“My Life as a Welfare Brat” Parker

     

      “The government is not your source, God is your source. He’s the one who takes care of you. You do not depend on the government!” This quote out of a pastor’s mouth was the ultimate turning point for a woman who lived off of cheating the welfare system. A woman who was raised in a respectable home but was over come by the evils of life. Partying, drugs, and casual sex was the main priority of Parker and she soon became engulfed into the world of lying and cheating. She became introduced to the welfare system by her friend after her first pregnancy and soon realized she could cheat the system that was meant to be a temporary system of relief.
  This welfare brat got pregnant numerous times, was without a job, and sold Medi-cal stickers in order to cheat the system. She believed Welfare was an entitlement for being a single mother. Living a life of obstruction and deceit there was almost no hope for Parker’s future. Although as she felt all hope was gone, Parker found inspiration in the power of faith and religion. She had worked for three Christian men who always hassled her about her destructive life and giving her life to God. It ironically although took her four abortions and a fifth pregnancy to turn to Christ. The birth of her first child made her see the world in a new light. One that forced her to think about the possibilities of a future that involved having a full-time job and providing a better life for her child Angel.
After living years of a life that involved jumping from man to man, partying, and doing drugs the only two things that motivated Parker to do better for her self was her daughter and the power of God. She realized that there was nothing disgraceful about being on welfare as a means of temporary assistance, although abusing the system was another story. Although it shows how powerful religion and the existence of the Lord is in a person’s life. After years of living recklessly, one uplifting sermon was able to change her whole life for the better. She vowed to get off of welfare, get rid of nasty men, be abstinent until marriage, and become a role model for her daughter.
She is now able to tell her story on Oprah to millions as a means to expose the problems and the welfare system and ultimately show those on it that it should only be used as a temporary means of assistance. This leads back to the quote “the government is not your source, God is your source. The government is not always going to be there in times of need, but God will. The government will pay for necessities temporarily but will not pay for other areas of life in the long run. Ultimately Parker was able to recognize the God should be her first and last resort.