re: "How dare you cut SS and medicare! I deserve what I paid in!" Your terms are acceptable

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in those days wasn't it called the poor house? I remember that generation were proud and did not take charity.

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The term 'the poor house' was used as a threat to small children but no such poor house existed in our town. I did see a few old people dying drunk in the gutter near Main Street with a tin cup and they were used as teaching tools when we walked by as children. "Don't end up like that.'

There was a HUGE pride in not taking charity no matter how poor you were.
We were extremely poor and devout Catholics. On Sunday we passed 'The Poor Box' which was a slot under a statue of Virgin Mary. Our parents gave bro and I each a quarter to put in the box.
When I was about 6 I asked my older brother 'Are there people in town poorer than us?'
Him: 'I've never seen any.'
It was then I realized our parents were trying to instill a pride in us to never accept charity.