Government handouts are not the solution to modern social need

Have you ever thought about why national parks and zoos don’t let tourists feed the animals? It’s because animals can become dependent on handouts and forget how to fend for themselves. Sound familiar? While individuals who collect welfare represent a very different situation, and are obviously not animals, the concept of dependency has been debated in conversations over social welfare. This isn’t about disrespecting people who rely on welfare, but about understanding how dependency can develop. Social welfare programs in America began in 1935 with the signing of the Social Security Act by Franklin D. Roosevelt. While Social Security is a respected earned benefit, the creation of the Social Security Act paved the way for a separate, vastly expanded system of needs-based welfare programs, and that’s where things get messy.

For nearly all of human history until modernization, churches handled charity, helping the poor and needy, but all that changed when modernization split the church and government to promote religious freedom. Fast forward to today and homelessness is now a massive problem. Churches used to be the go-to for people in need, but now government welfare programs have largely taken over. The incentive for churches and communities to step up has faded. According to the USDA, 62% of able-bodied adults without dependents who receive SNAP benefits did not work. Voice of San Diego says that some homeless individuals get up to $750 a month in welfare payments from the government. My issue with this, especially in cities like San Francisco or New York where living costs are sky-high, is that just handing out cash isn’t helping. It might sound harsh, but hear me out.

Imagine a world (“pre-welfare system”) where people, not the government, took care of each other. Instead of the government tossing money at the problem and acting like it’s the only reason people survive, what if homeless folks had to turn to local organizations, churches, or charities? These groups, whether Christian, Jewish, Muslim, or just community-driven, are often funded by generous donors who are willing to help those in need and tied to messages of hope or faith. If we leaned on each other like that, the world might feel a little less cold.

The problem is, modern society is more divided than ever. People don’t help each other anymore. Our culture’s so individualistic that someone can walk past a drug-addicted person on the street and not even blink. If we learned to act like humans again—caring for one another—there’d be less need for the hierarchical system we have today where the government taxes the middle-class and wealthy (who, by the way, create jobs) and hand out money like we’re feeding animals at a zoo. It’s honestly kind of gross how social welfare has turned into this crutch. When the government just gives out cash, it can kill the motivation to work or seek help. Why bother when the check’s in the mail? That’s not helping anyone—it’s trapping people in cycles of addiction, alcoholism, or just plain hopelessness.

Until we figure out how to care for each other as a society, homelessness and suffering will stick around. Welfare might keep some people afloat, but it fails to fix the root of the problem of people not being able to fend for themselves. We need to stop relying on the government to play savior and start rebuilding human-driven communities that actually give a damn.

by Carter Crowe

Published December 1, 2025

Oshkosh West Index Volume 122 Issue III