My mother's other sin, (besides financial irresponsibility) was processing a false pride. She went to a government food distribution facility to collect such bulk staples as cheese, peanut butter and powdered milk, once or twice but found the experience quite humiliating and never went back... So hunger rejoined our family.

You don't ask to be born nor to you have a choice as to what type of guardian/parent you will receive. Little children who have to live in abject poverty because they were conceived by unenlightened, uninformed and yes, ignorant parents (who were raised possibly by the same) are one of the main reasons for Liberalism. The very old and the very young are the vulnerable ones in any society. They have little or no tools for survival. And if government can't help them, most will fall prey to the very dark side of life. Pain and despair for these unfortunates are a way of life. More Here: http://www.thethinkingblue.com/areyouliberal.html

I too was born poor. I had to start working when I was 9 years old and have worked hard all of my life. Can you imagine what would have happened if a government social worker approached me when I was working so hard at 9, and told me I did not have to work any longer. The government was going to take care of me and I could lay around the house and do whatever I wanted. It was all going to be free and easy from now on.

Can you guess how I would have turned out?