AS ALMOST 50 MILLION OF OUR FELLOW CITIZENS, ALL LEGAL RESIDENTS HERE, ALL OF THEM, SUFFER FROM THE BAD ECONOMY, FROM HARD TIMES, FROM LOUSY MINIMUM WAGES, FROM THEIR UNEQUAL TAX BURDENS, FROM HIGH FUEL COSTS, FROM INCREASINGLY HIGH COST OF LIVING, FROM ASTRONOMICAL CHILD CARE COSTS, ABOUT HALF OF THE OTHER 250+ MILLION AMERICANS CONDEMN THEM FOR BEING POOR AND DO NOT WANT THEM TO HAVE FOOD.
AMERICA CONTINUES TO HATE ITS POOR AND HAVE APPLAUDED THEIR ELECTED CONGRESSMEN'S EFFORTS TO STARVE THEM OUT OF EXISTENCE.
[UPDATE TO "AMERICA HATES HER POOR" , http://havacuppahemlock1.blogspot.com/2013/04/how-america-hates-her-poor.html ]
50.1 million Americans struggle to put food on the table every day.
40% of food is thrown out in the US every year, or about $165 billion worth.
All of this uneaten food could feed 25 million Americans.
But perhaps MOST Americans do NOT want to feed those who need food, not in America.
BASED ON EASILY REVEALED LIES AND INTENTIONAL MISINFORMATION FED TO THEM BY THEIR WHORES ON CAPITOL HILL, MANY AMERICANS DO NOT FIND THE COMPASSION NOR THE DESIRE TO HELP THE POOR WHO LIVE AMONG THEM.
FOR YOU WHO BELIEVE THE LIES, MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, THIS WILL CLEAR THINGS UP FOR YOU. I HAVE ZERO CONFIDENCE BUT I'M A FIGHTER FOR TRUTH AND INDEPENDENT THOUGHT....CALL ME A DREAMER.
IF NOT, IF THE FACTS JUST DON'T WORK FOR YOU, SIT BACK AND WAIT UNTIL IT'S YOU IN THE SITUATION THAT 50 MILLION OF YOUR FELLOW AMERICANS, MOST OF THEM WHITE, MOST OF THEM YOUNG CHILDREN, THE ELDERLY, THE DISABLED, ARE IN TODAY.
IN THIS PRESENT STATE OF ECONOMIC COLLAPSE, IT WON'T BE LONG UNTIL MANY OF YOU JOIN THEIR RANKS!
FACTS...JUST FACTS...BY THE PEOPLE WHO HANDLE THE PROGRAMS YOU MAY HATE, FROM THE AGENCIES AND OFFICES THAT REPORT TO CONGRESS, BY THOSE WHO KEEP STATISTICS, BY THOSE WHO KNOW.
~SNAP (food stamps), School Meals, WIC and other public nutrition programs TOTALED about $94 billion in 2010. ALL OF THOSE PROGRAMS TOGETHER TOTALED LESS THAN $95 BILLION.
AMERICANS SPENT OVER $55 BILLION ON PET FOODS THAT YEAR!
The average SNAP household has a gross monthly income of $744; net monthly income of $338 after the standard deduction and, for certain households, deductions for child care, medical expenses, and shelter costs; and countable resources of $331, such as a bank account.
~Every $1 in SNAP benefits generates $1.79 in local economic activity. SNAP brought in $16.5 million to JUST Montana in August, therefore generating over $29.5 million in economic activity.
http://mtstandard.com/news/opinion/columnists/u-s-hunger-bill-billion-hefty-price-to-feed-america/article_3cba2786-0465-11e1-9c98-001cc4c002e0.html
WHAT? YOU DIDN'T KNOW THAT THE FOOD STAMP PROGRAM CREATES JOBS AND STATE REVENUE?
THAT'S BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T WANT TO KNOW!
~ ABOUT 67% OF PEOPLE WHO WOULD QUALIFY FOR FOOD STAMPS EVER GET ANY, THE OTHER 33% DON'T APPLY.
OUR ECONOMY IS REELING, JOBS ARE HARD TO FIND, BUT WE CONDEMN THOSE WHO CAN'T GET A JOB AND AFFORD A HOME AND FOOD???
http://www.snaptohealth.org/snap/snap-frequently-asked-questions/#eligible
33% OF OUR BELOW-POVERTY-LEVEL CITIZENS WON'T TOUCH FOOD STAMPS DID YOU KNOW THAT?
08/15/2013
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/14/food-stamps_n_3757052.html
"Food Stamps Avoided By Millions Of Eligible Americans"
<<Contrary to the idea that America's poor people are collectively gorging themselves on food stamps, they're actually leaving food on the table.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers the program, says that in fiscal 2010 nearly 51 million Americans were poor enough to qualify but only 38 million received benefits.
Older Americans are generally much less inclined to sign up for SNAP, with less than 40 percent of eligible seniors participating in 2010. Another reason older Americans might not bother is that monthly retirement income from the Social Security Administration results in lower nutrition assistance benefits, since monthly benefit amounts are based on a person's income and expenses.
Adam Roach, 52, is unable to work. He gets by on $843 in Social Security Disability Insurance and a rent subsidy that helps him afford a one-bedroom efficiency in Falls Church, a Washington suburb. A few years ago Roach also received $33 per month in food stamp benefits, a little more than twice Virginia's minimum monthly benefit of $16. The meager amount of assistance, combined with the indignity of seeking help and the hassle of filling out forms, led Roach to give up when it came time to re-certify his poverty with the state, something Virginia SNAP recipients have to do every six months.
"I'm 100 percent dependent on the government so when the Republicans start shaking their fists it scares the hell out of me," Roach said. "Just because I'm unable to work I can't support myself.">>
55% OF ALL WHO GET FOOD STAMPS ARE CHILDREN OR ELDERLY!
THE MOST RECENT FIGURES FROM THE "CENTER ON BUDGET AND POLICY" STATES THAT 72% OF ALL HOUSEHOLDS THAT GET FOOD ASSISTANCE HAVE UNDERAGE CHILDREN, AND ALMOST 25% OF THOSE HOUSEHOLDS HAVE ELDERLY FAMILY MEMBERS LIVING IN THEM!
March 11, 2013
http://www.cbpp.org/cms/?fa=view&id=3239
DO WE PUT KIDS AND OLDER PEOPLE TO WORK?
MOST OF THOSE 'ELDERLY' PAID INTO FEDERAL COFFERS ALL THEIR LIVES, 30, 40, 50 YEARS OF PAYING IN!
AND DAMN THOSE PESKY, HUNGRY KIDS, RIGHT?
WHY SHOULD WE FEED THEM?
HERE ARE THE FACTS, THE STATS FROM THOSE WHO ISSUE THOSE 'COSTLY' FOOD STAMPS:
<<Most SNAP participants were children or elderly. Nearly half (47 percent) were UNDER age 18 and another 8 percent were age 60 or OLDER. Working-age women represented only 28 percent of the caseload, while working-age men represented less than that, 17 percent.>>
[USDA.gov, September 2011, http://www.fns.usda.gov/ora/MENU/Published/snap/FILES/Participation/2010CharacteristicsSummary.pdf]
BUT THAT IS NOWHERE NEAR THE WHOLE STORY!
