Quit Feeding the Damn Birds

Jane bought a bird feeder, and hung it on her back porch, filling it with seed. What a beauty of a bird feeder it was, filled lovingly with seed. Within a week she had hundreds of birds taking advantage of the continuous flow of free and easily accessible food.

But then the birds started building nests in the boards of the patio, above the table, and next to the barbecue.

Then came the poop. It was everywhere: on the patio tile, the chairs, the table; everywhere!

Then some of the birds turned mean. They would dive bomb Jane and try to peck her even though she had fed them out of her own pocket.

Other birds grew boisterous and loud. They sat on the feeder and squawked and screamed at all hours of the day and night and demanded that she fill it when it got low on food.

After a while, Jane couldn't even sit on her own back porch anymore. So she took down the bird feeder and in three days the birds were gone. She cleaned up their mess and took down the many nests they had built all over the patio.

Soon, the back yard was like it used to be; quiet, serene and no one demanding their
rights to a free meal.

Cute story, right? But obviously there is an analogy here. The government is a giant bird feeder; they give out free food, subsidized housing, free medical care, free education, etc.

When they put out the feeder, many hungry and less fortunate Americans came to feed. That's great right? The needy got help. Well sure it's great, the only problem is, a lot of those birds are still there, feeding, not taking care of themselves. On top of that, they had baby birds, and now they are feeding there as well, because they don't know any better.

To further compound the problem, little birdies from other countries are flying in by the millions, demanding some of that free seed as well. Someone has to pay for the handout, which means taxes go up, as does our ever growing debt.

Am I suggesting we don't help the poor? Absolutely not. What I am suggesting, is limits and perhaps education. We shouldn't allow people to be welfare-for-lifers. Instead, assist those suffering hard times, while offering community classes to develop job and application skills, so they can earn for themselves. What do you think the cost difference would be between a few classes and a lifetime of providing for a capable individual?

If someone is physically unable to work, that's one thing, but if they are perfectly capable, that is quite another. There is truth to the adage that giving a man a fish will feed him for a day, but teaching a man to fish will stock his freezer with delicious fish sticks for life.

America is a country of opportunity, a place where if you work hard, you can accomplish anything. When did this change? When did America say, stop trying so hard, give us your money, and we will provide you, and others, with everything they need. When did this lead to a feeling of entitlement? Which inevitably led to the demand for more. It's a vicious cycle, and it has to stop.

Take down the damn bird feeder, and teach the birdies to catch a worm.