Generation-E (For Entitlement)

      What has this world come to?? Our country is infested with a generation of kids/young adults who are never happy with anything they have and who do not have any manners at all anymore. It disgusts me to think I am apart of this Generation-E (For Entitlement), or Gen-E's as I like to call them. I work for everything I have and appreciate all I have, but these ignorant, rude and unappreciative whiners are never happy and only want more for free. 

       This kind of behavior is learned. Learned from their parents that is, not their grandparents though. Our grandparents lived through the Great Depression and they know how important it is to work hard and make money for what they want in life. If you told those grandparents that they were going on food stamps they would be embarrassed and work their asses off to get off them as quickly as possible. They would not tell a single soul they were on them and pray that no one would find out. Today, the USDA encourages "Food Stamp Parties" in the same effect as having a Tupperware Party. "...Make it fun by having activities, games, food, and entertainment, and provide information about SNAP. Putting SNAP information in a game format like BINGO, crossword puzzles, or even a ‘true/false’ quiz is fun and helps get your message across in a memorable way..." one of the pamphlets on the USDA's website stated. Is this what our country has come to??? We evolved from people who were embarrassed to be on food stamps into people who throw parties to encourage people to "join their club". As of June 2012, the US has 46.7 Million people on food stamps (Dep. of Commerce Statistics, Oct.15th, 2012). According to statistics from USDA, FNS and BLS records job growth since President Obama has taken office shows only 194,000 jobs created and 14.7 million people added to food stamp rolls. That shows food stamp recipients have increased 75X that of job creation.

     

     Gen-E's have taken over in all aspects of our daily lives. Going to the store, mall or shopping center has turned into a stressful experience. I was raised to always show good manners and be polite to everyone, even if they are being an idiot. When I am crossing a crosswalk to enter a store I will stop and wait until the car coming sees me and if they stop I will wave and mouth "Thank you" to them. Today, these Gen-E's will walk out in front of you, never acknowledging you are even there, and just keep walking like you "OWE" them something. They are "ENTITLED" to walk in front me.  

    I was also raised to look behind me when I am entering a door to see if there is anyone coming and hold the door for people until someone takes the door from me. I will be the person who stands at the door at a store and hold the door for 5 minutes, especially if I see women approaching. These Gen-E's will open a door, just enough for them to walk through, and continue walking without even looking back to see if someone could possibly be behind them. They wouldn't even care if their own grandmother was behind them... their time is limited and they are "ENTITLED" to be in a hurry. 

     What I have seen of the generation I was born into scares me about the next generation. If the young adults I grew up with learned this behavior from their parents, what is going to happen when these same people start to have families of their own? It can only be worse. Is this the start to Socialism in America where everyone feels "ENTITLED" to something that someone else worked hard for? These people collecting food stamps are not receiving free food, they are receiving food that was worked hard for, sweat for, bleed for by myself and every other hard working American. We pay more and more in taxes each year to cover this deficit created by these "ENTITLEMENT" programs. $139.1 Billion is spent each year by the federal government on Welfare, not including food stamps and unemployment. The total amount spent each year by the federal government on "ENTITLEMENT" programs takes up about $1.03 Trillion in fiscal spending each year. We are moving in the wrong direction and it scares me. 

    When will we go back to the days when it was a disgusting feeling to take a handout? When will people have morals and manners again? When will America be the America we love again, where we know as long as we work hard and play by the rules we can have that American Dream? My fear is THAT America will never return and we will go the same route as the USSR and crumble under the extreme pressure of our fiscal irresponsibility. All it takes is everyone raising their kids on the principles that our grandparents were raised; Respect, Honor, Self Worth and Hard Work. It is sad to say, but maybe we do need another Great Depression to open our eyes to what our grandparents went through and change this course of destruction before we cause irreparable damage to this great nation. 

Sweet Dreams, 

Knightmare