Welfare: Help or Hindrance?

11/10/2025

Times are hard. But in any given economy, some might say, they always have been. Right now, the government is “shut down,” and people who already struggle to make ends meet can’t buy food because their benefits are paused. For some, it’s proof that too many people rely on the system. For others, it’s proof that the system isn’t strong enough to protect the people who need it most.

Either way, it exposes a deeper truth: millions of Americans live so close to the edge that one government decision can change what’s on their table. Some people believe welfare should be temporary, maybe six months at most, with regular check-ins to prove that recipients are actively looking for work, like it used to be. Others argue that life doesn’t always fit into timelines or paperwork. Jobs aren’t always available, childcare isn’t always affordable, and health issues don’t wait for benefits to run out. And still others believe, if that were the case, then why are some of their very neighbors surviving without government support?

Still, the idea of personal accountability versus government responsibility is an ongoing argument: how long is long enough, and who gets to decide when help should end?

Let's Write! How much should people depend on government aid, and how much should they depend on themselves?

INSTRUCTIONS

1. INCLUDE: Last Name, First Initial, AND Class Block. You do not have to include an email address or a website.

2. Respond to the post. Read the entire post, including watching any videos or reading any articles attached. Do not post vague or ambiguous commentary. Your post should have depth, be thoughtful, and provide specific, meaningful insight. Make sure it addresses the topic and encourages reflection, discussion, or a connection.

3. You MUST comment on at least TWO other posts from any student in any class. Your replies cannot be identical comments on different posts and posting shallow comments such as "I agree" or "I disagree" will earn you a zero. Make sure your reply addresses the comment that you are responding to.

4. Language. Do NOT use profanity. Vague or repeated responses will not be accepted in your post or replies.

5. Disrespectful comments will not be accepted and will result in a zero whether you do the assignment or not.

REMINDERS

**Set a weekly alarm or calendar timer. Whatever you do to remember other important events, I'd do the same for this assignment.

**Don't wait until the last minute. Telling me that you didn't do the assignment on Friday because you broke your leg, for example, on Thursday will not do anything for you when you've had a week. Be responsible and accountable.

**How to post. Click in the top right hand corner or the lower left hand corner where it says Comments to access the discussion board. Once there, scroll to the bottom of the page to post a Reply. After, choose comments from at least two students from any class and Reply to what they wrote.

CAUTION!! Do NOT embarrass me, yourself, your class, the English department, the school, your family or your upbringing with tasteless, meaningless comments. This is for a grade.

DISCLAIMER: If you do not respond AND comment on TWO others, you will not receive credit for this assignment. If you do not write your name correctly, and I don't see your work, you will not receive credit for this assignment. If you use profanity, you will not receive credit for the work. It's all or nothing.

WARNING: If you post even one second past midnight, your comment might appear to be posted, but as soon as it is opened to be graded, it will automatically delete.

Due Fri., November 14, 11:00 p.m. CST

Martinez G 7B

11/11/2025 11:29:34 am

It's not about how much people depend on government aid and how they should depend on themselves. It's the people that they work for that underpay them. People who rely on EBT are already struggling. The food stamps are so little that people have to make do with what they have.

Gracie Ramos

11/13/2025 09:55:29 am

I agree with the statement that people wouldn't struggle as much if they were paid minimum age from the people that pay them.

collier A 6B

11/13/2025 11:30:22 am

yes i agree the economy is so bad and people are so underpaid its hard to pay to live now

Garcia K 1A

11/14/2025 09:34:36 am

I agree its super hard to live without struggles in this underpaid economy

Calito V. 5B

11/14/2025 01:41:49 pm

I agree, people don't have a choice but need the government's help and it still does so little.

Rubio I 1A

11/12/2025 10:01:59 am

I believe that people should try their hardest to not have to depend on the government that much and should be more dependent on themselves but the unfortunate truth is that its not always the peoples fault. Some jobs that people are forced to work in because no other jobs may be available for them, and they must work to feed their family.

sieyuanna roberts 6b

11/12/2025 02:54:56 pm

I agree, people should only depend on the government if they have to and not just because they need extra benefits.

Gracie Ramos

11/13/2025 09:58:49 am

I agree that people should always try to depend on yourself. But it's important for people to receive support from the government, because it's not always their fault, life can be very unpredictable so it's important for people to have different resources that they can rely on during times of hardship.