OF THOSE "WORKING-AGE" MEN AND WOMEN, 14% ARE DISABLED!
YES, THEY ARE OF "WORKING-AGE", BUT THEY ARE DISABLED!
SO, NOW WE'RE UP TO 69% OF ALL WHO ARE GETTING FOOD STAMPS ABSOLUTELY CANNOT WORK, NOR SHOULD WE EXPECT THE KIDS, THE ELDERLY, THE DISABLED TO WORK, SHOULD WE?
WELL, SHOULD WE?
WE'RE LEFT WITH 31% OF ALL WHO ARE ON FOOD STAMPS COULD WORK, BUT HANG ON!, GOVERNMENT'S OWN FIGURES, WHICH CONGRESS IS WELL AWARE OF, SHOW US THAT 41% OF ALL SNAP HOUSEHOLDS ARE WORKING!
IN FACT, MORE PEOPLE ON FOOD STAMPS GOT JOBS IN THE PAST 2 YEARS THAN PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT ON THAT PROGRAM!
JUST READ ON...
HOW DO THEY AFFORD CHILD CARE?
ARE YOU AWARE OF THE COST OF CHILD CARE IN AMERICA FOR SINGLE WORKING MOTHERS?
DO YOU REALIZE THAT FOR MOM TO WORK, OR FOR MOM AND DAD TO WORK, THEY HAVE TO PAY AN AVERAGE OF ABOUT $10,000 A YEAR PER CHILD FOR DAYCARE?
SOME IN CERTAIN STATES CAN PAY AS MUCH AS $15,000 PER CHILD!
IF A COUPLE HAS 2 CHILDREN WHO NEED CARE WHILE THEY WORK, THEY HAVE TO MAKE AT LEAST $30,000 A YEAR JUST TO BE ABLE TO GO TO WORK IN THE HIGH-END STATES!
MINIMUM WAGE IS A LOUSY $7.25 AN HOUR AND REPUBLICANS HAVE VOWED TO STOP ANY INCREASE IN THAT SO THEIR PALS WHO OWN BUSINESSES WON'T HAVE TO SHELL OUT EVEN $8.00 AN HOUR!
WELL, AT $8.00 AN HOUR, ON A 40-HOUR A WEEK JOB, NO ONE WILL BRING HOME EVEN $300 A WEEK, AND IF DAYCARE COSTS $100 A WEEK PER CHILD ( A LOWEST ESTIMATE BASED ON MISSISSIPPI'S COSTS, LOWEST IN THE NATION) THAT LEAVES A MOM OF 2 KIDS A PALTRY $100 A WEEK FOR FOOD, TRANSPORTATION, RENT, PEDIATRIC VISITS, CLOTHING AND UTILITIES!
WHAT DO YOU THINK, THAT THE POOR SHOULD NEVER HAVE CHILDREN?
IF YOU THINK LIKE THAT, PITY FOR YOUR OWN CHILDREN!
THEY HAVE BIGOTS FOR PARENTS!
DO YOU UNDERSTAND AT ALL WHAT THOSE "LESS FORTUNATE THAN" MOST AMERICANS FACE?
SHOULD POOR PEOPLE JUST GET MORE JOBS, 2 JOBS, 3, 4, HOW MANY DO YOU THINK THEY SHOULD GET?
"THE DAMNED POOR NEED TO GET JOBS, ANY JOBS!
EVEN IF MY SON/FRIEND/WHATEVER WITH A PhD AND A 'BENZ' CAN'T GET A JOB AFTER HE WAS LAID OFF LAST MONTH, THE DAMNED POOR PEOPLE NEED TO WORK! THEY'RE JUST LAZY BUMS, LEECHES"
ANYONE WHO FEELS THAT WAY NEEDS TO BE BOILED IN OIL...JUST MY UNHUMBLE OPINION!
<<Amanda Holdsworth, who lives outside of Detroit with her husband and 22-month-old daughter, pay more than $1,000 a month for their daughter's day care center -- or nearly 15% of their monthly income. (THAT MEANS THIS COUPLE IS BRINGING HOME ABOUT $7000 A MONTH....NICE.)
The costs are so high that they think twice about having a second child.>>
http://money.cnn.com/2013/08/14/pf/cost-children/index.html
NOW, IF THEY SPLIT, IF THEY DIVORCE, CAN AMANDA HANDLE THIS EXPENSE ALONE???
NO, LIKELY NOT, EVEN IF SHE'S MAKING $3500 A MONTH!
<<Since 2000, the cost of child care has increased twice as fast as the median income of families with children, according to the most recent report from Child Care Aware of America. In 2011, the average cost of full-time center-based care for an infant ranged from about $4,600 a year in Mississippi to more than $15,000 in Massachusetts. >>
LET THAT SINK IN...HOW CAN A SINGLE MOM OF 2, SOLE HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD, MAKE ANY PROFIT IF SHE HAS TO PAY EVEN $10,000 PER YEAR PER CHILD?
DON'T YOU THINK ABOUT THESE THINGS, AMERICA?
AND YET, PEOPLE ON FOOD STAMPS, THOSE WHO ARE ABLE TO WORK, THE "ABLE-BODIED", NUMBERING JUST 31% OF ALL WHO ARE ON THIS PROGRAM, DO WORK!
<<USDA.gov, September 2011, 41 Percent Of SNAP Participants Lived "In A Household WITH Earnings.>>
41% ARE WORKING, BUT ONLY 31% ARE TRULY "ABLE-BODIED"!
http://www.fns.usda.gov/ora/MENU/Published/snap/FILES/Participation/2010CharacteristicsSummary.pdf
AND THE NUMBERS OF THE WORKING POOR CONTINUE TO CLIMB, LIKE IT OR NOT!
THE POOR ARE FINDING WORK!
<<Despite the large jump in unemployment during the recession, the share of SNAP families with earnings has continued to increase in recent years. This suggests that for a growing share of the nation's workers, having a job has not been enough to keep them out of poverty. >>
[CBPP, 7/9/12,http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=2226 ]
SO, WHILE UNEMPLOYMENT CLIMBED, THOSE FOOD STAMP PEOPLE MANAGED TO FIND MORE JOBS THAN BETTER-OFF AMERICANS WHO DON'T USE FOOD STAMPS, DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?
LET'S EXPLORE SOME LONG-STANDING MYTHS MOST NON-THINKING AMERICANS ACCEPT AS TRUTH BUT NEVER BOTHER TO CHECK OUT FOR THEMSELVES...
MYTH: "OHHHH, THOSE WELFARE QUEENS GET ON THE FOOD STAMPS AND STAY THERE!"
LIE!
DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THE MAXIMUM TIME IS ANYONE CAN RECEIVE FOOD STAMPS?
A MAXIMUM OF 3 YEARS!
OR, AS LITTLE AS ONE MONTH, AND A MAXIMUM OF 3 MONTHS FOR "WORKING-AGE" ADULTS WITH NO CHILDREN.
SURPRISED?
http://www.snaptohealth.org/snap/snap-frequently-asked-questions/#eligible
<<For most healthy adults between the ages of 18 and 50 (without children), SNAP benefits are limited to a 3-month period, at which point the recipient will have to submit a renewal application. Most households under the SNAP program receive benefits for a 6-month period before requiring renewal. Benefit periods can range from 1 month to 3 years.>>
"BUT, BUT, BUT, WELFARE QUEENS ARE NEVER-MARRIED MOMS!"
