My Neighbor's Kitchen

Once upon a time, I had  neighbors who were overwhelmed with employment, kids, and the mortgage. They needed a helping hand.  My wife and I helped clean their kitchen for a few days.  The floor was mopped, regrigerator cleaned out, dishes done and stove top messes were scrubbed away.  We even bought a few groceries for them.

On the fourth day, we felt we had done enough to get the family ahead of the curve, at least in their kitchen, so we did not go over to do any work.

Later that evening, a brick came thru the window. Startled, we ran to the door to see what happened.  It was our needy neighbors.  They hollered, "Where were you today??  RELAXING??  Now, what are we supposed to do with our dirty dishes?  You help us for three days then you just leave??  Just like that?!" 

The needy couple was joined by their children, as each was appalled at our lack of sensitivity to their plight.  They continued on in a ferocious tirade.  One of the kids lit a molotov cocktail, the father threw another brick.  They hollered out again, "We can't get along without your help, and demand that you get back over to our kitchen and finish tonight's dishes!"  The mother screamed, "And the stove top is dirty because you forced us to make our OWN dinner tonight, you unscrupulous !#::(%%!."

Great Brittain is seeing the exact same reaction as my neighbor gave me.  A needy, demanding, ungrateful heap of receivers, who have become accustomed to their handouts, now presume that a 'Helping Hand' is a 'Right'. 

It's a 'Gimme Crisis' of global proportions.

Greece is facing the same riots from a million whiners who want someone else to clean their ktichen. Other European nations are seeing this.  California and other 'Give Me More' states, all facing bankruptcy, are about to face the same riotous Gimme Crisis.

Is there no difference between a Right and a Helping Hand?

Don't get me wrong . . . in times of plenty, I am more than willing to help the less fortunate.  We all need helping hands at certain times in life.  I've been blessed by many helping hands, such as tuition grants.

But, I recognized that assistance was a FAVOR, not a RIGHT.

It would never have occurred to me that I should riot in the streets, start fires, attack police, and otherwise express whiney anger because economic conditions forced the withdrawal of some of the favors.