>If I may, let me expand your comments a bit in order to respond. I may be offbase, but I’d guess behind this lies the assumption that we are generally in control of our destiny and that our environment makes very little difference to our relative success or failure in life. In that view, people who are responsible are successful, those who are not are not successful.

No - but the role of government is to provide a LEGAL environment where people can climb out from various circumstances - not to make it equally easy and certainly not to guaranteee equal results.I am absolutly convinved that ANYONE in this country of sound mind and body can accomplish whatever they want to withing the limits of their God-given talents. It may not be easy for many - I agree - but it is possible and realistic.

>Certainly I agree that a person ultimately is in charge of their own destiny and that a person must take advantage of whatever opportunities are presented. At the same time, I think that the environment that we grow up in contributes a great deal to the eventual success we may experience.

I don't disagree - but the government can't change that. In a way - money can't change that. The issues have much more to do with a lack of morals/ethics, broken families, drugs, etc. than they do with money. you don't need money to be honest, work hard, love a family, stay out of trouble, etc.

>I hope you have success in the avenues you find and choose to give of your time, talent and resources to those who are in need.

I addressed a somewhat similar response earlier - in private - to someone. The tone of his - and your - letter is that "people who don't support government charity don't support charity at all and are stingy at heart". I don't have time to repeat my letter - let me simply say that I am quite sure that the level of my charitable giving would surprise you.