LET'S RUN A FEW YARDS WITH THAT ONE...
<<About 62 percent of never-married moms ages 20 to 49 with a high school degree or less WERE working in 2011, according to an analysis of Current Population Survey data prepared by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a liberal-leaning think tank. That's up from about 51 percent in 1992.
Welfare has not been the same since the mid-1990s, when the old program, called Aid to Families with Dependent Children, was replaced by TANF.
The new program's requirements include that recipients do 20 to 30 hours a week of work-related activities, such as job hunting or community service. >>
[SOURCE http://www.cnbc.com/id/100975718, 21 Aug 2013 ]
Apr. 15, 2013
http://www.theblaze.com/contributions/the-immigrant-welfare-queen-myth/
[THIS ONE IS FOR ALL YOU GLEN BECK WORSHIPPERS WHO COUNT ON HIS "THE BLAZE" TO HELP YOU NOT THINK FOR YOURSELVES. GO AHEAD, READ WHAT BECK PUBLISHED.]
"The Immigrant ‘Welfare Queen’ Myth"
<<A common conservative refrain is that immigrants, once they enter the U.S., “immediately begin to depend on government welfare,” as Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama recently put it.
That’s simply not true, according to a Cato Institute study by Professor Leighton Ku and lecturer Brian Bruen, both of George Washington University’s health policy department.
Ku and Bruen looked at social welfare programs ranging from Medicaid to the food stamp program to the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Their findings: Poor immigrants consistently utilize welfare programs less than their native-born counterparts. Furthermore, when poor immigrants do participate in welfare programs, the cost is less, resulting in a lower bill for the taxpayer.>>
THERE ARE NO MORE "WELFARE QUEENS", WHITE BLACK, OR BROWN, GOT IT?
EVEN 'BECKERHEAD' HAS SPOKEN, IT IS NOT TRUE ANYMORE!
YOU'VE BEEN PLAYED!
MYTH: "OHHHH, THOSE "ILLEGALS" ARE MOOCHING OFF OUR CITIZENS GETTING FOOD STAMPS!"
NO, WILLFULLY IGNORANT, NO!
<<They can receive schooling and emergency medical care, but not welfare or food stamps.
Social welfare programs bar illegal immigrants from receiving benefits and require proof of immigration status. That includes food stamps, as well as cash welfare assistance, Medicaid, and even the new health care law.>>
[SEE, PLEASE DO SEE, "Fact-checking immigration", July 1st, 2012, http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2012/jul/01/fact-checking-immigration/ ]
GO, LOOK, SEEK, FIND THE REALITY OF ALL THIS!
ADMIT YOU'RE WRONG WHEN YOU'RE WRONG!
<<As the Congressional Research Service pointed out in a 2007 report, undocumented immigrants, who comprise nearly one-third of all immigrants in the country, are not eligible to receive public “welfare” benefits — ever.
Legal permanent residents (LPRs) must pay into the Social Security and Medicare systems for approximately 10 years before they are eligible to receive benefits when they retire. In most cases, LPRs can not receive SSI, which is available only to U.S. citizens, and are not eligible for means-tested public benefits until 5 years after receiving their green cards.
A 2007 analysis of welfare data by researchers at the Urban Institute reveals that less than 1 percent of households headed by undocumented immigrants receive cash assistance for needy families, compared to 5 percent of households headed by native-born U.S. citizens.
A 2007 analysis of U.S. Census data by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities makes clear that it is the U.S.-born, U.S.-citizen children of undocumented immigrants who are eligible for programs such as Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program.>>
YOU HAVE TO PROVE CITIZENSHIP FOR AT LEAST 10 YEARS PRIOR OR HAVE A BABY/CHILD TO EVEN GET FREE MILK FOR YOUR KIDS, AND THAT'S ABOUT ALL YOU GET IF YOU'RE AN "ILLEGAL". WE SURE DON'T WANT THOSE BABIES HAVING MILK/FORMULA, RIGHT?
MOST "ILLEGALS" ARE TOO AFRAID TO ASK FOR "GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE, OH , DUMB-DOWNED ONES!
WOULD YOU RUN DOWN FOR A "FREE HANDOUT" IF YOU KNEW THAT MEANT YOU COULD BE DEPORTED?
THINK!
HERE'S A REAL NEWSFLASH FOR YOU:
<<According to a study by the investment research company Standard & Poor's, the cost of providing services to undocumented immigrants is largely offset by the economic benefits they generate. Of the estimated 11.5 to 12-million undocumented workers living in America, 7.5 million are employed, and undocumented men come here almost exclusively to work: Their labor force participation--96 percent--exceeds that of men who are legal immigrants or U.S. citizens.("Undocumented Immigrants: Facts and Figures," The Urban Institute).
Moreover, undocumented immigrants are not eligible for welfare, food stamps, Medicaid, and most other forms of public assistance.
The U.S. Social Security Administration has estimated that three quarters of undocumented immigrants pay payroll taxes, and that they annually contribute $7 billion in Social Security funds that they will be unable to claim and 1.5 billion to Medicare. They also pay income taxes, and those who own homes pay property taxes -- as do renters, in the form of pass-throughs--that support education, healthcare, and other services.
Concludes one researcher: "From an economic standpoint, it's much ado about something very, very small, almost insignificant.">>
[JUST 3 SOURCE OF OVER 24 THAT I PERSONALLY FACT-CHECKED: http://www.neighborhood-centers.org/uploads/nci_immigration.pdf
AND
http://www.policymic.com/articles/43599/8-of-the-most-vicious-myths-about-illegal-immigrants
AND
http://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/immigrant-welfare-queen-myth?gclid=CL67vIGe2bkCFXBo7AodjVoA1Q]
FACTS, TRUTH, TRY SOME, IT WON'T HURT YOU FOR LONG, YOU MAY EVEN GROW TO LIKE THEM!
BREAK FREE FROM YOUR PARTY MENTALITY AND JUST THINK INDEPENDENTLY FOR ONCE!
GOOD OLD WHITE AMERICANS STILL GET THE MAJORITY OF HELP IN AMERICA, ALWAYS HAVE, LIKELY ALWAYS WILL BECAUSE THEY OUTNUMBER THE REST AND JUST WON'T TAKE THOSE "DIRTY JOBS" LIKE HARVESTING CROPS AND CLEANING RESTROOMS!
MYTH: "OHHHH, THOSE DIRTY IMMIGRANTS ARE TAKING MOST OF THE 'WELFARE MONEY'."
WRONG, WRONG WRONG!
LOOK AT THE FACTS, HERE'S THE BREAKDOWN!
••36% were white (non-Hispanic), 22% were African American (non-Hispanic) and 10% were Hispanic.
[USA Today, 1/18/12, http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/politics/story/2012-01-18/fact-check-gingrich-obama-food-stamps/52645882/1]
HOWEVER, "A more accurate estimate of the racial and ethnic composition of food-stamp recipients can be drawn from U.S. Census data, based on a sample of households surveyed each year in the American Community Survey. For 2010, Census data show the following for households that reported getting food stamp assistance during the year:
**49% were white (non-Hispanic); 26% were black or African American; and 20% were Hispanic (of any race)."
NOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HISPANICS, YOU DO REALIZE THAT ALL THOSE GETTING FOOD STAMPS ARE LEGAL IMMIGRANTS, THAT AT LEAST ALL THE CHILDREN WERE BORN HERE, MAKING THEM JUST AS MUCH AMERICAN CITIZENS AS YOU ARE, RIGHT?
