FAMILIES SUFFER

Some people recognize the rampant gang violence, murders and illegal
drug activity in African-American communities are attributable to the
high illegitimacy birth rate and wanton destruction of the traditional
black family. We comprise only 12 percent of the national population
but the number of African-American males in prison and jail far exceed
our representation in the general population.

Illinois' welfare and child support laws reward and encourage
unmarried girls to have illegitimate babies to collect welfare
benefits and child support payments. Existing welfare and child
support laws are very destructive to African-American families.

Welfare benefits available to unmarried girls for having illegitimate
babies are very seductive. These benefits include: subsidized housing;
child support payments; medical benefits; food stamps (which are often
sold by the single parents to buy illegal drugs, cigarettes and
alcohol); intercepted income tax refunds; appropriated pension
benefits; income tax credits and rebates.

Unmarried women are not required to make any showing of fitness or the
ability to properly care for infants to collect benefits. As a result,
thousands of illegitimate infants suffer terrible neglect and abuse
from unfit/unstable single mothers.

For reasons which defy logic, our national government annually spends
billions of taxpayer dollars for welfare benefits and subsidized
housing for unmarried women having illegitimate babies. This shameful
welfare spending continues even as thousands of decent working women
and men are losing their jobs and homes.

Ron Lambert

Edwardsville