I want to discuss the growing sense of entitlement with our society and the threat it presents. Our culture has a growing sense that we are owed a great debt by others.

For those of you who question this fact, I only ask you to count the amount of trash left within classrooms. How often do your classmates leave messes behind because they know that someone is being paid to clean up the mess?

We as a society are taking less and less personal responsibility for our own actions. Increasingly, there is a sense that certain jobs and tasks are below us.

The growing sense of entitlement deeply threatens the American political system. With politics appealing increasingly towards the emotions of the citizens over their sense of logic, it is easy to “buy” votes by promising more benefits. With each election cycle, politicians must promise more benefits for providing them votes. This system can grow to the point where the benefits are unsustainable. When a politician, motivated by the best interest of the nation, suggests the removal of an unsustainable entitlement program they are greeted with ridicule. With every new entitlement system invented, the idea of a debt owed to us as citizens increases. When entitlement systems are threatened, we beneficiaries cry, “How dare they take away our right!”

But in the end, all rights and entitlements are debts. Some of these rights provide benefits that are in the best interest of our country and its citizens. But they are debts and the cost of these burdens must be paid for in terms of service or financial debt. Many of these debts, like the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, are well worth the financial cost and/or the loss of life required to maintain them. However, increasingly we are developing entitlement systems that are not creating better citizens and will ultimately produce debts that were not worth the benefits.

As you go about your day I ask you to reflect on the immortal words of John F. Kennedy, “Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.” Take a critical look at the rights and entitlements you demand in your life. Finally, ask yourself why you deserve those rights.

Ultimately I would hope that every citizen finds themselves less than worthy of their rights. Not in the sense that they do not deserve these rights, but understanding that they should give more back to their communities to pay for the privilege of being an American.