JUST LIKE THE PEOPLE WITH IRISH, GERMAN, BRITISH ANCESTORS AMONG US, THE TERM 'HISPANICS' IN THIS INSTANCE MEANS CITIZEN HISPANICS, AMERICANS WITH HISPANIC ANCESTRY, NOT "ILLEGALS".
TRY TO WRAP YOUR MINDS AROUND THAT.
MYTH:"OHHHH, OBAMA HAS ADDED MORE MOUTHS TO THE FOOD STAMP PROGRAM THAN ANY OTHER PRESIDENT!"
THAT IS A LIE, AND WE CAN ALL FIND STATS ON THAT AS WELL!
2/6/2012
<<The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition service for month-by-month figures going back to January 2001, show that under President George W. Bush the number of recipients rose by nearly 14.7 million. Nothing before comes close to that.
And under Obama, the increase so far has been 14.2 million. To be exact, the program has so far grown by 444,574 fewer recipients during Obama's time in office than during Bush's.
It's possible that when the figures for January 2012 are available they will show that the gain under Obama has matched or exceeded the gain under Bush. But not if the short-term trend continues. The number getting food stamps declined by 43,528 in October.
UPDATE TO THOSE STATS: Revised USDA data released in February showed the downward trend CONTINUED for a second straight month in November, when the number of persons getting food stamps was 134,418 fewer than it had been at the peak.>>
EACH MONTH, THE NUMBERS WENT DOWN, GET IT?
LEST WE FORGET, AND MANY TRY TO:
<<The economic downturn began in December 2007. In all of 2008, the 12 months before Obama was sworn in IN JANUARY, 2009, 4.4 million MORE were added to the food stamp rolls, triple the 1.4 million added in 2007.>>
BUT FOOD STAMP PARTICIPATION IS DOWN!
Sorry to break that to you, but you need to know that.
"OH NO! THE POOR MAY SEE A LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL!
WHO CAN WE BLAME IF NOT THE POOR?"
kEEP READING, YOU'LL SOON SEE WHO YOU CAN BLAME!
March 11, 2013
http://www.cbpp.org/cms/?fa=view&id=3239
<<SNAP has one of the most rigorous quality control systems of any public benefit program, and the share of total SNAP payments that represent overpayments, underpayments, or payments to ineligible households reached a record low in fiscal year 2011.SNAP enrollment growth slowed in 2012 as the economy began to recover.The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) predicts that SNAP spending will fall as a share of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in coming years.>>
MYTH: "OHHH, THERE'S MORE FRAUD AND ABUSE IN THE FOOD STAMP PROGRAM THAN ANY OTHER!"
NOT AT ALL TRUE!
IT HAS ONE OF THE LOWEST INCIDENCES OF FRAUD OF ALL GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS/AGENCIES!
<<Trafficking rates—the number of benefits exchanged for cash—are at 1%.
SNAP reached a payment accuracy of 96.19% in 2012 (the highest that the program has ever seen). >>
THAT MEANS THERE IS LESS THAN 4% OVERALL FRAUD/ABUSE IN THIS PROGRAM, IN CASE THE MATH ELUDES YOU WHO DON'T REALLY WANT TO DO THE MATH!
THERE'S FRAUD AND ABUSE EVEN IN PUBLIC EDUCATION, IN THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY, EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK THERE'S FRAUD, SO WHAT MAKES FOOD STAMPS SPECIAL IN YOUR MINDS?
IS IT JUST BECAUSE YOU HATE THE POOR?
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO FEED THE HUNGRY IN AMERICA?
ACROSS THE BOARD?
LESS THAN $200 A MONTH PER PERSON...MUCH LESS IN MOST STATES...
THE VAST MAJORITY OF STATES, IN FACT ALL STATES BUT 2, ALLOW LESS THAN $130 PER MONTH PER PERSON!
CAN YOU FEED YOUR KIDS FOR THAT AMOUNT FOR AN ENTIRE MONTH?
WOULD YOU KNOW HOW TO TRY TO FEED A GROWING CHILD FOR THAT AMOUNT?
THE REPUBLICANS HAVE NOTHING POLITICALLY TO LOSE BY STARVING AMERICAN CHILDREN, THE ELDERLY, THE DISABLED.
Jul 29 2013
http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/07/the-gop-wants-to-slash-food-stamps-heres-exactly-how-many-of-their-constituents-would-suffer/278179/
<<Just how many of their own constituents are Republicans essentially telling to go hungry nowadays?
Republicans tend to represent plenty of food stamp recipients, but unlike many Democrats, not nearly so many that they'd ever have to worry about them at the polls.
In the average congressional district, we found that about 11 percent of all households received food stamp benefits.
In Democrat-controlled seats, the average was about 13 percent, while in Republican districts it was about 10.7 percent.
That difference might seem small, but as is often the case, the averages hid some vast variations.
When most House Republicans talk about cutting food stamps, they're saying that they're ok with the idea that at least one out of every ten households in their district will have a tougher time putting food on the table, and will have less money to spend on local businesses. Now, politicians like Louie Gohmert might think that's ok because poor families eat too much anyway and "are just using their benefits to buy expensive king crab legs" (13 percent of his constituents use food stamps by the way). But for those of us a bit more strongly tethered to reality, it ought to cause a bit of concern.
By 2013, 23 million HOUSEHOLDS received food stamps.>>
BACK TO WASTE, FRAUD, THE REAL CULPRITS OF WHAT'S HELPING KILL OUR ECONOMY, OKAY?
THE PENTAGON HAS ADMITTED IT CANNOT TRACK 25% OF ITS MONEY, 25% OF ITS ANNUAL $673 BILLION, AND HAS BEEN DEFRAUDED TO THE TUNE OF OVER $1.1 TRILLION IN DEFENSE CONTRACTS ALONE IN THE PAST 10 YEARS!
25% OF $673 BILLION IS $168 BILLION USD OUT THERE "SOMEWHERE" THAT NO ONE CAN FIND!
http://www.thenation.com/blog/164103/shocking-report-reveals-pentagons-addiction-fraudulent-contractors#
SO, FOR YOU WHO HATE KIDS GETTING FOOD STAMPS, IT MUST BE JUST FINE AND DANDY THAT THIEVES GOT $1.1 TRILLION, AND THEN $168 BILLION, FAR, FAR MORE THAN IT TAKES TO FEED HUNGRY PEOPLE IN AMERICA...FACE IT! THAT IS WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, IF ONLY BY YOUR SILENCE ON THE PENTAGON'S SCREW-UPS!
"THE WAR IN IRAQ" TURNS OUT TO HAVE COST US ABOUT $4 TRILLION...SO FAR.
http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/03/28/the-total-iraq-and-afghanistan-pricetag-over-4-trillion
AND IT COST US 75,000 TROOPS FROM 1991-2012!
WOULD THOSE TRILLIONS BE TOO MUCH TO BUY BACK ONE OF THEIR LIVES?
HOW ABOUT YOU ASK YOUR PARTY TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT "PROGRAM", AMERICANS? WHY DON'T YOU SCREAM FOR THEM TO STOP FUNDING THAT?
