First off, I'd like to say that there is a huge difference between the people on welfare and the wild animals that are being compared in this article. The fact that any comparison is being drawn, makes me a little ill. A single mother trying to feed her children and a mother bear with cubs, well come on people, they are not the same.
Secondly, in this economy, there are a lot of people who have skills and job experience who are not employed who need some help. Sure, there are people who take advantage of the system, but there always has been. And, frankly, there always will be.
But, let's look at some statistics (with documentation)
- Children were food insecure at times during the year in 10.0 percent of households with children (3.9 million households), essentially unchanged from 9.8 percent in 2010. These households were unable at times during the year to provide adequate, nutritious food for their children. (According to the USDA website)
- The increase in SNAP participation during the 2008-10 period of economic decline (which included the recent recession) was consistent with the increase during previous periods of economic decline, at 2 to 3 million participants per 1-percentage-point increase in the unemployment rate.( USDA )
- The percentage of participants receiving free and reduced-price meals in the child nutrition programs (NSLP, SBP, and CACFP) appears related to economic conditions, rising with the unemployment rate during periods of economic decline. ( USDA )
- According to the Feeding America study , of the 17 million children living in food-insecure households nationwide, almost 4 million live in households earning more than the official poverty limit and are therefore not eligible for federal food aid programs (ABC News )
Yes, I'm focusing on children. Why, you ask? Because we can't really teach children how to fish, as one commenter put it. Sure, teach a man to fish... and so on. But what about the man's children? Do they deserve to be malnourished, distracted from school, and risk the chance of suffering for the rest of their lives? What if they don't learn that this isn't the only way? What are they going to do when they grow up, if they can even make it to adulthood?
According to that last statistic, nearly 4 million children don't even qualify for these government programs. They have to rely on food banks, friendly neighbors, or perhaps other charities, if they have them available and know about them. It's not like there are advertisements for kids on where to find a meal.
You can call me a democrat, or a liberal. I'm OK if you want to label me. What I don't understand is how the conservatives out there can justify their beliefs that these kinds of programs are a waste of money. I know not all conservatives are Christians, but since the Republicans like to spout all kinds of God and Bible commentary, I'd like to quote James,
I know that having a child changed my view on a lot of things. I believe it helped me to see the big picture. Now I have a responsibility to be the best person I can be so that my child will learn how to be a good person. What I do doesn't just impact me, it impacts him as well. What I do, and how I do it, will live on through him and his deeds and actions. And, frankly, I'd like to live in a country where compassion is a national value. Without getting on to one of the many other topics that I am passionate about, I'd like to see more people helping one another and less slamming each other. I'd like to see more giving, and less entitlement. And up on capital hill, I'd like to see a lot less bi-partisanship. But that's for another post.
14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good[a] is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
As a closing thought, the poverty level for the average American household (two adults, two children) is $22,811. That is $1900 per month, before taxes, Social security, healthcare (if they have it), and medicare is taken out. The shocking thing is, the poverty rate in 2011 for children under age 18 was 21.9 per-cent. That's 1 out of every 5 children in America that lives in poverty. That doesn't even count the children who live just above the poverty line and still qualify for government assistance. If some of my taxes go to a program that feeds even half of those children, I'm OK with that. I'm glad that they are giving out the largest amount of free food. That means they are helping a lot of people.
- http://abcnews.go.com/US/hunger_at_home/hunger-home-american-children-malnourished/story?id=14367230
- http://feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/hunger-studies/map-the-meal-gap.aspx
- https://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/about/overview/index.html
