TAKING
ACTION!
The more I’ve done
research on the topic; I need to be honest the more my views have started to
shift. When I signed up to do a blog on drug testing welfare participants I
really wanted to focus on drug testing welfare participants as a means to end
the misuse of federal aid. However I don’t want my intentions on the topic to
be misunderstood. I think that the purpose of setting forward drug testing
welfare participants is just one step in a positive direction of stopping the
misuse of federal aid. I mostly mean that I see people all the time selling
their food stamps, charging people rent when they live in their homes for free
and using federal money for reasons other than getting their life on track. For
my action plan I helped the EBT department put an end to the misuse of food
stamps. I work at a grocery store and the companies ask that if we see anything
out of the ordinary that we report it. Last week while I was at work I overhead
a man trying to sell his food stamps to a man in the parking lot of 70$. He
told the man that he was in a bind and needed him to use his food stamps and
give him cash in return. The man agreed thinking the man needed the money for
gas, rent or something meaningful. Trying to help the guy out he bought his groceries
on the EBT card and in return gave the man cash. After making my manager aware
they videotaped the transaction and some one observed the man after leaving the
store. We watched the man leave our store, wait on the corner for 10 minutes
and proceed into the liquor store. He had then been spotted on camera during
several transactions doing the same thing. To take action I wrote a letter
along with my co-workers to the EBT department expressing our concern for the
misuse of their aid. Although we would have done this anyways as a store
procedure, I used that as my TAKE ACTION again misusing federal aid!
- Reflect on how taking this type of action connects with democratic values.
I think this action
connects with democratic values because it gave us an opportunity to voice our
concern to a company that is providing federal aid to those in need. It’s
impossible to catch everyone who is selling their food stamps, charging rent or
committing different types of financial fraud so everything that people in the
community can do is helpful. Doing this didn’t make me feel proud, however it
did give us a sense of accomplishment that this man would have to go in and
explain why he was doing, what he was doing and will be help accountable for
his actions. Whether that should be getting drug tested to continue receiving aid,
so be it. If someone can think of a different solution it would be important
that they have a way to discuss it with people who can implement it into law.
Some of the websites below give examples of people to write to, petitions to
sign and places for comments on the topic for new suggestions.
http://welfareabuse.rallycongress.com/1199/
DRUG TESTING WELFARE PARTICIPANTS
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57440941/govt-takes-new-steps-against-food-stamp-fraud/
Article against food-stamp fraud
- TEACHING SOCIAL JUSTICE IN THE CLASSROOM. ABSOLUTELY!
I think it is extremely important to
teach social justice in the classroom. This is because in today’s society
understanding the differences and changes in your community is key. Some
students may come from homes where basic knowledge of social justice is not
present. Although it may be a touchy topic for some students I think social
justice in the classroom is necessary. However it is extremely important that
when teaching social justice you focus on two sided opinions. Students are
often influenced by what adults tell them, if you only express your side of an
issue students are also likely to side with you. I found this interesting
website about integrating social justice in the classroom for you guys to take
a look at if your interested! http://ctfd.sfsu.edu/feature/top-ten-strategies-to-integrate-social-justice-into-the-classroom.htm
- What do you think about that quote of
- “Struggle for social justice is central to our nation’s history…“Concerns about the common good and the rights of the individual, no matter how humble in social standing, transcends politics and holds a definitive place in the realms of morality, ethics and federal law, and therefore in the world of teaching social studies”
- I think this is important because social justice had such an impact on our nations history. Without struggle we can not celebrate success. For generations people have been fighting for equality and to be recognized for what they believe in. All the topics presented in these blogs do a wonderful job in showing that even in a new and developed generation people are still struggling for social justice. Their will always be a case needing support and people to fight for it. I think this quote is key to the struggles our country has faced and will continue to face!
