Social Media Tantrum

Mr. Rick Santorum: “I don’t want to give Black people somebody else’s money, I want them to go out and earn their own money”.

This is the kind of discussion I have been seeing on my news feed. To quote a believed friend, "Guess I should go to work today, so you can pay for that iPhone." There is a baseless, fact-less belief among Republican supporters where welfare recipient voters and their sympathizers are a reason why democrats get elected. Yes today I am talking about entitlement programs. 

Mention “welfare” and immediately people have an opinion, but it is based on their one experience or on media-driven stereotypes. Furthermore Social Security - an entitlement program, and let's face it people use "entitlement" like it's the scarlet letter - is one of the largest entitlement programs. So I wanted to look at some of the demographics of states. What I found was quite interesting.

Mississippi's total population that was black in 2010 was 38%. Mississippi led the nation in this category followed by Louisiana (33 percent), Georgia (32 percent), Maryland (31 percent), South Carolina (29 percent) and Alabama (27 percent). Census.gov

Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia, South Carolina, and Alabama are all states that have been firmly in the Republicans' electoral college for over 30 years. For example, one time in 30 years has Georgia's 16 electoral votes been counted for a Democratic presidential nominee; that was in 1992 for Clinton's first term.

In 2010, Georgia had 590,000 households, 1.4 million people on food stamps. Fourteen percent of its population on food stamps; even assuming that all 14% is black - which is ridiculous and racist - mean over half of the black population, is not on food stamps. 

Stop assuming that black people are on entitlement programs, it's not true. Stop believing that democrats want to give black people your money, it's not true. Stop throwing a tantrum. It's the only way we are going to achieve progress on welfare reform( which you apparently desperately seek), continue to build on the success of the past year of economic recovery, and re-evolve into a country that once again leads by example, helps our neighbor, and seeks to eradicate injustice wherever it appears.

Americans have spoken, we believe in the path we are on and the time for tantrums and partisan bickering has passed. You are now honored with the task to unite this nation and create moderate policies that serve the interests of all.