A 22-year-old voter reacts to Romney's "47%" comments

A 22-year-old, the youthful future of America, shared her thoughts about the controversy surrounding Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's "47 percent" comments at a closed event that was secretly recorded and released to the left-leaning Mother Jones magazine. 

Romney's comments, being heralded by liberals as proof that Romney is out of touch with everyday Americans, actually do the exact opposite. They show how in touch Romney is with his understanding and truthful assessment of what is going on with America.

The 22-year-old started working at a grocery store when she was 16 and her experience from that job was part of what helped define her conservative values. With permission, here are her thoughts on the issue:

Romney saying 47% of voters are dependent on the government in some way or another doesn't seem like a stretch to me, and neither does saying they feel like "victims" who are "entitled" to those benefits.

I used to work in a grocery store on a not-so-desirable end of town, and something like 60-70% of our business came from patrons on some sort of government aid, such as food stamps or WIC. I worked there for just under a year, but I only remember a handful of people who actually seemed like they truly needed the government's help.

Many people on food stamps would have almost $100 worth of beer and cigarettes in their transaction (which they paid for with cash or a debit card). I distinctly remember one customer come through with a conveyor belt full of steaks, chips, sodas, hamburger buns, and of course beer. I told him it looked like he was having a party - and he was. He said he hosted his neighborhood block party every year, and he always bought the food because it was "free."

Some of you may know that WIC tells you specifically what you can buy (i.e. sliced cheese vs. block cheese). One lady and her husband were so mad that they could only buy 1% milk (they wanted 2%) that they threw the gallon of 1% at me (and missed), then stormed out of the store and did donuts in the parking lot. Another time at a different grocery store where I was purchasing food, some guy asked me to buy him cigarettes. In exchange, he'd spend whatever the cigarettes cost on my groceries, using his food stamp card (I declined the offer).

All of this is to say, based on my experience, 47% of voters on some type of government aide does not seem far fetched to me, and a portion of those people that I've seen definitely seem to feel "entitled" to their "free" money.

Yes, Romney's words may not have been eloquent, but so what? Truth hurts. In fact, I found an article that says 49.1% of households were on some sort of government aid in 2011. The Left can get as bent out of shape as it wants, but facts are facts.

A purported Benjamin Franklin quote: "When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic."

47%.

This opinion is from one youthful segment of the population that understands the consequences of an unbalanced economic base. Many others agree. Consider the bloggers listed by Erick Erickson at RedState who commented:

Consider Michael Warren’s headline: “Conservatives Agree: Romney’s Wrong.”

Like hell.

• Hot Air – Allahpundit: Romney: Obama’s 47% Of The Electorate Is Dependent On Government
• Townhall – Carol Platt Liebau: Is Mitt Romney Wrong?
• Blaze – Becket Adams: Romney Revealed: Leaked Footage Shows Gop Candidate Claiming 47 Percent Of Americans Will Vote Obama Because They Want Gov’t To Take Care Of Them
• The Corner – John O’sullivan: How Romney Should Respond
• Gateway Pundit – Jim Hoft: Mitt Romney Responds To Leaked Fundraiser Video – Slams Obama (Video)
• Human Events – John Hayward: Mitt Romney And The 47 Percent
• Fox Nation: Romney Calls For Release Of Full ’47 Percent’ Video, Says Comments Weren’t ‘Elegantly Stated’
• Campaign Spot – Jim Geraghty: Here’s What Inspires The Gop’s ‘Entitlement’ Perception
• Campaign Spot – Jim Geraghty: What Inspires The Gop’s ‘Entitlement’ Perception, Part Two
• Power Line – Scott Johnson: The 47-Percent Solution
• PJ Media – Bryan Preston: Julia Nods Her Head
• Marathon Pundit – John Ruberry: From Doug Ross: Campaign That Wrote Off The White Working Class Decries Romney’s concerns With The Culture Of Dependency
• Daily Caller – Jim Treacher: The Democrats Think Romney Just Self-Destructed By Pointing Out, Um, Their Entire Strategy
• Right Sphere – Thomas: Romney And The 47%
• Townhall – Guy Benson: Video: Romney Holds Presser To Respond To 47 Percent “Controversy”
• Washington Examiner – Paul Bedard: It’s Worse Than Romney Said: 49% On Federal Aid, 49% Pay No Tax
• Twitchy – Brett Taylor: Conservatives Not So Shocked By Secret Romney Tape Revelations
• Marathon Pundit – John Ruberry: Romney Is Right: Obama Is Turning Us Into An Entitlement Society
• Mediaite – Noah Rothman: Laura Ingraham Fired Up Over Romney’s 47% Tape: ‘It’s Ridiculous’ This Is Getting Airtime
• Hot Air – Ed Morrissey: No, Romney Didn’t Just Lose The Election

Add RedState and me to the list.

It's time for honest dialogue about America's finances. Mitt Romney -- and a 22-year-old in Virginia -- are doing that.

Cross-posted at Bearing Drift