Giving Thanks for Social Security

Tom Margenau
Tue, 25 Nov 2025 23:00:00 -0800
Lifestyle

It has become a bit of a tradition for me to run an annual Thanksgiving column. I always think this is a good time of the year to remind people what Social Security is all about.

I'm going to suggest that we Americans give thanks for the Social Security program. I know lots of people like to think that the "good old days" (before Social Security) were, well, good old days. But many times, they were not. And if you'd like to get a glimpse of what life was like before the Social Security program came along, I suggest you read a book called "Growing Up," by the late Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist Russell Baker.

In it, Baker tells the story of what it was like to grow up in the 1920s and 1930s. For most of us, the Great Depression is the stuff of history books and hard luck stories revealed in an occasional documentary. But Baker lived one of those stories and writes eloquently about his life and those times.
Updated: Wed Nov 26, 2025

It has become a bit of a tradition for me to run an annual Thanksgiving column. I always think this is a good time of the year to remind people what Social Security is all about.

I'm going to suggest that we Americans give thanks for the Social Security program. I know lots of people like to think that the "good old days" (before Social Security) were, well, good old days. But many times, they were not. And if you'd like to get a glimpse of what life was like before the Social Security program came along, I suggest you read a book called "Growing Up," by the late Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist Russell Baker.

In it, Baker tells the story of what it was like to grow up in the 1920s and 1930s. For most of us, the Great Depression is the stuff of history books and hard luck stories revealed in an occasional documentary. But Baker lived one of those stories and writes eloquently about his life and those times.

His book brings the era into focus for people whose vision of history has been blurred by the good life. For me, it also illustrates the reason why we have and need a Social Security system in this country.

Many people have attempted to explain to me that America would be better off without Social Security. They point out that this nation was founded on the principles of personal freedom and that our pioneer spirit encourages people to make it on their own without government interference. As one recent letter writer told me: "If people could make it on their own in the good old days before we had Social Security, they ought to be able to make it on their own now without the government's help!"

The problem with that argument, of course, is that many people were not "making it" before Social Security came into existence. Case in point. Before Social Security, about 70% of senior citizens were living below the poverty level. In other words, those "good old days" were actually very bad for very many older people. Today, after more than 90 years of life with Social Security, less than 10% of seniors live in poverty.

In his book, Baker describes the period just after his father's death. His father left a widow and three small children, including Russell, who was then about 10. Russell's youngest sister, Audrey, was 18 months old. His newly widowed mother decided to leave their home in Virginia to move in with relatives in New Jersey. Immediately following the funeral, she had many tough decisions to make. One of them was giving up Audrey!

"The giving up of Audrey was done in a time of shock and depression for my mother," Baker writes. "When the undertaker was paid, she was left with a few dollars of insurance money, a worthless Model T, several chairs, a table to eat from, a couple of mail-order beds, a crib, three small children, no way to earn a living and no prospects for the future."

A few days later, Baker's Uncle Tom and Aunt Goldie arrived to pick up his little sister. "My mother helped them carry out the crib and boxes packed with baby clothes. When the car was loaded, my mother bundled Audrey into blankets, carried her outside, handed her to Aunt Goldie and kissed her goodbye forever!"

That scene struck a nerve with me because my father also died when I was young. Like Baker's father, my dad left a widow and small children. And like Baker's family, my mother was left with a little insurance, a few pieces of furniture and an old car. But unlike the Bakers, we had brighter prospects for the future because my father left behind something else: Social Security survivors' insurance.

My mother, brothers, sister and myself each received a monthly check from Social Security based on my father's earnings. My siblings and I were able to receive benefits up to the age of 22 if we stayed in school. And my mother received checks until my youngest brother turned 18. (The laws have changed slightly since I was a beneficiary. Today, benefits to children are generally cut off at age 18 and a widowed mother's checks stop when the youngest child turns 16.)

Survivor benefits are a very important part of Social Security. They have been paid since 1940. Yet even today, many young workers are not aware of this protection they are guaranteed through their Social Security tax deductions.

Most young people complain about the amount of Social Security taxes they pay. But I think if they really consider why our society provides a comprehensive Social Security program, they might be more inclined to accept Social Security taxes so that no other young, widowed mother has to give up her little Audrey and "kiss her goodbye forever."

And here is a postscript to what I just wrote. I've run Thanksgiving columns similar to this in the past. They always generate comments from the government-bashing and Social Security-bashing crowd. I saved just one example. Here is what he wrote — in part. (His rant went on for more than a page!)

"It's the namby-pamby liberals like Baker and you who have ruined this country. Russell's father should have provided for his family and your father should have provided for you. We don't need the government to make up for slackers like your fathers. And don't even get my started on widow's benefits. These women should work and take care of themselves and not expect the government to show up each month with a widow's dole!"

My goodness! I sure am glad I don't live in that guy's world. What a cold, uncaring and empathy-starved place it must be! My so-called "slacker" father served and was injured in World War II. And before he died at age 47, he struggled for 25 years at low-paying jobs to provide a modest life for his family. Maybe I should have pointed out to him that Russell Baker's mom spent many years scrubbing floors in tenement houses to help take care of her family. And my mom worked all her life to help pay the rent and put food on our table. Oh well!

One final note. I've been coming at this column from the "social" side of Social Security. But here is a look at the "security" side. As I was writing this, the National Institute on Retirement Security issued a new study. Here is the heading from their report. "New research from the National Institute on Retirement Security finds that Social Security benefits play a powerful role in supporting the U.S. economy, generating $2.6 trillion in total economic output and supporting more than 12 million American jobs."

I'm out of space in this column to delve into that angle on Social Security. But if you want to learn more about that NIRS study, just Google it.