Texas Welfare Office Shooting...Is this what our entitlement society creates?

I would like a suggestion from you as to what would make it better. Please no need for adding up personal views to equate the problem. Perhaps equate for us a solution?

I would love to find out how she got that gun. The likelihood that she got it illegally is possible.

reply to post by AQuestion


You have successfully tied your beliefs into this thread. Well done


I am a firm believer that we should take care of each other. I feel it should be by choice and not motivated by any outside force. Herein lies the rub... too many people feel that entitlements should be enforced by government. I say, let us handle those in need. We would avoid situations like the above story. And, those that tried to leech would be found out in short order. This would require a populous motivated by kindness over greed...love over fear. This so as to not over persecute the leeches but, to reeducate them. A noble pursuit and one I will never falter from.

I went back and looked more closely at the story and details about her situation to see what may have led to this and noticed a couple paragraphs in the OP article. I admit that was a long article I hadn't read every word of the first time...I wonder how many of us did? Here is what stuck out...

The family’s move from Ohio may have complicated Grimmer’s application if the family had no Texas records the agency could check electronically, Goodman said. Grimmer also would have been denied benefits if she was receiving welfare assistance.

Grimmer also appeared to fall out of touch during her pursuit of food stamps. The mother originally applied July 7, but Goodman said Grimmer missed her first interview and didn’t call back and reschedule for a few weeks. Her case was closed Aug. 8 for lack of a full application, Goodman said.

State welfare offices have come under scrutiny in the past for being overburdened, but Goodman said the agency has made significant strides in the past three years. She said wait times are shorter, and that Grimmer was scheduled for her initial interview just one day after applying. Grimmer didn’t make the appointment, she said.

It would appear that on closer look, the food stamps probably had little more to do with this than being a convenient target for the anger. She didn't even appear to have put much effort out in pursuing the food stamps for whatever reasons. Certainly a tragedy for the Children. I do feel badly for them. I wonder why she would have left her family in Ohio to where she had none? A lot more to this story, I'm thinking.....

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


I agree. Plus they had a hard time getting a hold of any family. These statements in the story led me to believe that she had mental issues to begin with.

I still feel our entitlement system played a role in this. Mentally ill or not, she saw the state as her last hope and lashed out at it. Is there something we can do to cause people to see entitlements as an asset not a requirement or even a last resort?

reply to post by Sagittarian69

I do believe there is something we can do, as a matter of fact. It may really surprise some people to hear it coming from me, too. However much I like Reagan and believe he was one of the Great Presidents....perhaps the last really good one we had, honestly...He did REALLY screw up a couple things.

The thing I'm thinking of in this instance was his almost insane move to effectively dismantle the mental health system as it existed in the United States. It was certainly a system that needed reforms, but it didn't need to simply be turned off and the network of patients turned out. I think it's a fair statement to make in saying a lady like this may have had a place to turn with some family encouragement, many MANY years ago...or whenever problems first appeared.

Not every Government program has been a horrible mess...and of all the really bad ones Reagan could have dismantled, he just had to take apart one of the few that really had serious negative effects on society. It sure didn't save enough to justify the damage it's absence has caused since.

So....Lets make it a priority to rebuild what we already had in this nation for the mentally ill....They are among the most vulnerable and needy among us, when it comes right down to it. I have no sympathy once they cross the line to serious criminal, but I sure won't argue effective ways of preventing it from ever getting there.

That poor woman, RIP. And I hope and pray those kids survive (or am I too late?).

And to be at that point of desperation - that is totally unforgivable.

And I blame the greedy, the people who wallow in untold riches, the people who are preventing this planet from sustaining everyone.

It is totally obscene, the widening gap between rich and poor. And, to my horror, I heard on the news that my country, NZ, is the worst country in the developed world where the gap is increasing.

But America must be pretty bad, as well.

Originally posted by Sagittarian69

Now, I am not asking who is to blame. What I would like to read are honest and sincere ideas on what to do.