NOW, LET'S TALK ABOUT WASTE WITHIN OUR ILLUSTRIOUS DEPT. OF HOMELAND SECURITY, JUST IN THE "TSA".
Apr 11, 2012
JUST FOR THE TSA, AMERICANS SHELLED OUT A "BUDGET" OF $7.6 BILLION.
(WHICH DOES NOT IN ANY WAY LIST EVERYTHING "APPROPRIATED" TO THOSE WHO LIKE TO TOUCH AND FEEL, BTW)
FOR EACH GUN FOUND, NOT ONE BELONGING TO A "TERRORIST", WE SHELLED OUT $6 MILLION PER GUN ON JUST FINDING THEM! $6 MILLION PER GUN!
WE SPENT $36 MILLION ON STUPID DEVICES THAT DO ABSOLUTELY NOTHING BUT PUFF AIR IN PEOPLE'S FACES!, AND THEY ARE EVERY ONE SITTING IN WAREHOUSES RIGHT NOW!
7 OF 10 WEAPONS GOT PAST THE SCREENINGS, AND THERE WERE 25,000 SECURITY BREACHES THAT WE KNOW OF, THAT WERE ADMITTED TO!
http://www.onlinecriminaljusticedegree.com/tsa-waste/
BUT, SURE LET'S KEEP FUNDING THOSE KEYSTONE KOPS,THAT KIND OF WASTE AND FRAUD, AND LET 20 MILLION-PLUS KIDS GO HUNGRY, RIGHT?
"SORRY, HUNGRY KIDS, YOU ARE NOT WORTH $4 A DAY, NOR EVEN ONE DOLLAR A DAY TO FEED!
WE DON'T LIKE YOU POOR PEOPLE IN AMERICA!
WE JUST DON'T WANT TO FEED POOR KIDS NOR THEIR POOR GRANDPARENTS.
WE'LL SPEND MORE THAN THAT ON OUR PETS, ON OUR STARBUCKS LATTE, ON A MOVIE TICKET, ON A GALLON OF GAS TO GO FOR A DRIVE, BUT FOR YOU DISGUSTING POOR PEOPLE, YOU 20,000,000 HUNGRY KIDS, NOTHING!
GO TO WORK, GET A JOB, HELP YOURSELVES!"
THAT IS WHAT WE'RE SAYING TO THEM, AND YOU KNOW THAT.
LET'S DO SOME "PORK BARREL SPENDING" MATH, AND YOU CAN GOOGLE THESE ON YOUR OWN...I'M NOT YOUR PARENT!
LOOKS LIKE SOME OF YOUR GOP CONGRESSMEN LOVE PORK BARREL FUNDS!
THEY ADORE WASTE AND FRAUD...SO LONG AS THEY CAN GET AWAY WITH IT!
[AND SO DO THE DEMOCRAT WHORES ON THE HILL, LET'S FACE IT.]
• Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), $10 million to build a one-mile, 20-lane highway outside of Salt Lake City.
• Sen. George Voinovich (R-OH), $15 million: erection of a Barbasol museum.
• Rep. Mike Castle (R-DE), $19 million: free clam program to benefit people who have never eaten clams.
• Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE), $1,000 to buy every seat in a Lincoln, NE cineplex so he could watch National Treasure: Book Of Secrets in peace.
• Representative Tom Davis (R-VA) is requesting the House of Representatives consider an amendment (H.R. 3496, as revised) to the Deep Water Energy Resources Act (H.R. 4761) that would divert $1.5 billion of federal revenues earned through offshore drilling to subsidize the deeply troubled Metro transit system serving the nation’s capital and HIS congressional district.
• Sen. John Thune (R-SD) has added language to a federal railroad bill to enable the Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad Corporation to secure a $2.3 billion loan from the federal government, more than twice the size of the Chrysler Corporation bailout in 1979. The loan would fund part of a $6 billion project by the railroad to rebuild 600 miles of track and add 260 new miles of track to low-sulfur coal mines in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming.
RANDOMLY, HERE'S SOME REAL DOOZIES YOUR CONGRESS OKAYED!
~ $18 million to rebuild a web site.
Apparently the Recovery.gov web site was perfectly adequate and completely functional, yet someone with political connections has been awarded a lucrative contract to rebuild it.
Such a project could be undertaken by any web designer, anywhere in the country, CHEAPLY. There are probably thousands of people who could have done this work for a small fraction of $18 million.
Editor’s note:Update MAR.2012: After all that expense, the website doesn’t work!
~$1.2 million to study the breeding habits of the woodchuck.
~$1.9 million for a water taxi in Connecticut
~ $3.8 million to preserve a baseball stadium in Detroit
~ $380,000 for a fairgrounds in Kotzebue, Alaska, just above the Arctic Circle.
~$219,000 to teach college students how to watch television.
YOU MAY NOT HAVE HAD AN INKLING THAT THIS WAS GOING ON WHILE YOU WERE SCREAMING FOR THE FEDS TO STOP HELPING THOSE DAMNED POOR PEOPLE AND THOSE KIDS AND THOSE ELDERLY AND DISABLED.
YOU MAY BE APPLAUDING ALL OVER YOUR COUCHES FOR THAT PALTRY $40 BILLION THE ELITIST GOP SCAVENGING DOGS TOOK FROM HUNGRY PEOPLE, BUT YOU DON'T GIVE A RAT'S FURRY BUTT ABOUT THE TRILLIONS BEING THROWN AWAY AS I HAVE SHOWN YOU.
OR...YOU JUST DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT HUNGRY PEOPLE...WHICH IS IT?
THOSE WHO WANT TO SWALLOW HARD AND BELIEVE THE LIES A PARTICULAR PARTY IS TELLING YOU ABOUT THE MILLIONS OF YOUR OWN FELLOW CITIZENS, THE LIES THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO WORK, THAT THEY'D RATHER BE HOMELESS, HUNGRY, AND DESPERATE FOR ANYTHING TO SEE THEM THROUGH TO BETTER TIMES, JUST WAIT...AFTER THIS CONGRESS GETS THROUGH TAKING FROM YOU AND GIVING TO THEIR FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES, MANY OF YOU WILL BE AMONG THAT NUMBER.
WHEN IT'S YOU WHO HAS NO FOOD AND NO INCOME, OR WHEN IT'S YOUR GRANDCHILDREN OR CHILDREN OR AGING PARENTS GOING WITHOUT, COME BACK AND TELL ME HOW IT FEELS, OKAY?
I REALLY WANT TO KNOW HOW YOU FEEL WHEN IT'S YOU OR YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS WHO NEED FOOD.
FACTS FROM THOSE WHO KEEP DILIGENT RECORDS, THEY'RE EASY TO FIND BUT HARD TO SWALLOW, RIGHT?
SO WHAT DO TOO MANY AMERICANS DO?
THEY TOSS THE FACTS AND MAKE UP LIES, JUST LIKE THEIR "PARTIES" DO!
THEY BARBEQUE ON WEEKENDS AND INVITE THEIR FRIENDS OVER FOR DRINKS AND A NICE MEAL, THROW OUT ENOUGH FOOD TO FEED 2 OTHER PEOPLE....
AND THEY STILL HATE THE POOR!
