[AnIdiotOnTheNet]

It's a cultural thing. Americans, by and large, hate other Americans. The idea that someone else is getting something "they didn't earn" induces rage in the American brain. This is why you see people willing to spend $10 to avoid accidentally giving $1 to a welfare recipient who "doesn't deserve it" in their eyes.

[raincom]

Was this attitude common even before the civil rights act of 1964, despite the confederation?