Sydney Sampsel
Don Airhart
English Composition 2
23 February 2013
Drug Testing Welfare
“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another” (Dickens). If you take a moment to open your eyes and look around, you can find a lot of honorable people around you. People in the United States seem to help others and have concern for ones in need. Our government aims to help those who are struggling with a program called welfare. Although this money to help the less fortunate unwillingly comes from the working class it's still a good deed. However, there are less fortunate people who aren't using this money for the right reasons. They are taking advantage of the system and if we begin drug testing people who apply for welfare that may stop this misuse of a good deed.Welfare is an assistance program that is focused on helping out less fortunate individuals and families. “Welfare encompasses those government programs that provide benefits and economic assistance to no or low income individuals. It can also be defined as financial assistance to impoverished individuals which is supplied through the taxes paid by the working class. Improving the quality of life and living standards for the poor and underprivileged is one of the main goals of welfare” (Welfare Information). In the United States there are currently 4,300,000 people on welfare (Statisitc Brain). The program is supposed to be one for helping others get back on their feet. It's not a program meant for people to live off of, it should be temporary until they can find themselves a steady income. Welfare is an extremely helpful program to the individuals who obtain it; however there are concerns that some individuals on welfare are taking advantage of it and not using the welfare for what it is intended to be.
A quote from the Missouri State Constitution says "All constitutional government is intended to promote the general welfare of the people; that all persons have a natural right to life,...