The Lack of Shame
The Lack of Shame
121107 jn
This is a true story. It happened exactly as described.
It was around noon on election day, November 6, 2012. I was sitting in McDonalds. A group of old retired men were enthusiastically talking about the election... saying nothing of note, but with much ignorance and stupidity. I stayed out of it. An employee of McDonalds was clearing a nearby table and quietly said to me, "This has been going on all day... I can't wait for this election to be over."
A couple was waiting in line. They were a typical, mid-forties, white, middle class couple. They were listening to the old guys discussing the election and the state of the union in general.
One of the retired guys said something negative about "Obama-Care" and the middle-class white guy in line turned to him suddenly and said, "Oh yeah, well I'll have you know that if it wasn't for Obama's healthcare plan, I wouldn't have any health insurance right now."
This silenced the old guys. He continued, appearing to speak to the room in general, "Obama made it possible for me to cut the cost of my insurance by over 80%, so I voted for him again."
The entire room was silent. Nobody said a word. Before I knew what I was doing, I heard myself addressing him.
"You actually sound like you're proud of that", I said.
"You're damn right I am," he replied indignantly.
"In other words, you're proud of the fact that instead of paying for your health insurance yourself, you and Obama have ganged up on ME and have forced me, at the point of a gun, to pay for part of your health insurance. You're actually PROUD of the fact that you are mooching off of me and all those people working behind the counter in McDonald's... that you're part of a gang that is using the power of the government to FORCE us to pay for your healthcare. Instead of feeling ashamed... instead of bowing your head and cowering in front of all the people you are depending on to pay for your healthcare insurance... instead of meekly thanking them for the sacrifices they are being forced to make in order to benefit YOU... instead, you stand there claiming that you're PROUD! What do you have to be PROUD of? Are you proud of the fact that you're unable or unwilling to take care of yourself? Are you proud of the fact that you're stealing part of their wages for your own personal greed? No... shame is what you should feel. Disgrace... embarassment... and gratitude... along with a strong dose of remorse... because YOU can't or won't take care of yourself and so you joined a mob of others who can't or won't take care of themselves... and together you've figured out how to force US to take care of you. Shame on you."
Nobody said a word. The guy was stunned and his wife stood there mortified. The room was absolutely silent for a moment, then one of the retired guys started clapping... and within a few seconds, he was joined by another... then by someone across the restaurant... and pretty soon it sounded like the entire restaurant was applauding.
I had delivered my little sermon while still seated at my table. I remained seated and looked down at my meal... angry at myself for having lost my temper and butting in rather than minding my own damn business.
Within a minute or so, the room quieted down again and everyone went about their business, pretending nothing had happenned.
Then I heard the guy quietly say to the McDonald's counter person, "Can I change my order... I'd like that, to-go please."
121107 jn
This is a true story. It happened exactly as described.
It was around noon on election day, November 6, 2012. I was sitting in McDonalds. A group of old retired men were enthusiastically talking about the election... saying nothing of note, but with much ignorance and stupidity. I stayed out of it. An employee of McDonalds was clearing a nearby table and quietly said to me, "This has been going on all day... I can't wait for this election to be over."
A couple was waiting in line. They were a typical, mid-forties, white, middle class couple. They were listening to the old guys discussing the election and the state of the union in general.
One of the retired guys said something negative about "Obama-Care" and the middle-class white guy in line turned to him suddenly and said, "Oh yeah, well I'll have you know that if it wasn't for Obama's healthcare plan, I wouldn't have any health insurance right now."
This silenced the old guys. He continued, appearing to speak to the room in general, "Obama made it possible for me to cut the cost of my insurance by over 80%, so I voted for him again."
The entire room was silent. Nobody said a word. Before I knew what I was doing, I heard myself addressing him.
"You actually sound like you're proud of that", I said.
"You're damn right I am," he replied indignantly.