Well...a discontinuation of your ignorance would be a great start...especially if you believe that someone who was clearly disturbed was spurred on to do something like this because of a damn welfare check.

reply to post by Sagittarian69


The problem isn't an entitlement mentality, the problem is you have genuinely poor whites seeing Hispanics drive brand new cars and getting all kinds of assistance and welfare. Heck most of the time when I go to Walmart to go grocery shopping if I am unlucky there is a Hispanic family in front of me(that probably isn't even legal) with three adults, and each one having a different food stamp card. And the few times I seen the type of car they drove, it was a "wtf" moment. 2010's, 2011's..

reply to post by Sagittarian69


Of course she missed her appointment......so they say....and I'm sure her forms got left under a pile and now they are covering their tracks.

It's such a shame this woman's family could'nt or would'nt help out but those days of extended family help are gone among white Caucasians unless you belong to an ethnic or polynesian community where they DO help each other no matter what.

This woman must had been in total desperation....and no one picked up on it with the agency? Of course they did but they did'nt give a damn.

This is just one sad example of what is going to happen in this nation all over the states when austerity hits every single tax payer in the nation to support the gamblers in Wall Street.

When entitlement programs, social programs, retirement funds and pension funds gets cut because the gambling addiction of our nations rules things are going to get very ugly, that is why our nations morons in charge are getting this nation in more debt to support their addiction to spending and wasting tax payers money.

Become aware people, look what our Federal Reserve with the blessing of our whores in congress is doing now, rather than fix the economic problems in this nation that is creating an incredible increase in working poor, they are going to take our tax payer money to help bailout EU, now double bailout so the nations in need do not start shooting each others, their families and the governments

The problem is no the people, is the failing system that seems to be perpetuated at all cost to enrich the few

Very sad story but I think the way it was reported (and slanted) is equally disgusting.

Imagine if you read a headline such as
Philanthropist and wife of Bank CEO shoots kids, self at country club

Would you say she did it because she was wealthy?

No

You'd say it was because she had a mental defect.

No difference here.

My wife has Law Enforcement patrols at her office yesterday and today. I work across the street at another state office. People routinely call and threaten to blow up state offices. They handle all threats seriously, but some are more detailed and frightening than others. Yesterdays was apparently very serious, because they don't typically take sworn statements and post police in the parking lot!

SO, yes, this is what our entitlement society creates. People are insane, and its only getting worse.

Doing something to make minimum wage livable would be a help. That cost-of-living index is outdated and falls short by not keeping tabs on enough expenses. Make enough past a certain threshold, and you're better off being completely on welfare than holding a minimum wage job.

To be honest, in many places it takes about 3 minimum wage incomes to afford a single residence apartment. One for rent, one split between transportation and utilities (including TV and phone/internet), and one covering food. And no, not necessarily in a nice place either, it might get a little crowded.

So in order to save up, you either need to have family or friends you can crash with or accept being punished for having lousy luck and dealing with BS at some crowded shelter or freezing your but off trying to sleep in your car. Not to mention difficulties in keeping secure whatever meager belongings you may have.

And then they wonder why people at the bottom flip out when they can't get adequate or timely help?

Sad news is the little girl 12yrs has passed while her brother 10yrs is still in critical condition.

usnews.msnbc.msn.com

Rest still in Gods arms and may you be at Peace.
Love, light and healing for the little boy.

Much Peace...for those of us who still care about situations like these...

Blame the obscenely rich.

Because they could save everyone on the planet.

But they don't.

Welcome to hell.

I was awarded Social Security Disability a year ago. I collect medicade through the state till my medicare kicks in 6 months from now. My local welfare office cut my health insurance off. It took me 4 months to get it back. They kept saying I was getting too much money from Social Security. I had to pay $600 a month cash for my medications. I called my state rep every day about my insurance being cut off. Finally the welfare office (dhs) addmitted they made a mistake and counted my income twice. It cost me $2400.

I can see full well how people can reach a breaking point dealing with these angencies. I've been ready to snap more then a few times.

Maybe if Texas spent less time taking care of Mexicans that lady could have gotten the aid that she needed.

Just read an article on sott.net - societys child.

The little 10yr old boy has passed.
So sad and all the mother wanted was some food stamps.
What is sadder is that so many of us would have gladly fed them.

Can our society get any sadder and more oddly complex.
For the want of some food...I am completely bewildered.

Much Peace...may you all rest in Peace and not want for anything...

reply to post by Amanda5

That is so sad to hear. The main focus of this thread was to ask what we can do to take better care of each other. That if our entitlement programs were different would we (they) have been able to help this woman before she killed herself...and now her son.