=======NO, NO, BYALLTHEGODS, I'M NOT DONE!
I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU HOW THE POOR REALLY LIVE IN AMERICA!
SURE, YOU CAN NOT READ THIS BUT YOU'RE A COWARD IF YOU DON'T!
THIS IS A TRUE STORY, I ASSURE YOU!
YOU CAN SAY THIS IS NO LONGER POSSIBLE IN AMERICA, BUT YOU'D BE WRONG. IT MAY NOT HAPPEN AS OFTEN AS IT DID 50 YEARS AGO, BUT IT DOES STILL HAPPEN TO THE TRULY POOR, AND MAYBE YOU'LL SEE, IT'S NOT THEIR "FAULT".
HIS NAME WAS DAVID.
HIS MOTHER WAS CHOCTAW INDIAN, MARRIED TO A LOCAL WHITE MAN.
SHE DIED WHEN DAVID WAS 7 YEARS OLD, MAINLY BECAUSE SHE WAS WORN OUT FROM HAVING 7 KIDS IN 8 YEARS, TAKING CARE OF THE SMALL FARM ALL ALONE MOST OF THE TIME, AND GETTING BEATEN EVERY TIME HER HUSBAND GOT ENOUGH MONEY TO GET DRUNK AND WAS HOME TO BEAT HER, OR SO WE WERE TOLD WHEN WE MOVED TO THAT TOWN.
BY THEN SHE'D BEEN DEAD A YEAR.
WHEN THE CORONER HAD TO SIGN OFF ON HER DEATH, HE WROTE THAT SHE WEIGHED 72 POUNDS. SHE WAS 5'9" TALL.
HER "HUSBAND" TOLD THE TOWN MARSHALL "SHE DIDN'T HAVE NO DRESS TO GET BURIED IN. SHE DIDN'T NEED NO DRESS, SHE NEVER WENT NOWHERE."
SO SHE WAS BURIED IN A RAGGED SLIP, A COTTON PETTICOAT.
THE HOUSE HAD NO RUNNING WATER, NO INDOOR PLUMBING, NO ELECTRICITY.
MOST PEOPLE DIDN'T KNOW ANY OF THIS EXCEPT FOR THE FEW WHO LIVED NEARBY AND HEARD HER AND THE KIDS SCREAMING ALL THOSE YEARS AND MAYBE PASSED BY TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON...PASSED BY AND JUST KEPT GOING.
NO ONE "INTERFERED".
THEY LIVED BARELY INSIDE THE CITY LIMITS, ABOUT 5 MILES FROM THE SCHOOLS.
BACK THEN, IN THAT STATE, BUSES DIDN'T HAVE TO RUN FOR KIDS INSIDE THE CITY LIMITS. THAT MEANT DAVID AND HIS SIBLINGS HAD TO WALK TO SCHOOL IF THEY WANTED TO GO. NO ONE WAS GOING TO DRIVE THEM.
FROM THE TIME HIS MOTHER DIED, HE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE KIDS, THE SHABBY, FALLING-DOWN FARM, EVERYTHING. HIS ONE OLDER SIBLING, A GIRL, WAS "NOT RIGHT IN THE HEAD" AS LOCALS SAID. SHE MAINLY SAT UNDER A TREE OR ON THE RUNDOWN PORCH AND CRIED. SHE NEVER WENT TO SCHOOL THAT ANYONE KNEW OF.
DAVID DID MANAGE TO TEACH HER HOW TO CHANGE A BABY'S DIAPER, BUT THE BABY ONLY HAD 6 DIAPERS AND SHE COULDN'T DO THE WASH.
BACK THEN, IN THAT COUNTY, MAYBE IN THE WHOLE STATE, THERE WERE NO "SOCIAL SERVICES", NO WELFARE AGENCIES, AND NO ONE "INTERFERED" WITH A MAN AND HIS FAMILY. NO ONE WANTED TO "GET INVOLVED". AND ALMOST NO ONE CARED WHAT HAPPENED TO "INJUNS" OR "INJUN BRATS". THAT'S JUST THE WAY THINGS WERE.
SO THE KIDS WERE ON THEIR OWN EXCEPT ON WEEKENDS WHEN THEIR "DAD" CAME HOME DRUNK AND BEAT THEM AND SHOT EVERY DOG OR CAT HE COULD SEE AND STOOD ON THE PORCH AND CURSED THE PASSERSBY.
SOMETIMES HE BROUGHT HOME A LITTLE FOOD, SOMETIMES HE JUST BROUGHT HOME TERROR.
NOBODY EVER TRIED TO "INTERFERE".
WELL, DAVID AND HIS SCHOOL-AGE SIBLINGS DID WALK TO SCHOOL, 5 MILES IN, 5 MILES BACK, AND JUST ABOUT EVERYONE IN THE TOWN SCREAMED THAT THEY THEY HAD TO ATTEND THE BLACK SCHOOL, OR AS IT WAS CALLED LOCALLY, "THE COLORED SCHOOL", BECAUSE THEIR MOTHER WAS "COLORED", MAKING THEM "COLORED", YOU SEE...BUT INTEGRATION AND ONE 'ACTIVIST' SORT, A TEACHER, GOT DAVID AND THE OTHERS ENROLLED AT THE WHITE SCHOOL.
THEY ALL PAID DEARLY FOR THAT TRANSITION.
THE HATE MOST HAD FOR THOSE "DARK" KIDS GOING TO A WHITE SCHOOL WAS INCREDIBLE.
WHEN DAVID GOT IN SCHOOL, SO DID TWO OF HIS YOUNGER BROTHERS.
THE NEXT YEAR, FOUR WERE WALKING THAT ROAD, AND, EVENTUALLY, ALL BUT THE OLDEST WAS.
DAVID HAD TO GO HOME, WORK WHAT GARDEN THEY HAD, FORAGE FOR FOOD AND WOOD TO COOK IT WITH, TEND TO 2 SCRAWNY COWS, UNTIL THE OLDER ONE DIED, A DOZEN CHICKENS, A PIG (THAT FINALLY ESCAPED INTO THE WOODS), AND ALL HIS SIBLINGS: 4 YOUNGER BROTHERS, A YOUNGER SISTER, AND THE OLDEST GIRL.
HE HAD TO STUDY BEFORE DARK OR RIGHT AFTER DAYBREAK BECAUSE THEY HAD NO CANDLES, NO LANTERNS, NO LIGHT IN THE DARK. HE GOT SCHOOL SUPPLIES FROM THE TRASH, FROM THINGS OTHERS THREW AWAY, OR WITH THE FEW DOLLARS HE WAS ABLE TO MAKE FROM ODD JOBS, AND FROM ONE OR TWO OF US WHO MADE IT A POINT TO LEAVE SOMETHING BEHIND EACH DAY ON TOP OF THE CLASS TRASH CAN. HE NEVER ASKED FOR ANYTHING FROM ANY OF US.
WHEN HIS "DAD" WAS HOME, DAVID SLEPT IN THE LEAN-TO BARN, AS DID THE OTHER BOYS, NO MATTER THE WEATHER.
