• Tweet
• Sharebar

After I wake-up, make the coffee and get to work the morning usually starts out with me sitting down at the computer and looking at the news. Recently, for the past year or so, this routine has also included logging into Facebook. This is a great way for me to stay in touch with old friends and make new ones too! Not only that but it allows us at Politablog to stay connected to those who are interested.

Facebook also has the great ability to inform me of trends within my groups of friends. Most of these trends come in the form of a status update or following a group or person. Have you heard of Facebook group called, “Making Drug Tests required to Get Welfare?”

Well, if you haven’t heard of it you can check it out by going here.

This group currently has over one million followers and I am also going to explain to you a little bit about this issue right now.

Last year, around March of 2009, there were a number of proposals throughout state legislatures to make it a requirement for welfare recipients to be drug tested by the government. These bills were costly, illegal and expanded the role of government in the lives of many people. Not to mention that drug testing can easily be overcome with fake pee or diuretics (which would make welfare recipients who use drugs pay more money to get fake pee). These bills had a simple premise. Those who get welfare, unemployment or financial assistance from the government would have to submit to random drug testing.

None of these laws passed and there is not a current law (that I found) that makes drug testing a requirement for receiving government assistance.

Section 1 of the 14^th amendment:

All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

It is clearly written that no state can make a law that either supersedes federal authority or will deny people or the rights of citizens. Of course, their rights can be denied through the judicial process, but without a legal cause it is unconstitutional.

These bills are obviously illegal and that is why they did not get consideration. But why is this movement continuing to grow? Should people who receive government assistance be forced to give up certain rights?

There are a few problems with this that are not related to the law. Making people get drug testing will obviously decrease the amount of people who receive welfare. Those who use drugs will not want to be on welfare. Regardless of how they acquire their drugs, whether they are purchased or grown themselves. Example, a person could grow marijuana, but maybe they lost their job. Do they deserve to be drug tested by the government because they need help? Of course not!

Another issue with this proposal is that it will undoubtedly do more harm then good. Some people on welfare do use drugs, this is a fact. But, many of those people also use funds to help feed their children, clothe them or provide them with opportunities or an education that they otherwise would miss out on. Is it fair to those children to grow-up without those opportunities because their parents suffer from an addiction?

No! In fact, that is inhumane.

Welfare is a costly and frustrating system that does need to be reformed. An issue of drug abuse among those who received assistance also does need to be addressed. But this is not done with force, threats and by withholding or removing constitutionally guaranteed rights. It is done by addressing the issues in their neighborhoods. By drastically increasing the penalties for selling drugs we would be able to combat this problem a lot more effectively then the drug war or drug testing. Not only this, but by legalizing marijuana we would also create a large industry that would single handedly be able to cover all welfare costs for the United States.

So, I have proved that this bill is illegal and that it will due damage to those that are powerless. I have also proved that this bill can be easily circumvented. This bill is also down right idiotic.

What is the purpose?

If it is to decrease drug use it will fail.

If it is to decrease welfare use then it will succeed at the cost of millions of people going hungry. These people will have to resort to other means to get their food and clothing. One of these ways to acquire these things is by stealing from rich, white suburbs. (I say this because this Facebook group is predominately white suburban youth)

So, I ask you.

Why do you want to support a bill like this?

As always, I am willing to debate, discuss and be informed about this bill. If you think it is a good idea and feel that you can defend your beliefs, let me know. Below here is a comments section for you to be heard and prove your point. I do read all comments and take them into consideration.

For this issue I really want to know, ‘why?’ (This goes out to all of you in this Facebook group).

If you can’t defend your belief maybe you should ask yourself why you are following these people.