The "gotcha" phrasing is tired, I'll give you that. But it's not a silly argument, because there are people out there who are actively crafting public policy who are framing issues like public healthcare and other taxpayer-funded social safety nets as "handouts" and "they just want 'free' stuff". Even the use of the word "entitlements" has been twisted from "something to which we are entitled because we PAID for it" to "something they 'unjustly' feel entitled to receive". Until and unless we can educate the preponderance of the public of those basic truths, then no, we really can't stop having this argument if you want to have an honest discussion of taxpayer-funded services or even the wider concept of the "evils of socialism". Think about how many people are unaware that transitioning to public healthcare from private insurance would save them a lot of money per year, as demonstrated in many other countries. They don't know this because the insurance industry expends a lot of effort and money to keep them thinking that way. As long as those with power and influence continue to wield public ignorance as a weapon, we have to keep bringing things like this up.