By Drew Burk
Arizona Daily Wildcat
November 4, 1997

Law student 'ignorant' about the poor, welfare

Editor:

The general ignorance of the majority of the more vocal students at universities disturbs me. This is in response to J. Todd McKay, 3rd year law student.

In all fairness, Mr. McKay's a student: he is still learning. He's only in his third year: he is still young, and has not had time to explore even Tucson's limited array of social woe., let alone that of a larger city. Therefore, his views on "poor people" will of course be naive, his beliefs formed largely by "Facts," an ambiguous catch-all concept used to imply "Truth." Facts (despite the definition) are subjective; only what has been observed firsthand is credible, and only to that one person, with respect to that one situation. What, Mr. McKay, have you observed firsthand? What have you used to form your convictions? I have observed, on the East and West coasts, and in several cities and states in between, that there are essentially two types of "poor" people. There are those that legitiamtely need help, and those that refuse to do anything to help themselves. The first type do not need the system, the second type rely upon it for their survival. Before passing judgment on me, here's a little of what I observed firsthand.

My ex-girlfriend's mother cashing her welfare checks and selling her food stampsto buy heroin, buying it outside the methadone clinic I drove her to every day.

Being attacked in San Diego's Balboa Park by a group of "poor" people after having given the, almost everything I owned, because it wasn't enough.

Children in a Boston suburb sleeping on the floor of their mother's apartment, cockroaches falling from the ceiling, their mother turning tricks in the complex to supplement Welfare, because, she explained to me, "It's easier than getting a job."

But, as I said, the facts are subjective.

No, stricter regulation isn't the answer. The Federal Government shouldn't have anything to do with Welfare, or many of the things we pass off onto them these days. To work most efficiently, our Federal Government should run itself as a business, not a charity. People should be concerned with people, communities and families and friends take care of their own, and not rely upon a distant, impersonal monster of a beauracracy to take the responsibility out of our hands. If you're concerned, do something to help. Ask someone what they need, what you can do.

Of course you're busy, being a third year law student and all, you just don't have the time.

Or maybe you just don't care.

Drew Burk
Administrative Secretary
Department of Animal Sciences