People often ask me how I discovered the ideas of liberty.  Like many others, I was taught about government in school using state approved curriculum; which never mentions the ideas of liberty, self ownership, and personal responsibility.  In addition, I was raised in a extremely liberal area, which gave me a socially acceptable set of morals that included support of government social/welfare programs.  This was not because I disliked the idea of private charity and personal compassion; but rather, I believed it to be the only method of mass charity (the ability to fund care for many people at once).  It was my experience in trying to use these social programs which led me to discover the ineffective, wasteful, and harmful effects they create.  They didn’t help people.  They gave those suffering the bare minimum for survival, but wasted so much time, and came with so many requirements, that those the government “helped” would never be able to move forward.  They would become dependent on the system for survival, which skews this “help” to be thought of as a “right”… because obviously everyone feels they have a right to life.
Moreover, I discovered the system in which these programs are funded (by tax dollars), was a complex form of theft.  How can you do good deeds with stolen money?  And how could a charity be successful if it was continually funded no matter how poor it’s results?  There is no competition, or at least none that can truly offer an alternative (possibly better) service, because the government has already taken any money people have to spare on charity.  It was these factors that resulted in my change in heart on the necessity of government social/welfare programs; and eventually, my views on government all together.
But how can someone claim to be “caring” or “compassionate” if they advocate the end of social programs that people depend on for survival?  Here is why: because I DO care.  I AM compassionate.  There are millions out there who care.  Does anyone honestly believe that if the government funded “charities” were no longer available, we would all accept standing by and watching people suffer?  I wouldn’t.  But in thinking about why people believe this, I realized the amazing loss in simple acts of care and compassion between individuals.  Because the government has taken over the “charity” system, most people have lost the ability to be kind or charitable on their own.  Just as traffic lights have removed people’s responsibility of defensive driving (aka paying attention to others on the road).
We need kindness and compassion to be given back to the people. Â While it’s illogical to think we can just end government social programs tomorrow, and take back the task of charity; there is hope. Â We need to start by reeducating ourselves to care about others. Â To strive towards positivity and community. Â When you nurture those elements of human nature, you can begin to see a world without government. Â It wouldn’t be a scary world of chaos and violence; but rather, a world where people feel a responsibility to their fellow man. Â Not to provide for him/her from cradle to grave, but to see that all people are successful… because then there will be others to help you in your time of need.
To start encouraging others to take part in this shift towards a more compassionate society, I made this simple poster that can be printed and posted anywhere. Â There are some simple “random acts of kindess” tabs for people to tear off and perform the task later. Â While these things may seem small or simple, no act of kindess is ever a waste. Â And over time, these small acts can shift an entire community to a more positive and charitable point of view… without the need of a government threat.
*also posted @ MegMcLain.com
To download, simply right-click on the image and choose “save as”.
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