2016 November 29

 

Liberal Social Programs

Originally Written on November 27, 2016

I have always been somewhat conservative politically. When I was called to be the branch president of Shawnee Branch, Crestwood Kentucky Stake, an inner-city area rife with poverty and high crime rates I came face to face with the results of liberal, well-meaning (in most cases) programs and policies.

When President Barack Obama took office, his administration decided to provide free cell phones to low-income people arguing that this would help them compete for jobs and allow them to improve their economic situations. Didn't happen. Now our liberal mayor wants to provide free high speed WiFi to the west end neighborhoods (Shawnee) at taxpayer expense with the same goal. Other liberals have supported free food, low-rent, free money, etc. In many cases, these have already been provided.

In a letter to the editor of the Louisville, Kentucky Courier-Journal, David Eschman of Jeffersonville, Indiana asked "Why does the first car mean so much to to a teen? Because he paid for it. Why does the first house mean so much to first-time homeowner? Because she paid for it. Unless the recipients have a stake in the entitlements they inherently mean nothing to them. they are just further examples of a bloated bureaucracy that would rather throw money at the masses to keep them quiet and dependent than find real solutions to these serious problems."

In Shawnee branch at least half of the members needed constant assistance to stay afloat. Urging them to get education and/or jobs met with blank stares.

We have a country with millions of people who don't know how to succeed at anything positive and who don't really want to because they don't need to - at least in the short term. And that number is growing and growing.

2016 November 26

 I have been struggling with journal entries for most of my life. For one reason or another I have misplaced most of what I have written including my missionary journal from my service in the Swedish mission from 1965-1967.

I have made some entries in my computer that can be included in my journal. These include some of the talks I have prepared for church - mostly as a High Councilor in the Crestwood Kentucky stake.

I also have a number of photographs.

While researching possible ways to maintain an electronic journal, my son, Jake, suggested the memories section of Family Search. After brief consideration, I elected to go that route so here we go again. Hopefully this will be satisfying and interesting.