How the myth of the welfare queen died

[RockaFowler]

http://inplainsight.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/08/21/20052531-people-think-everyone-who-is-poor-gets-welfare-and-its-just-not-true-how-the-myth-of-the-welfare-queen-died?lite

Here’s one thing both critics and supporters of the modern welfare system agree on: The direct assistance program as we knew it in the 1980s and 1990s is dead and gone.

“It’s a very different program than it was in the past. The comment about welfare queens is much less justified now,” said Ron Haskins, a key adviser of the Republicans’ welfare reform effort who now works at the Brookings Institution.

Two decades after President Bill Clinton promised to “end welfare as we know it” -- and nearly four decades since President Ronald Reagan repeatedly derided the “welfare queen” while on the 1976 presidential campaign trail -- far fewer families are receiving cash and voucher assistance, and a larger share of less educated single moms are working.

“People think everyone who is poor gets welfare, and it’s just not true,” said Heather Hahn, a senior research associate at the Urban Institute.



So can we stop hearing this myth from right-wing wack jobs??

[Turbineguy]

1. But those millions of no-good lazy bums

are costing me 10 cents per day! And if I don't complain about them, I might start thinking about some of the real scammers!

[JustAnotherGen]

2. It's more than economic

So can we stop hearing this myth from right-wing wack jobs??


There's a very clear 'visual' that is associated with The Welfare Queen that Reagan spoke of in Mississippi in 1976. And they need that visual now more than ever to keep poor white people clinging to 'yesteryear' in line. They cannot have that group of people believing they have more in common with poor people who are minorities than they do Donald Trump.


There is a very specific stereotype that has developed out of the Welfare Queen myth - and they - The Right - will do anything they can to uphold that stereotype in the dominant culture.

[Locrian]

3. yep

Anything to keep people looking 'down' instead of up at the top where the real parasites are.

[LisaLynne]

4. It was never justified, though.

Reagan just made it up, to appeal to people's prejudices. Because he was an evil bastard.

[ejpoeta]

5. that's funny. a facebook friend just posted a thing about how people on welfare in 11 states

get $30/hr. which is of course bullshit. I looked it up on snopes and pasted a link as a comment. As if she'll look at it. It sounds great saying that those on welfare are living it up. But it pisses me off. I pay taxes and have done for most of my life. My husband pays taxes too. And poor people on welfare pay taxes too. Maybe indirectly, but they do. And I don't think I am the exception. Though I keep hearing that somehow I am... and I deserved welfare whereas others apparently do not. I know from experience that being on welfare is NOT fun.... it is NOT easy.... and it is not something most people would want to be. And how many on medicaid or food stamps are working? The majority. Not too long ago my husband and I were on family health plus because his work insurance was just too expensive and didn't cover anything. Our kids are on child health plus and I will not apologize for that. And I won't apologize for when we needed food stamps or Heating assistance either. The only way we were able to get out of that awful mess years ago was with the help of my dad. I can assure you that we were NOT living it up on welfare. We were barely surviving. And we were in a terrible cycle. If it weren't for my family helping us, we'd still be there.

[hootinholler]

6. Why would they do that?

The Welfare Queen existed in Raygun's mind and campaign material. She was popular and polarizing and totally believable by those who were poor but not getting welfare. Turns out she's quite popular.

[JustAnotherGen]

8. She also was used

To create an easy to identify target: Black Women On Welfare having lots of babies while white women HAD to go to work and 'break up the family'. It's so complex . . .


Read: Sister Citizen: Shame, Stereotypes, and Black Women in America. They dredged it up again in the 1990's - when I was a young black woman. They totally took the House in 1994 by making an internal enemy out of black women.

It's why I was on such a soapbox re: wealthy, white, male bankers destroyed America.

I'll say it over and over again - but this time it's the truth - and the more we say it - the more true it becomes.

[Gormy Cuss]

12. Exactly.

Although hatred of those on welfare isn't limited to recipients who are women of color, the Reagan-era "welfare queen" meme was squarely targeting low income African-American women. It's why it was important to point out at every opportunity that most welfare recipients were and are white.

[drhobo]

7. I don't hear as much ranting about welfare anymore, more against SNAP and social security disability

SNAP seems to be the big target these days

[JustAnotherGen]

9. It's out there

They were referred to as the 47% and now as 'Takers' - they've just put a shiny new name on it.

[dembotoz]

10. and bigger than ever

[tabasco]

11. But, but, a freeper said he knows someone

who knows someone who saw a lady buying LOBSTER TAILS with FOOD STAMPS!

[JustAnotherGen]

13. Probably the same guy

Whose cousin's uncle's brother twice removed white, christian ex husband with a ten - yes TEN - 10 Phds lost out on a job as a super market checker to an asian woman that only spoke spanish!

[duffyduff]

14. No, they just trash the poor in general.

Bill Clinton's triangulating bullshit didn't do much good for the millions of people who were affected when the economy finally tanked, including millions of formerly middle-class people.

But hey, he beat the Republicans at their own game, so who cares about the destitute?

[Capt. Obvious]

15. I don't just hear it from RW whack jobs

I hear it from Democrats all the time.