BUT EVERY SCHOOL DAY, RAIN OR SHINE, COLD OR HOT, DAVID WALKED THEM, SINGLE-FILE IN THEIR RAGS TO SCHOOL. ONCE THEY WERE OLD ENOUGH TO GO TO SCHOOL THAT'S WHERE THEY WERE
FINALLY, BECAUSE OF SCHOOL RULES, SOMEONE GOT TOGETHER ENOUGH SHOES FOR THEM ALL, THEY HAD TO WEAR SHOES OR NOT GO TO THE WHITE SCHOOL, YOU SEE.
AFTER SIX MONTHS OR SO, DAVID HAD TO CUT THE TOES OUT OF HIS SHOES, HE'D OUTGROWN THEM. ONE-BY-ONE, ALL OF THEM HAD TO DO THAT BUT NO ONE THOUGHT TO OFFER THEM NEW SHOES, OR CAST-OFFS, SO THEY CAME TO SCHOOL WITH FROZEN TOES IN WINTER UNTIL THE SHOES FELL APART, UNTIL THEIR CLOTHES FELL APART.
UNTIL WE WERE ALL OLDER, NONE OF US THOUGHT TO MENTION THIS TO OUR PARENTS. BY THE TIME WE REALIZED WE SHOULD HAVE, WE WERE TOO ASHAMED FOR THE YEARS WE HADN'T, PERHAPS.
BY THAT TIME, SOME OF THE LOCAL "GARDEN LADIES" DECIDED IT'D BE CHARITABLE AND "THE CHRISTIAN THING TO DO" IF THEY COLLECTED SOME CAST-OFF CLOTHES AND SHOES AND TOOK THEM TO DAVID'S HOMEROOM TEACHER.
THAT UNLEASHED HELL AT HOME!
THE "DAD" CAME IN ON A FRIDAY NIGHT, WE LEARNED LATER, SAW ALL THOSE "NEW" CLOTHES, BECAME ENRAGED, STRIPPED THE KIDS DOWN TO THEIR UNDERWEAR, BEAT THEM ALL OUTSIDE, MADE THEM PILE EVERYTHING IN A PILE WHICH HE SET ABLAZE, THEN RAN THEM ALL OFF INTO THE WOODS FOR THE NIGHT.
IT WAS NOVEMBER, 11 DAYS BEFORE THANKSGIVING.
DAVID CAME TO SCHOOL WITH A SWOLLEN FACE, BLACK EYES, A BROKEN NOSE AND A BROKEN WRIST....BUT COME TO SCHOOL HE DID, JUST HIM, IN A PAIR OF PAJAMA BOTTOMS HE FOUND SOMEWHERE, MAYBE HIS "DAD'S", AND A SHIRT HE'D MADE FROM CUTTING HOLES IN A FEED SACK, NO SHOES. HE DOGGEDLY WENT TO HIS TEACHER AND TOLD HER WHAT HAD HAPPENED, CALMLY, WITHOUT BLAMING HIS "DAD" FOR ANYTHING, AND ASKED HER TO FIND HELP TO GET HIS SIBLINGS OUT OF THE WOODS AND GET THEM SOME CLOTHES, MAYBE SOME FOOD. HE SAID THE BABY (BY THEN 4 YEARS OLD) WAS SICK, HAD NO MILK, AND THAT THE OLDER SISTER WAS OUT THERE SOMEWHERE JUST SCREAMING AND WOULDN'T LET ANYONE NEAR HER.
HE APOLOGIZED FOR HAVING TO ASK FOR HELP. HIS "DAD" HAD BURNED EVERY MORSEL OF FOOD, AND EVEN $3.00 DAVID HAD EARNED.
HE DIDN'T KNOW WHERE HIS "DAD" WAS, WHO HE WORKED FOR, AND HAD NO IDEA IF HE HAD RELATIVES NEARBY OR ANYWHERE ON EARTH. THAT TEACHER, AN OLDER LADY, RENOWN FOR BEING 'TOUGH', AND FEARED BY ALL HER STUDENTS, WENT INTO A RAGE. SHE MARCHED 2 BLOCKS TO THE MARSHALL'S OFFICE, TOLD THE STORY, DEMANDED THAT SOMETHING BE DONE, ORGANIZED A SEARCH FOR THE KIDS, GATHERED FOOD AND CLOTHES FOR ALL OF THEM, AND DID ALL THAT WITHIN A 5-HOUR TIME FRAME.
EVERYONE KNEW THE "DAD" WOULDN'T BE BACK FOR AT LEAST 4 DAYS, SO SOME GOT BRAVE, EVEN IF IN FEAR OF THAT TEACHER, MRS. H.
THE LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT DETERMINED THAT THEY STILL COULDN'T (OR WOULDN'T) INTERFERE WITH FAMILY MATTERS. AS I SAID, THERE WERE NO "SOCIAL SERVICES" TO HELP THOSE KIDS, BUT A COUPLE OF THE MEN, AMONG THE 'FOUNDING FATHERS' OF THE SMALL TOWN, ALONG WITH MRS. H AND SOME OF THE GARDEN CLUB LADIES, DECIDED TO 'MAKE A PROJECT' OF SEEING THE KIDS HAD FOOD AND CLOTHES AND THE NECESSITIES FROM THEN ON, AND TOLD THE MARSHALL THAT THEY'D MAKE IT CLEAR TO "DAD" THAT THAT WAS JUST HOW IT HAD TO BE.
NO ONE OFFERED TO TAKE THE KIDS INTO THEIR OWN HOMES, THEY HAD A "FATHER" AFTER ALL.
THAT WORKED OUT FOR ALMOST 2 MONTHS AND THEN MOST FORGOT THEIR PROMISES AND LOST THEIR BRAVADO, ALL BUT MRS. H, MY PARENTS, ANOTHER TEACHER, ONE SENIOR STUDENT, A DEPUTY, 3 KIDS IN MY CLASS, AND ME.
TO SAY THAT LIFE IMPROVED FOR THOSE 7 KIDS MAY BE TRUE, BUT BARELY SO AND ONLY IN THAT THE "DAD" DIDN'T STOP US FROM MAKING FOOD DROPS AT HIS GATE, OR TO MRS. H's ROOM, WHO DEFIANTLY DELIVERED THEM AND SAW THAT THE KIDS GOT WHAT SHE TOOK.
THEY HAD SHOES AGAIN, CLOTHES, SOME FOOD, EVEN COATS FOR A CHANGE, BUT MAINLY THEY STILL LIVED LIKE ANIMALS.
DAVID GREW UP, DEVELOPED A RICH, RESONANT, DEEP VOICE WHICH MRS. H. ENCOURAGED HIM TO USE TO GET INTO SPEECH CLASS, MAKING HIM A STAR PUPIL AT DEBATES AND "READINGS". HE WAS A FINE STUDENT, BUT HONOR SOCIETY NEVER ASKED HIM TO JOIN, EVEN WHEN MRS. H. PRODDED THEM SEVERELY.
DAVID ALWAYS WAS A "COLORED" STUDENT IN THAT SCHOOL TO ALMOST EVERYONE. NOTHING CHANGED THAT AND HE ACCEPTED IT.
IN OUR SENIOR YEAR, HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN VALEDICTORIAN, BUT THE HONOR WENT TO A GIRL WITH A LOWER GPA.
MRS. H. WORKED TO GET DAVID A SCHOLARSHIP OUT OF STATE BUT HE WAS MIRACULOUSLY ACCEPTED AT THE STATE UNIVERSITY. SOMEHOW, THE FEW OF US WHO CONTINUED TO SUPPORT THAT POOR FAMILY OF ORPHANS MANGED TO FUND HIM FOR 4 YEARS.