"In other words, you're proud of the fact that instead of paying for your health insurance yourself, you and Obama have ganged up on ME and have forced me, at the point of a gun, to pay for part of your health insurance. You're actually PROUD of the fact that you are mooching off of me and all those people working behind the counter in McDonald's... that you're part of a gang that is using the power of the government to FORCE us to pay for your healthcare. Instead of feeling ashamed... instead of bowing your head and cowering in front of all the people you are depending on to pay for your healthcare insurance... instead of meekly thanking them for the sacrifices they are being forced to make in order to benefit YOU... instead, you stand there claiming that you're PROUD! What do you have to be PROUD of? Are you proud of the fact that you're unable or unwilling to take care of yourself? Are you proud of the fact that you're stealing part of their wages for your own personal greed? No... shame is what you should feel. Disgrace... embarassment... and gratitude... along with a strong dose of remorse... because YOU can't or won't take care of yourself and so you joined a mob of others who can't or won't take care of themselves... and together you've figured out how to force US to take care of you. Shame on you."
Nobody said a word. The guy was stunned and his wife stood there mortified. The room was absolutely silent for a moment, then one of the retired guys started clapping... and within a few seconds, he was joined by another... then by someone across the restaurant... and pretty soon it sounded like the entire restaurant was applauding.
I had delivered my little sermon while still seated at my table. I remained seated and looked down at my meal... angry at myself for having lost my temper and butting in rather than minding my own damn business.
Within a minute or so, the room quieted down again and everyone went about their business, pretending nothing had happenned.
Then I heard the guy quietly say to the McDonald's counter person, "Can I change my order... I'd like that, to-go please."
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Some of the provisions including non-denial for pre-existing conditions have been implemented. Perhaps this is what allowed the guy to have insurance… Many of the “good” parts have been implemented apparently to soften the blow for what is to come, namely the costs.
http://www.healthcare.gov/law/timeline/f...
Respectfully,
O.A.
Whatever you subsidize, you get more of.
I haven’t been able to compose a sentence since Tuesday without expletives. Your story is the most inspirational thing I have read in a while. I am hoping to compose myself and contribute again soon. Thank you!
Regards,
O.A.
In the 50's, when Rand wrote Atlas Shrugged, most people would have been embarrassed to take Relief and even bums going door to door (we lived along a railroad track, so I met quite a few) always asked if you had some chores they could perform in order to earn a meal. I never experienced anyone who just asked for a handout until I visited New York in the mid 60s. Our present society is programmed to accept handouts as a matter of course. Not being forced to hunt, the moochers choose to scavenge.
Perhaps the individual in your story felt shame, but I wonder. He was probably embarrassed, but that was more likely as a result of the crowd reaction. I doubt that he had any epiphany regarding personal responsibility. Atlas Shrugged is a novel set in a contrived fictional environment. With a wealthy patron, a force field and a secret valley, withdrawal may be an option. I do not have that option. If I refuse to pay my taxes, they will ultimately take my house. I did drop out of corporate America in disgust several years ago, but my old company has continued just fine without me and I experienced a severe drop in income. I am now self employed just scraping by. Saying "NO MORE!" is easy. Doing no more is bit more difficult.
I suppose you could withdraw to one of those survivalist compounds in Idaho, if they would let you in, but there is no force field and the authorities know exactly where the compounds are. This is a complex society and if things ever do crumble, there will be deaths in the thousands by the end of the second month and millions by the end of a year. Our population has grown to a point where it cannot be sustained without the present technological and social structure.
I do not believe that you have to change human nature in order to instill values. Some people will not change, but some will. We seen this throughout history time and again. Ultimately the tipping point will come when like minds acting in consort will affect a significant change or the society will fall. We have such an inertia in our present system, that I believe it will take a crisis to precipitate significant change. Perhaps it will be gas at $46.00 a gallon, perhaps that crisis will come when the entitlement checks start to bounce and the moochers realize there really is no more. Then they will hunt. I have no doubt about it.
I'm clapping for you also. Thank you for addressing that moocher.
But, I don't agree that he had no idea that he should feel shame rather than pride. He didn't just roll off the turnip truck. More likely, deep down, he knows he should be ashamed but he and his wife and decided to just hook into the gravy train. I think that many people make a conscious decision to mooch as much as possible. They see others mooching, some may feel that they've never gotten anything for free and think it's about damn time that they get theirs.
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