Wal-Mart Redux

About a month ago, I made a couple of posts about a client of mine who had no health coverage for her HIV care, despite working full-time at Wal-Mart. Many people were moved, but others were angry at me.

Some of them thought that, no matter how tragic her situation, my client shouldn't expect legitimate rules and policies to be changed just for her. And they had a point. It's just as if someone, a corporation perhaps, tried to say that the laws other people have to follow shouldn't apply to them. Wouldn't that be contemptible? Oh, such a person's supporters might try to gain our sympathy by complaining that the person was a victim of irrational hatred and prejudice. But a clear-minded person knows that rules are rules. People need to take a little more personal responsibility instead of wanting others to make things easy for them.

Why do I revisit this issue now? Because, thanks to Kick the Leftist, I've finally come to see that people who constantly ask for handouts and feed from the public trough deserve our contempt, not our support.



Note: The last time I made a post of this nature, it was thoroughly misinterpreted. I can't quite bring myself to abandon my beloved friend irony, but I would like to encourage you to follow a few of the links in my second and third paragraphs before you fire off an indignant comment.

Second note: I promised I wouldn't ask more than once, but I am weak. I'm participating in an AIDS Walk on June 6th, to benefit my clients and others like them. Wouldn't you like to help?