Government Assistance Programs

Not only are government assistance programs a benefit that should be provided for people who are in need, but in some cases, it is a necessity for some families just to survive.

Before we can begin a discussion about government assistance programs, we must first acknowledge and accept the fact that public assistance comes in many different forms. There has always been and will always be debates over whether or not the government should provide assistance to people who are in need. It may also be debated as to whom public assistance should be provided, under what circumstances and what capacity it should be provided. Many people share the opinion that it is not the government’s responsibility to bail people out who find themselves in a difficult situation, as a result of bad choices they personally made. To a certain degree, I agree. There are many people out there who are undeniably taking advantage of government assistance. On the other hand, there are people who can not survive without it.

Many people look negatively upon government assistance programs because they envision an able-bodied person sitting at home taking advantage of the system. They may even envision an unemployed, single mother who is continually having babies that she cannot afford while collecting welfare. It is an undeniable fact that circumstances such as these do exist, but these are not the only conditions in which people receive assistance. As I stated previously, government assistance programs come in many forms. Some examples are the Federal Emergency Management Assistance program (FEMA), Medicaid, Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), financial aid, grants, food stamps, Veterans Assistance (VA) and other types. Without government assistance programs, one may find it difficult, if not impossible, to pursue one’s desire for a higher level of education.

As a veteran of the military service, I personally benefited from a VA mortgage loan when I purchased my first home. I have witnessed several other veterans who benefited from government aid with the assistance of health issues. As a veteran, I made a personal choice to define the freedom of the United States of America, the policies that it implements, and all the citizens within it. Some veterans have even made the ultimate sacrifice by giving their lives. How can anyone argue that a veteran or their family should not receive assistance from the government? In fact, I think that the government should feel a moral obligation to provide assistance to its veterans.

The fact of the matter is that there are some dishonest people out there who are going to benefit from some other type of government assistance, such as the able –bodied individual who chooses not to work so that he can receive unemployment payments and welfare. The system is not perfect. There are loop holes that exist that allows for dishonest people to benefit. However, the same government that provides public assistance to its veterans is the same government with its policies that veterans fought for and defined. That, too, allows dishonest people to benefit. I am not tying to equate a veteran with a dishonest person who chooses not to work and still collects benefits. The good far outweighs the bad of a few dishonest people. Therefore, I think not only should government assistance be provided, but in some cases the government should feel some moral obligation to provide it.