POLLS

Families and welfare : Should bad parents have their welfare managed for them?

Yes. The interests of children must be the priority - 69%
No. The government should stay out of family business - 31%
Total Votes: 1476 Poll date: 03/07/07

It is interesting to read polls in this nation.
I wonder sometimes how people actually answer?
Do they answer to sway the figures?
Do they answer honestly?
Do they answer the first choice coz they are busy and want to get it out of the way?

In other words, are they considered and responsible answers.

For instance in the poll above conducted on the Sydney Morning Heralds website, there is something wrong here.
Firstly the idea that first arises in most peoples mind about 'welfare' are preconceived pictures of the 'dead beat dad', the drunken aboriginal, the layabout son, the drug addict, the smoking slovenly single mum.

In actual fact if this idea of welfare conjured up a picture of a middle aged women who has finally devolped the full effect of MS, or a family caring for their adult disabled son, or decent poor people trying to put food on the table and a roof over the heads of children. Or how about the women whose husband has run off with his best mates sister and she is left to pay bills and organise her life again whilst going through emotional hell? How about the adult child who is caring for her demented mother?

However, no matter what the 'picture' in the heads of those polled, or even in the minds of those who have never 'been there', has it ever EVER occurred to 'others' that in all history the beginnings of the vilification of one 'group' within a society, always, ALWAYS, inevitably leads to the vilification of more and more sections of the community.
If you think "MY taxes" shouldn't be squandered, then maybe the place to start is always at Government spending first on infustructure, then public service, then wages and then the needy and desperate.

Sooner or later ( unless you are very fortunate or very greedy) you your self may be in 'need', through no fault of your own. So if you can't be generous enough if your own heart, then maybe by thinking selfishly 'it could be ME' you may want to reconsider the 'interference' in our (previously) fair and 'christian' welfare system.

As it is it is heading to hell in a hand basket along the lines of the wealthiest nation on earth.

So next time you are asked a question on in a poll. Stop and consider the long term repercussions.
It could be, it just might be YOU next in the firing line!!