From Bill Freeman
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Rep. Jeremy FaisonPhoto: Eric England
A recent article by Tennessee Lookoutâs Holly McCall caught my eye â mainly because of its use of the old term âwelfare queensâ in its headline.
McCall took readers back to the days of Ronald Reagan, who popularized the term. Itâs completely inappropriate terminology for any time, and Reagan used it to describe poor and predominantly Black Americans who he said were gaming our safety-net system to reap benefits rather than take a job to provide for their families.Â
Using the story of one welfare âcheat,â Reagan and his followers made vast generalizations. But as McCall points out, while there are some people who are gaming the system to get benefits, âanyone who thinks most people enjoy applying for welfare, food stamps or unemployment are insensitive and immune to facts.â