I've had a few of these in the queue since before the holidays so if you recognize the story good for you. I just didn't want to harsh my mellow.
The headline in the local newspaper read something like "Don't Let Poor Economy Endanger Children" . The 'media' ate up the story of 23 year old Jeri Moss of Tampa almost starving her 5 month old baby to death by watering down the WIC supplied formula she received for him, using the drama of his near death to ratchet up fear. But the tragedy of this child 's circumstances wasn't caused by the economy.
I think ought to be charged with something akin to wanton endangerment.--she won't be---it will be handled through protective services. But this is not an extraordinary case. See it wasn't about the economy at all making it hard to feed this baby. It was just normal in her world. She never gave any serious thought as to how she would feed a second child for a couple of likely reasons. First because she obviously wasn't concerned about the fact that she already had a 4 month old to feed or that neither she nor the daddy worked---as the government assistance was always 'there'. And second because she 'watered down the formula for that first child with no problems.' That child is 18 months old now.
There is no question that the economy is squeezing most of us living in the real world. But that's not the real story with this particular person and her poor poor children. She is just one of millions living in the self perpetuating culture of government dependence. It's a mindset that can be very difficult to understand if you've never had first hand experience with it. Is she a poster child for 'bad decisions' or is it more a question of no decisions? Is she guilty of consciously making wrong moves or are they errors of omission? Either way or both it has been going on for many decades and will continue until we get smart about it.
I have no problem at all with helping families. I just think we do carelessly and in a method that encourages dependence.
I thought interesting the country DJ's offer to provide all the formula she needed if she'd take a drug test---it was cynical but not at all uncalled for. This woman was sitting there with highlights in her hair yet starving her baby. And I don't care if it was a 99 cent bottle of peroxide she used to do it--it was still money. And by no means is the daddy off the hook---I have yet to see much reportage about his deal but I think it's particularly telling that the 'media' dropped this like a stinky diaper not long after the initial 'rush'. I think something important happened, like Brittney Spears farting.
Hopefully there will be adequate supervision of this situation through social services---hopefully.
Although I am far too world weary about those over worked and understaffed agencies making any real change.
--All thoughtful discussion is welcome--
9 comments:
Perhaps I've been under a rock, but I had not heard this story. The tragedy in this story is that the children will grow up with that same sense of entitlement that cripples their lame-brained parents. While I agree that helping families is a grand mission, I'm tired of giving handouts when a hand UP is the important task.
My parents could have taken assistance from government agencies when they arrived in this country, but my parents refused because they believed it was their responsibility, not that of the governments, to provide for their children. It was, after all, their own decision to have children, NOT a government mandate to have kids.
You spelled Britney's name wrong. Is there no end to your dissing of my girl?
As for my thoughts--we've had discussions at home about this. I am with you 100%.
I truly think we should wait until they have another child to see if they learned their lesson...cause ya know another child means even more money coming in from the gov'ment...
Is neutering people on gov'ment assistance too harsh?
I'm too jaded to even respond. Until we stop people from suckling off of the government....
see, there I go.
I'll just agree with Bond and vote for mandated neutering for the stupid and fertile.
That's so sad :( I agree, there are far too many people who depend on the government. I think assistance should only be offered if the people are TRYING to find jobs and make it on their own. I don't think that people who stay at home and accept the handouts without even trying to look for a new job or further their education should receive help. I mean they should, but not government assistance. They need a swift kick in the ass.
I bet she had enough money to buy cigarettes or alcohol or drugs. How do I know this? Because I have a daughter who would have made similar choices about what to do with her money...spend it on her child's needs or her own? Her child almost always loses out, while she goes on drinking, smoking and partying.
I'd not seen the story either, but I'm with ya. that's not an economic issue. That's a morals / integrity / common sense issue.
The worst part of this? (Whether you agree about using Government programs or not, we're talking about kids here, which to me changes the playing field)
There is a program called WIC (Women, Infants and Children) that this stupid bitch could have applied for.
That program would supply her (if she breastfed--there's a way to save money), her babies and her small kids up to age 5 with food. Kids on formula GET formula checks--if they drink milk they GET milk. They're also supplied with cereal, eggs and other foods as they're able to eat them.
The sad thing was that woman had no reason to water down her formula--all she had to do was fill out a form, go to education classes a few times a year (which she could have used, am I right?) and let the staff monitor the kids' growth and iron levels (a little stick like a diabetic's blood stick) and she'd have gotten a good portion of the food her kids needed for FREE, along with some great education and monitoring.
Instead she made me fucking cry--and if you know how much I hate things that make me cry you'd know how much I want to strangle this bitch, especially given that there is NO reason for her to do as she did to her children.
Not just sad and stupid but it should be criminal.
@Pandora Wilde - what's sad is that she DID receive WIC. She watered it down to make it stretch further because, honestly? she was probably selling half of it for cash.
I can't go into this very much because I have a tendency to go ape shit over these things. BUT I will tell you that I watered down my son's formula sometimes to make it stretch further but never to the point of starvation - I didn't know that it could be bad for them but I still made sure that I always had the money for his formula, diapers, etc, even if that meant I had no money for food for myself.
And THIS is what I have against the welfare system. And - oh shit. Shutting up now.
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