Reading through some of the more important points in this thread, I think I'm ready to share a few thoughts on this issue.
One of the main, lasting problems in our nation is the growing dependency of people upon their government. It's not unreasonable for one to feel our government is becoming too supporting and coddling of its citizens. In theory, if you give a wild animal a free meal routinely, chances are it's not going to feel the need to go out and work hard to continue catching its own food. I'm not saying these people are wild animals; my point is that our government is so willing to give so many benefits to people that, in turn, they start becoming dependent on the government. And comfortable. My own mother has grown dependent on food stamps, and wishes to continue reaping those benefits. There are no pretenses in my words.
The glitch was a problem upon a problem. A brief technical problem upon a generational problem within government. A nation should be mostly comprised of independent, self-reliant citizens... right? The more that is given, the more that's taken, and some people really, really like to give and take. Both feel good, and can make them feel like they're doing something right. Another problem, in my opinion, is that America is living in far too much excess. Even poor families have T.V.s, soft beds, refrigerators, cars, video games, and who knows what else. It almost feels as if America's "poor" isn't even poor itself. People be living in homes and owning many things and having the finest opportunities in their horizons on this planet... considering themselves poor. Poor is when you have or own virtually nothing. There is such a thing as having money, but making various unwise decisions in life, whether it be having children you cannot reasonably afford or buying foods and goods that you honestly don't need or are above your means. Maybe the real problem is that people in America do not lived at or beneath their means. They see airheads like the Kardashians on their T.V.s and think: "Oh, why can't I have even a fragment of that lifestyle?" And they go for it in spite of the paychecks they are earning.
Skills. People should learn some skills. Budgeting, for one. Avoiding debt, for another. Freely check out some books on frugality from the library. It's how I learned slow-cooking is one of the best ways to save money and time while cooking up satisfying dishes. If you have a yard and restless rugrats, why not plant a seed in the hearts of those little youngsters and have them plants rows of veggies? Huzzah! Children are usually captivated when they're exploring the insides of a raspberry patch... and taking their time enjoying it, if you know what I mean. Dad had a huge patch of raspberries and my God they were so good. With an efficiency freezer you can easily store away the produce you grow yourselves. It is so beneficial, and not to mention healthy. For example one year I bought a pack of acorn squash seeds for $0.40. Just one of those cute seedlings bore 25 delicious squash. A little grainy one the inside, but free, and ambrosial when cut in half and baked in the oven with butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. What I'm trying to say is that if you really want to find ways to save money and be more financially secure, those paths which lead to that destination are certainly out there. Even if you don't have a green thumb you can buy cheaply good foods like carrots, celery, potatoes, rice, beans, lentils, oatmeal, etc. If you have land, wanna save money, and love tomaters, buy a pack, learn how to grow them, do it, and reap a huge amount of tomatoes. Barring exceptions, those who call themselves poor who do own their own homes with land can find ways to save heaps of money.
I haven't had children yet because I have the understanding that I cannot plausibly afford them. It's not because I'm white, but because I'm not a fool. What was the last estimation that each child on average costs to raise from childhood to adulthood? Was it $300,000 on average to afford everything surrounding the raising of the child? If so, roughly having 5 children costs around $1,500,000. Assuming that's right, that's a lot. I don't think that includes universities, medical issues, etc. People should wait with having unprotected sex until they're able to afford the risks. They shouldn't be having sex at all, until they're old enough to be an adult and shoulder responsibilities like adults. If you didn't listen to your mother or father and you just thought they were stupid and weren't going to control your life, and then you go out and get pregnant or some young female pregnant, congratulations, you've messed up. I don't think it has anything to do with race, but everything to do with culture and upbringing. People should work very hard to not be dependent, but that becomes difficult when those who do lift themselves up out of poverty and into success are seemingly punished with heavier taxation.
And, yes, she should have thought about having 5 children beforehand. There are consequences to both one's actions and inactions. It's like someone buying 5 houses on credit, others complaining about the foolishness and burden, and still others complaining about those who complained about the person who so foolishly bought these things that were far above and beyond the means. Is it wise to have children when you can't afford it? I don't believe so. Let's not coddle the person and say it's going to be alright, while disparaging the "meanies" for calling the person out on such abject stupidity. Or is it that this woman didn't or couldn't understand the risks involved in having 5 children? I don't know. Instances like these make a person want to scream: "How could you be so stupid?!"