Valdez K 2A

11/13/2025 01:38:05 pm

I agree. It's usually a better option to rely on oneself over the government, but people's circumstances vary and sometimes self-reliance just isn't enough (such as the people that work multiple jobs and still barely get by).

Calito V. 5B

11/14/2025 01:39:04 pm

I agree, people try their hardest to have to depend on the government because some people don't try, they see the what they are getting from the government and stop trying they hardest to get their selves out of their bad situation.

Martinez G 7B

11/17/2025 10:58:55 am

I agree with you entirely. You have to rely on yourself and maybe your family. The government controls everything and they want you to rely on them so that they can control you.

collier A 6B

11/12/2025 02:47:40 pm

I think that people should always try to be independent but sometimes its hard we are in a bad economy . AS LONG AS THERE IS EFFORT i think it is acceptable to rely on the government

mariah torrence 6b

11/12/2025 08:03:08 pm

I agree because who wants to just be begging or dependent their whole life just make sure your trying

Fraire.Y 1A

11/13/2025 11:24:29 am

Yes as long as they are trying to make money to support ther family is what matters they are not fully relying on the goverment because they are making a effort .

Carpenter Z 2a

11/14/2025 11:33:07 pm

i agree with this because if you need to support your family with that aid it's okay.

Garcia K 1A

11/14/2025 09:37:22 am

I agree as long as there's effort and they're not fully relying on the government they're at least trying to be independent which will help them more in the future.

Martinez G 7B

11/14/2025 12:25:51 pm

I agree with this because as long as people try, they should rely on the government. Many people don't even try to work and they rely on food stamps. They shouldn't rely on the government.

Newbill T 1A

11/18/2025 09:02:17 am

people shouldn't solely rely on the government , you never know what could happen .. just like the government shut down. I think that everyone should try their hardest to be able to not depend on it , but I don't think its a problem getting help.

sieyuanna roberts 6b

11/12/2025 02:53:01 pm

I think people should only depend on the government If that's their last resource. depending on the government shouldn't be something you should want to do unless you're just not financially able. also, I feel like you should never depend on no one but yourself because no one is going to have your back like you do.

mariah torrence 6b

11/12/2025 08:33:57 pm

I agree with this also because you never know when the government will stop providing certain things

Mariah torrence 6b

11/12/2025 07:52:04 pm

people should depend on the government for support when needed but depend on themselves for progress and stability

collier a 6b

11/13/2025 11:53:53 am

i agree the government should be support but you are accountable

Carpenter Z 2a

11/14/2025 11:32:02 pm

I agree they should depend on the government when needed because things happen in life so we have to have that resource.

Gracie Ramos

11/13/2025 08:31:49 am

I think people should always rely on themselves, but if it's necessary, people should be granted support with government aid when needed. I think they should depend on it as long as they need to, so that eventually they won't need that support from the government and can fully support themselves.

Valdez K 2A

11/13/2025 01:44:01 pm

I completely agree. Independence is the right way to go especially with how unreliable help from the government can become (as demonstrated by recent events), but if people need the help, they should be able to access it. Even if it doesn't solve peoples problems, it'll at the very least lessen their burden slightly.

Skylar B. 6B

11/14/2025 11:54:04 am

Exactly, always rely on yourself first and foremost because you are your biggest supporter and you are the only one who can make a way out of nothing.

Fraire.Y 1A

11/13/2025 11:20:26 am

People don't mean to specificly depend on government aid, it is just that they try there best to get all the money they can get but not everyone can make enough money to be able to support ther family's .

Valdez K 2A

11/13/2025 01:35:14 pm

I personally believe that people should firstly rely on themselves before they rely on the government because life is naturally like that. People should do their best to "propel" themselves forward in life however they can with whatever they are given, because there are always options (whether said options are good or bad is a whole other matter). However, life isn't linear or equally measured for every person. That being said, for certain individuals, there could be a time where they do need government help and that shouldn't be looked down upon because all it is, is a little push in the right direction until people can once again sustain themselves. Of course life isn't always this simple but ideally it's better to rely on oneself over an organization with selfish interests and corruption that could turn on you at any moment.

Fraire.Y 1A

11/13/2025 07:52:46 pm

Yes the organization people depend on turn on them any moment ,but they are also people that cant work or are at least trying ther hardest to get some money to get ther family food or clothing that they need but there might be times were they don't have enough to do that theater why they depend on a organization that can help them.

Kenechi O 6B

11/14/2025 11:55:10 pm

I agree with this because the economy is corrupt and the world is suffering.

