Entitlements?
Social Security?
I don't think so.
Could we have a new, far more accurate term for this?
Please?
A roundup of two definitions of the term entitlement. First from Wikipedia, there's this:
An entitlement is a guarantee of access to benefits based on established rights or by legislation. A "right" is itself an entitlement associated with a moral or social principle, such that an "entitlement" is a provision made in accordance with legal framework of a society. Typically, entitlements are laws based on concepts of principle ("rights") which are themselves based in concepts of social equality or enfranchisement.
In a casual sense, the term "entitlement" refers to a notion or belief that one (or oneself) is deserving of some particular reward or benefit[1]—if given without deeper legal or principled cause, the term is often given with pejorative connotation (e.g. a "sense of entitlement").
Next is this, from Merriam-Webster Online:
What I don't think we believe is that Social Security, especially, since we've paid into it our entire working lives, most of us, is an entitlement. Not only is Social Security not an entitlement, we don't feel "entitled" to them, not at all. We expect them, yes, precisely because we did pay into them, we sacrificed for them, paycheck by paycheck but we don't "feel entitled" to them in the same way as this sounds or as is the common use of the term.
In a casual sense, the term "entitlement" refers to a notion or belief that one (or oneself) is deserving of some particular reward or benefit[1]—if given without deeper legal or principled cause, the term is often given with pejorative connotation (e.g. a "sense of entitlement").
Next is this, from Merriam-Webster Online:
b : a right to benefits specified especially by law or contract
2 : a government program providing benefits to members of a specified group; also : funds supporting or distributed by such a program
3 : belief that one is deserving of or entitled to certain privileges
I think we all agree on the use and usage of the original term "entitlement" and entitlements, certainly.
What I don't think we believe is that Social Security, especially, since we've paid into it our entire working lives, most of us, is an entitlement. Not only is Social Security not an entitlement, we don't feel "entitled" to them, not at all. We expect them, yes, precisely because we did pay into them, we sacrificed for them, paycheck by paycheck but we don't "feel entitled" to them in the same way as this sounds or as is the common use of the term.
A solution shouldn't be that difficult.
Now, comes Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, today, speaking on the Right Wing's and Republican's desire to do away with the Voting Rights Act of 1964:
To which I can only respond to Justice Scalia by saying that yes, all the races in the nation do, in fact, expect and feel entitled to fairness and being able to vote and not racism, yes, all kinds of things.
Sheesh
Difficult we have to say these things, isn't it?
Especially to someone on the highest judicial court in the nation.
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