One of the popular myths of our time (ever since Reagan) is that the poor steal from the rich, that the government screws the rich through taxes that in turn benefit the poor, that prisons are comfortable places where prisoners live in the lap of luxury.
I’ve heard the off-handed complaints. They’re almost always off-handed, never well thought out, never fully articulated. “Why would they ever get off welfare if they don’t have to work?” “You know there’s a prison where every cell has a tv? I thought they’re supposed to be punished in there.”
I don’t know about you, but I don’t think it’s that great to be on welfare. If people had the choice between a decent salary with labor and welfare, who wouldn’t choose the decent salary? I make $34,000—a sum that, to many, is a pittance, but, to many more, riches. I certainly wouldn’t give up my salary for welfare checks or food stamps. Never. I wouldn’t even consider it.
What if my tv got taken away from me? What if I didn’t have a bed to sleep in every night? Would I commit a crime in order to live the luxuries of prison life? Highly doubtful. Yes, the government tends to spend more on housing and feeding convicted criminals than it does on teaching children, but why do they care when they can keep blaming under-performing schools on “bad teachers” instead of lack of finances?
I wouldn’t really want to be ass-raped on a regular basis. I wouldn’t want to be mistreated by guards and other prisoners. I wouldn’t want to be behind bars every day, counting the days. I wouldn’t want to be limited in whom I can see and when. Prison isn’t a great place to get tv. Sorry.
Does that mean people should “cheat” welfare? Does it mean prisons should receive more funding than education? Of course not, but please, please, please… a message to the whining rich: you will always, always be in a better place than those you whine about.