The Evil of Apathy

Apathy is, by far, the greatest affliction our world has ever known. It is the lowest mental state possible. It is the lack of emotion that our society needs to prosper, and it is increasing at an alarming rate. I sit and wonder at times how we, as a society, have reached to these depths and find it acceptable.

I’ve seen it first hand over the past few years. It is becoming more and more apparent as the months and years roll by, that people just stop caring. They stop feeling. I used to think, even recently, that suppressing my emotions was the way of the world. That did nothing but leave a void in my soul. I know different now.

I promised myself I wouldn’t make this blog a flurry of politics, and I plan on keeping that promise, but occasionally and necessarily, these things will be a focus. This is one of those times.
Those of you who know me, who have been around me long enough, know I will do what I can to make those around me comfortable, even at my own expense. It may surprise those same friends to know, I am totally against socialized medicine and health care. You may think this is apathetic of me, though I don’t see it as such.

I say that, because I see a world that is apathetic towards its fellow man. One of the reasons it came about, is because of these socialized programs: Social Security, “Obamacare”, the Department of Education, government loans and grants for higher education, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs (food stamps), Medicare, Medicaid, welfare, the list goes on and on.

Yes, I am against it.

Before I go on, allow me to explain that I am not advocating removing these assistance programs for anyone that currently uses them. Our society has been suckling on the government teet for far too long, and if you even remotely live in a semi-populated area, you have been feeling the effects of this type of legislation for decades.

There are more reasons than I can explain as to why I’m against these programs, but the main one is apathy. It is because our government has taken it upon themselves to “take care” of us from cradle to grave that perpetuates the indifference that is running rampant. We often think, “Well, it’s the government’s job to take care of that elderly couple, why should I have to bother?” I once thought this way, as well.

I am ashamed at myself, really. I applied for, and received federal funds to support my higher education. The money that was used for my education, was stolen from someone else. That is the harsh truth behind all taxes and socialized programs. It is a redistribution of wealth. Why was it right for me to go to college for a year, when that same money could have stayed with the families it was taken from, and given them a slightly better life?

I know what some of you are thinking now. “In Nate’s mind, it’s wrong to steal, but if I didn’t get that assistance, it would be stolen from me. How is that right?”

Well, here’s my answer to that query. There are a few different ways you would be able to gain assistance. First and foremost, if you weren’t paying as much in taxes, you would have extra to use on your expenses. Secondly, there are the good people on this earth that would be more than willing to give assistance, had they more resources themselves and sending less to the government as taxes would give them the incentive they need. Third, there are the people like me. Those of us who will give what we can when the need arises. Not because we are forced to, but because we want to.

As it stands right now, the government is hiding the needy in a mountain of paperwork and red tape. Here’s a quick example. My sister, Stacy, has cerebral palsy. She receives a set amount of monies from SSI (Supplemental Security Income for those of you outside the U.S.) and she receives a set amount in the form of an EBT card (food stamps). If, for any reason, she receives any funds from any party other than those of the government, she loses it all. Forever. She cannot get a job, even though she wouldn’t mind working. Any money she is given is considered income and can be used as an excuse to remove her from the SSI program.

These are the situations I have seen time and time again. Because of the rules the government has forced into place, the simple act of helping someone else has consequences that are just too problematic for one or both parties. Some people won’t even save your life anymore if you’re choking out of fear of prosecution. All of these things cause apathy.

To me, Albert Einstein said it best:

“The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it.”

If you would like for a few more explanations into some of my reasoning, as I know I didn’t go into a lot of detail, feel free to comment below.