Skylar B. 6B

11/14/2025 11:51:36 am

I Absolutely see your point you should never be shamed for having help from the government but is always good to have a backup plan because yes organization could turn on you we especially saw that just recently.

Watson S 1A

11/14/2025 09:44:50 pm

I completely agree with you life is a challenge, struggle is common but you should always depend on yourself first. I know not anything is as easy as some make it but if you work hard, you'll learn that doing things on your own will boost confidence.

Garcia K 1A

11/14/2025 09:32:04 am

I believe that people should definitely rely on themselves and at least put in effort to try to be independent before they rely on the government, but of course there's times where people cant rely on themselves and become desperate so they try to find help in the government which is very understanding, they have to do what they have to do for themselves and their family.

kordae 4A

11/14/2025 03:52:45 pm

I agree with this

Roilen B 2A

11/14/2025 11:13:53 am

I agree with the statement that people wouldn't struggle as much if they were paid minimum age from the people that pay them.

Skylar B. 6B

11/14/2025 11:47:15 am

I believe people should try to depend on themselves first more than anything. Have self-reliance, take control, build up resilience, and support. If that does not work out for you then that is when you should you government aid for help or even finding a balance between the two.

Calito V. 5B

11/14/2025 01:23:10 pm

I think people that depend on government aid have to because of how bad jobs are paying them and how the bad economy is right now doesn't make it better. People try to work hard but are still struggling that is why they are allowed to get the benefits. But some people take their benefits for granted and decide not to work and just use government aid.

kordae 4A

11/14/2025 03:51:43 pm

I agree

Watson S. 1A

11/14/2025 09:39:15 pm

I agree, people are struggling and depending on the government definitely helps. I do also believe some people take their benefits for granted however, it is really hard to get government aid. So a part of me also thinks that more financial aid should be given out no matter what that person wants to spend it on.

Newbill T 1A

11/18/2025 09:07:48 am

exactly. I feel like so many people use government aid just to be lazy. I feel getting EBT should be more strict. people will just not do anything to help their selves financially because they have government help. So for the people who actually need it can get it . but still having some sort of income just for yourself . it also makes it hard depending on how big your family is . these jobs aren't paying enough that's why I think it is okay to depend on the government if need be.

Watson S. 1A

11/14/2025 02:14:54 pm

You should always depend on yourself because there's not going to be someone there to hold your hand so you have to be able to handle things on your own. However if the government is offering help in any way, use it to your advantage always! We get taxed heavily, so everything they offer you better take it and depend on it but not too much because it could be taken away just like food stamps.

kordae 4A

11/14/2025 03:50:56 pm

don't ever depend on the people that above you should try doing itself and food stamp can be taking away

Carpenter Z 2a

11/14/2025 11:28:50 pm

i feel like people who need to should depend on it as much as they can. now how much they should depend on themselves depends how financial wealthy and stable they are.

Kenechi O 6B

11/14/2025 11:53:29 pm

I think people should depend on government aid because Government assistance programs are designed to provide a crucial lifeline for individuals and families facing hardship, such as job loss, illness, or high costs for necessities like housing, food, and healthcare.

Newbill , T 1A

11/18/2025 08:47:08 am

The government is suppose to help those who are unfortunate. I believe that everyone should have some sort of job and a way to take care of their household. But there's so many situations where people can only depend on the government for assistance and I feel that's okay. But at the same time there are people who abuse the help and take advantage of it . like purposely not trying because they know that they have something to lean on. People should definitely be able to care for there selves just like how the government is shut down right now people should be able to make something shake.

Comments are closed.

Mixed Ink

Mixed Ink is our class blog, the window into our souls. It was designed to improve students' writing, critical thinking and communication skills by giving them a platform to provide meaningful content based on their interpretation of what they see.

Although the students receive a grade based on a rubric for completing this assignment, they are not graded on complexity of thought. This is a place where students of all levels can freely, confidently and creatively express themselves and their opinions in a nonjudgmental platform. They are required to respond to and critique each other, but degradation, slander, lewdness, etc., will not be tolerated.

Bridge Builders

All subjects are vital to learning, but English is the bridge of communication. So let's build the arch, one word at a time...

Grading Rubric

Learning Objectives

Communicate effectively
Be aware of current events
Write concisely
Boost critical thinking skills
Be accountable
Follow directions
Have a voice about what goes on in the world around you