WELFARE DRUG TESTING – Opinion

There is nothing more petrifying to a drug addict than a drug test. Just the thought of stopping for a few weeks so I could pass a test would make me cringe. I would always just end up failing the test anyway; I could not abstain from drugs for such an extended period of time. As much as I hated it, the drug test was necessary to remind me of what I was doing to my body. Now that I look back on it, I cannot believe how ridiculous I was in trying to avoid those tests. Watching the political struggle over the topic is even more amusing.

For example, a bill was just passed in Tennessee that will require drug testing as a requisite to receive welfare support. Well it was fought throughout the whole legislative process, the bill managed to break through. I, for one, am glad that it succeeded. If the lower ends of society are going to spend their meager earnings on abusive substances, then they do not deserve to receive assistance from the government. One must be willing to help themselves before demanding help from others. If that paycheck does not pay all the bills, so be it. Apply for welfare! Just be prepared to use the entirety of that payment to elevate yourself from your current position. To make your world a better place, a little bit at a time.

At a young age, I was taught this philosophy: All men are not created equal. We are all born with equal rights, but at the same time our attributes are not equal. We are all unique in our own special ways. Some may be faster, some may be smarter, and some may possess better leadership qualities. These advantages should be used to reach the pinnacle of one’s potential in order for mankind to progress and reach a better tomorrow. When I see people who squander their money in such fashions (as I once did), and never push the envelope of opportunity, it makes me sick. I remember being the same way, thinking that I would never amount to anything. The drugs helped me cope with that.

Regardless of how we feel, if there is one small window in which we can better ourselves, then that window should be opened to let the light pour through. I have no interest in what these drug tests would mean for taxpayers, or any other political implications that may incur. The tests can show that these people truly are working with the hand they were dealt, and are clearing the tasks at hand in order to improve their way of life. Those are the kind of people who need to develop a real meritocracy, not this “accepting” society we have today. From a young age, everyone gets hand outs. We all get trophies just for participating in the soccer game, regardless of victory or defeat. Everyone is praised. This has made people too lax, too comfortable with where they are at. That is why I look at the lower class and gain tremendous inspiration. Here is a group that barely owns anything, but only has one direction to move: forward. Life does not pause, time is everlasting. We must all keep moving forward, lest we become stagnant and bloated. That is what these drug tests mean to me. They can remove the stigma of rampant drug use among the poor, and show how that their potential can one day truly be reached.

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