An Epitaph for the American Dream

By on August 17, 2011 in News 5
BillHicksForPresident

Photo: Reckon (CC)

Via Modern Mythology:

(Update: Since writing this entry, I recently discovered a Mother Jones article informing me that the Republican/Tea Party Governor of Florida, Rick Scott, founded a company called SOLANTIC that specializes in drug testing, among other “public services” … Could it be that this legislation stands to benefit the people who are passing it financially? Hrmm … Jigsaw falling into place.)

Recently, as many of you may have heard, Florida senators successfully passed a bill requiring welfare recipients to receive mandatory drug screenings. It is doubtful the legislation will stop there. In what seems to me to be an instance of VERY OBVIOUSLY blatant racial discrimination and discrimination of the haves towards the have-nots, they are now finding another way to invade all of our lives and rob us of more of our privacy. One gradual erosion of civil liberties at a time. The cruel and hilarious irony of the situation is that although at the moment these measures are now only being taken against those who have already slipped through the cracks, it is only a matter of time before all of our privacy and civil liberties will be up for grabs.

Think of it like this: What if your healthcare provider (if you even have one, and you probably don’t) suddenly decided to take it upon themselves to barge into your house and force you to piss in a cup, clip your hair, ransack your apartment or home and search for anything mildly incriminating. Any evidence that you had engaged in anything mildly incriminating (and most of you have, or know someone who has) would then be immediate grounds for them to discontinue your healthcare. Alternately, say you yourself or someone you knew suffered from some sort of drug related addiction or health problems. Ironically, many of the same persons I have heard complaining about people on welfare using drugs have had similar issues themselves. Imagine, then, you yourself or someone you love ODs and they are dying. They are now in a position of life or death.

Now imagine the doctor in charge tells you, “Sorry, new ER policy: We are no longer allowed to treat this person because they have a history of drug use and their healthcare won’t allow it.” What if a doctor in an ER refused someone a life saving preventative measure to keep them from dying because of drug use? What if your healthcare provider suddenly decided that it didn’t have to insure you if you had a history of drug use?

Sound extreme? It is.

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  • Mr Willow

    I can’t stand living in Florida. 

    Fuck Rick Scott.

  • http://twitter.com/humpjones Humpasaur Jones

    Rick Scott? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Perry

  • http://twitter.com/jasonpaulhayes jasonpaulhayes

    So with every welfare check that goes out to a person, one goes out to some drug testing corporation for corporate welfare? That’s the America Dream I know and love .. and by love I mean loathe!

  • Anonymous

    Me neither, I detest what this state has become and I can’t find words to describe how negatively I feel towards Prick Scott

  • FuckFiend

    I agree with this new bill to a certain extent.  It seems counter productive in some ways, but I’ll touch on that later. 
    The bill is in place to make sure that this money is sent out for the right reasons.  If someone has X amount of money set aside for illegal drugs, then they clearly don’t need government backing because these drugs are not a necessity like food and shelter, gas money and child care and all those important things that the government is willing to help with.  These drugs are illegal for a reason, however silly the reasons may be, the fact is still the same.  
    They’re spending a lot of money to insure that the millions of dollars are being spent the right way and by that, I mean it’s being taxed.  Sales tax goes back into the government and improves the economy.  There are no taxes on illegal drugs, so it’s money that is essentially wasted.  If they want to kill flock of birds with a chunk of cement, then all they have to do is legalize marijuana, but to do that, they have to get around the social stigma attached to pot smokers.  
    This whole article seems extremely paranoid to me and has very little fact hidden inside these outrageous scenarios.  If you test positive for pot, then the government isn’t going to waste money ransacking your shitty trailer looking for a bong.  The fact that you have it in you is enough evidence to discontinue your food stamps.  In which case, it might be a wise idea to put down the pipe and check into a rehab center if only to prove to the government that you’re trying to pick yourself up.  
    No ER can refuse to admit anyone for any reason regardless of money or insurance.  The cost will simply go to your personal debt.  
    Also, I fail to see how any of this is racist in any way since blacks, whites, Hispanics, Asians, etc. are allowed welfare as long as they meet the simple requirements which mostly revolve around income.