This question makes me wish to cry
Of course they are not. Sad that someone would ask this and I will NOT vote in this poll
Have no fear, Kali dear...
The OP doesnt really apply to seniors. It is a mocking/baiting poll kinda thread in response to people like...oh...say...me that have no problem proclaiming certain segments of our society parasites. Its fun...because then we can draw the completely unconnected conclusion that since seniors who have typically spent a lifetime working and paying into the social security system arent parasites, then its absurd to call the welfare class parasites.
Now...the term 'parasite' is far more appropriately applied in this case...2 AM...ER team working desperately to save a 31 year old woman from an intentional overdose...her...conservatively...lets say 15th time (but since the hospital databases arent connected we cant really know). This particular 31 year old has been on SS as a child and then state disability pretty much her whole life. Hospitalizations and ER visits? Too many to count and again...no way to count accurately, but conservatively...we can fairly estimate that this one individual has cost the taxpayers...Im just guessing now...30-40 ICU stays, 20-30 secure psych stays, countless overnight stays in the county funded residential unit, weekly case work, social worker visits, monthly psychiatric med management visits, food, home, prescription meds, drug and alcohol rehab...conservatively...Id guess somewhere around 2-3 million dollars.
What triggered the lates OD? The state recently took her child. Her 6th child. All 6 in state custody. All due to her drug use. Its not fair. She haz a sad.
In the midst of working to save her life, in comes meth mommy. Meth mommy is distraught and histrionic demanding she get to be by her baby. Meth mommy is...well...here is a visual...imagine Disney's Cruella De Ville (Image of Cruella De Ville not officially sanctioned by Disney and Disney Incorporated)...dressed from the waste down in, no exaggeration, total Napolean Dynamite chic...complete with the moonboots, torn and stained sweatpants. From the waist up (and again...think...the disney cartoon version of Cruella) she is in a loose fitting tank top. That is all. Yes...its a beeeeyotiful sight. Hair done up in "the Medusa." She is environmentally conscious...doesnt want to waste too much water on that whole teeth brushing thing...the meth has helped ensure that will not be a problem. She too has had a lifetime in the system. But she does so love her baby-so much so that she began sharing her life experiences with baby when baby was a 10 year old, taking her to parties, then at 13 introducing her to much older men, alcohol, then drugs.
Oh but it gets better. Dad comes in shortly after. Dad was right there with meth mommy when baby was introduced into the lifestyle, then dad had an epiphany and cleaned up his life and called CPS to take baby and her siblings until they could get clean. Dad went to jail for a little while, as did meth mommy while the state took care of baby and kids. Meth mommy hates dad. Dad and meth mommy in the ER...now we have a real party. Meth mommy has to be phsyically restrained and chemically sedated, which is all kinds of icky. All this going on while they are saving baby's life.
I'd love to be able to tell you this is a fabrication...or even just an amalgamation of personality types...its not. And the sad reality is this family is just one of hundreds and in some cases thousands in any given county.
Not sure where the body count will end...but...when I refer to 'parasites'...yeah...these type of folks. Not senior citizens. But...where is the fun in admitting that the problem is actually real? And the REAL joke...people that think that continuing to enable these types of folks is more 'humane'.