B.Guy with all due respect I think you are generalizing. I think for the most part nobody believes that "freedom" means a free ride. I think for the most part there are good people that bust their ass to make a decent living yet with the economy as bad is it is it is difficult to stay above water sometimes.
I understand what you are saying yet my reaction could not be more different than yours. I have always worked to get where I am, I have paid for my education yet I feel that there are those who need a little help. What is so wrong with helping others get ahead so they can begin to contribute to society? Are we as a "wealthy nation" supposed to turn away people simply because life has not been so kind to them for whatever circumstance? I do not judge as harshly as you, who am I to judge someone who needs extra help? I do not know their circumstances, what obstacles they have faced in their life? My father has a saying that goes a little like this "When in a position of power it is your duty to extend your hand to your neighbor because today it is him but tommorow this could be you" Not one person in this world can fortell there future I hope that you never have to go through a life altering experience where you find yourself as one of these people that may need "help" and god forbid you ask somebody that shares the views you are displaying here today.
I never said before that we shouldn't help each other.
What I am saying exactly is that no one should force anyone else to help another.
If one man has a million and a million people only have one the million people don't have any right to a single cent of the millionaires money.
Yet i know you would vote for someone who would force the successful to give up as much as possible to the unsuccessful.
Would you ever vote for freedom of choice? Shouldn't it be up to the millionair, and not the people, weather he wants to help them out or not? If you say no what do you call this?