I have a blood pressure problem and am in the process of recovering from an aortic dissection, therefore I would appreciate it if people would refrain from referring to Social Security and Medicare as entitlements.  I have plenty of pay stubs that say those two programs are bought and paid for.  Just hearing them referred to as entitlements drives my blood pressure sky high.  Maybe the people who call them that never worked enough to earn them.  I worked 60-100 hours a week all my life and it burns my soul to think of those chairwarmers calling them entitlements.  Now that I have blown off a little steam and taken 7 pills my blood pressure is back down.  I appreciate your indulgence.

I agree 110%

Drover, just out of curiosity, which posts referred to Social Security or Medicare as entitlement?

Dan East - 29 October 2008 11:25 AM

Drover, just out of curiosity, which posts referred to Social Security or Medicare as entitlement?

I was thinking the exact same thing. So, I’ll give you/us one. Medicare and Social Security are entitlements. Now, drover, before you go getting all worked up, keep reading. These 2 programs are entitlements in the truest sense of the word. Check out Webster’s definition of “entitlement“

1 a: the state or condition of being entitled : right b: a right to benefits specified especially by law or contract

So, drover, you are entitled to those benefits because you paid in to the programs. Now, maybe somewhere along the lines, someone posted something that used the word “entitlements” with negative connotations. If that’s the case, then they used the word improperly.