Our Threatened Freedom

Will Our Courts Defend Orphans

Professor: Dr. R.J. Rushdoony

Subject: Political Studies

Lesson: 110-169

Genre: Conversation

Track: 110

Dictation Name: Vol. I - Part 06 - Will Our Courts Defend Orphans

Location/Venue: Unknown

Year: 1980’s – 1990’s

[Dr. Rushdoony] Will our courts defend orphans? This is R.J. Rushdoony with a report on our threatened freedom.

An old story, which may or may not be true, tells of a man who murdered both his father and his mother, and then asked the judge to show mercy on the grounds that he was an orphan.

Well that kind of gale is all too commonplace today. As a matter of fact, some men who had murdered their parents were claiming and getting Social Security survivors benefits checks. This kind of drain on Social Security was ended in January 1982, when newspaper publicity called attention to two glaring cases of such benefits. One such murderer collected 21,500 dollars on parole, and another collected about 8,000 in survivor’s benefits. That, however, has been stopped by the Federal Government, or at least for the time being.

If some claimant goes to court demanding survivor’s benefits from Social Security after murdering his or her parents, our courts have proven that they are silly enough to hear such arguments.

Everyone has their day in court these days, sometimes at taxpayer’s expense, except the taxpayer. He is too busy earning a living and paying his taxes to have the time or the money to go to court.

However, we can comfort ourselves with the thought that last year, some Social Security money did go to orphans who murdered their parents. Our tax money went into publishing pamphlets being distributed by the Federal Consumer Information Center. From that agency you can order such important literature as ‘Dennis the Menace: Coping With Family Stress’, or, ‘How To Adopt a Wild Horse or Burro’.

Now all you folks who want a wild horse or burro in your home should feel grateful that Washington is thinking of you, at your expense of course.

Come to think of it, this station and I would be very happy to think of you for the same kind of money.

Well I shouldn’t be sarcastic; after all, the federal government is very thoughtful and concerned about all of us. To keep us from foolish things it takes away a big chunk of our money each year, which is downright thoughtful and neighborly.

But this is not all. According to an old saying, in the spring a young man’s fancy turns lightly to thoughts of love, and for that matter, a middle aged or older man’s fancy, and get a little too fanciful in the spring. Our thoughtful federal government keeps us men from making fools of ourselves. From December 31 to April 15, the Internal Revenue Service keeps us so busy trying, first to figure out our taxes, and second, how to pay them and still eat, that spring is come and gone before we have had a chance for foolish thoughts or actions.

Meanwhile, at any rate, HHS secretary Richard Schweiker has haunted{?} the previous policy of allowing people who murder their parents to collect survivors benefits on parole. Hopefully, if the courts do not interfere, Schweiker’s decision will stand. Let us hope that no agency or committee begins an investigation of Schweiker for showing too much sanity in government. After all, too many more decisions like Schweiker’s and people will expect sanity everywhere in the federal government, and the whole {?} operation will go down the tubes.

This has been R.J. Rushdoony with a report on our threatened freedom.