THERE WERE TERRIBLE TIMES, LIKE WHEN THE OLDEST SISTER DIED IN CHILDBIRTH AT 17, BLED TO DEATH HIDING IN THE WOODS, THE BABY STILLBORN, AND MANY WONDERED ALOUD IF THE "DAD" WAS TO BLAME FOR THE PREGNANCY.
HE LEFT FOR GOOD ABOUT THAT TIME AND NEVER CAME BACK.
THE YOUNGEST BOY WAS STRUCK BY A CAR, WALKING ALONE DOWN THE ROAD AFTER FINISHING CHORES AT A NEIGHBOR'S AFTER DARK. HE WAS A SWEET AND HANDSOME 10-YEAR-OLD BY THEN. THE PERSON WHO STRUCK HIM WAS NEVER IDENTIFIED.
EACH TIME, THE TOWN TOOK UP A COLLECTION TO BURY THE DEAD AND EVERYONE HUNG THEIR HEADS FOR A FEW WEEKS, THEN FORGOT ABOUT THEM AGAIN.
THE YOUNGER GIRL SUFFERED A RUPTURED APPENDIX IN THE MIDDLE OF A SUMMER NIGHT AND DAVID CARRIED HER OVER 3 MILES TO THE HOSPITAL, WHICH SAVED HER LIFE.
DAVID NEVER REALLY MADE A SINGLE REAL FRIEND. SOME OF US TRIED VERY HARD TO BE FRIENDS WITH HIM, BUT HE COULDN'T EVEN LOOK AT US AND TALK. MRS. H. TOLD ME THAT HE TALKED QUITE A BIT TO HER, BUT SHE CARED DEEPLY ABOUT HIM AND I THINK HE SAW HER AS A MOTHER HE HADN'T HAD.
THE POINT IS, EVEN WITH ALL THAT HE FACED, ALL THE DESPERATE HOPELESSNESS THAT SEEMED TO SURROUND HIM, THE ABJECT POVERTY, NO "SOCIAL SERVICES", NO FOOD STAMPS, NO MEDICAID, NO WELFARE CHECKS, NOTHING, THAT YOUNG MAN NEVER GAVE UP, NEVER STOPPED TRYING, NEVER EXPECTED ONE THING FROM ANYONE EXCEPT FOR THE ONE TIME HE NEEDED HELP GATHERING HIS SIBLINGS AND GETTING THEM SOMETHING TO EAT BECAUSE THE "DAD" HAD DESTROYED ALL THEY HAD.
HE WORKED FOR ANYONE WHO EVER CONTRIBUTED TO HIM AND HIS BROTHERS AND SISTERS, DOING WHATEVER ODD JOBS HE MIGHT IMAGINE NEEDED DONE, SILENTLY, JUST CAME AND WENT LIKE A SHADOW AMONG US, "PAYING BACK" TO ALL OF US FOR WHAT LITTLE THEY GOT FROM US.
NO MATTER THE SEASON OR CIRCUMSTANCE, HE PERSEVERED, HE HUNG IN THERE, NOT ONCE LASHING OUT, NOT ONCE BLAMING ANYONE FOR HIS LOT IN LIFE.
HE INSPIRED ME, HE MADE ME SEE HOW MUCH A HUMAN SPIRIT CAN TAKE AND NOT CAVE IN.
AS I WATCHED HIM GROW UP, SO DID I, AND IN MY DARKEST TIMES IN THE YEARS AFTERWARD, WHEN THINGS SEEMED IMPOSSIBLE TO BEAR, IMPOSSIBLE TO ACCOMPLISH, I THOUGHT OF DAVID.... AND JUST DID WHAT I HAD TO DO TO GO ON.
MRS. H. PASSED AWAY ABOUT 6 YEARS AFTER WE GRADUATED. SHE HAD BEEN MANY YEARS BEYOND RETIREMENT WHEN I MET HER. I WAS FAR, FAR AWAY OUT OF COUNTRY BY THEN. I HEARD THAT DAVID CAME TO THE FUNERAL AND BROUGHT HER FAVORITE FLOWERS, GARDENIAS, AND COVERED HER GRAVE WITH THEM.
NO ONE HAS SEEN OR HEARD FROM HIM SINCE THAT DAY. ALL THE OTHERS WENT AS SILENTLY AWAY, AS HE DID, ONE-BY-ONE.
I HOPE HE WAS SUCCESSFUL, HAD A GOOD LIFE, REALIZED THAT SOME OF US GENUINELY CARED FOR HIM.
HIS STORY, AND THAT OF A WOMAN WHO LIVED IN A CONVERTED CHICKEN COOP WITH HER 6 CHILDREN UNTIL SHE DIED OF OVARIAN CANCER, MALNOURISHED, AS WERE HER KIDS, ALL FOUND WHEN SOMEONE REPORTED A BABY CRYING FOR 2 DAYS AND NAKED KIDS IN A DRAINAGE DITCH PLAYING IN RAIN WATER, THESE THINGS CONVINCE ME THAT "SOCIAL SERVICES" CAN'T BE ANYTHING BUT GOOD, THAT FEEDING THE HUNGRY WON'T BANKRUPT AMERICA, THAT PROVIDING FOR THE DESTITUTE WON'T BREAK THE BANK NOR ROB ANY OF US OF ANYTHING WE CAN'T DO WITHOUT TO HELP PROVIDE BARE NECESSITIES FOR KIDS LIKE DAVID, LIKE THE 6 ORPHANS THAT NO ONE KNEW THE NAMES OF WHEN THEY WERE FOUND AFTER THEIR MOTHER LAY DEAD IN THE HOUSE WITH THEM FOR ALMOST 3 DAYS.
I COULD POINT YOU TO HUNDREDS OF SUCH FAMILIES FROM THOSE DAYS GONE BY, JUST IN OUR SMALL COUNTY, AND TO DOZENS OF SUCH CASES TODAY, RIGHT NOW, WITHIN A 20-MILE RADIUS OF THIS LITTLE BLUE RIDGE TOWN.
NOT ALL OF AMERICA HAS FOUND THE "AMERICAN DREAM", IN SPITE OF DOING ALL THEY CAN DO TO CREATE IT.
ALL JUST ISN'T ENOUGH SOMETIMES, YOU SEE.
IF YOU DROVE AROUND YOUR OWN CORNER OF AMERICA, I'M SURE YOU COULD SPOT ONE OR MORE SUCH CASES YOURSELVES, IF YOU JUST OPEN YOUR EYES AND SEE THEM...AND NOT JUST PASS ON BY.
WAS DAVID'S MOTHER OR THE OTHER WOMAN AT FAULT FOR THEIR LIVES?
SHOULD THOSE CHILDREN BEAR THE "GUILT" FOR THEIR POVERTY AND HOPELESSNESS?
WAS IT ANYONE'S FAULT WHO SUFFERED SUCH THINGS WITHOUT EVER ASKING FOR HELP, WITHOUT FINDING HELP IN THEIR WORST OF TIMES?
IF DAVID HAD ASKED FOR HELP MORE THAN ONCE, WOULD THAT MAKE HIM LESS "NOBLE", LESS ANYTHING?
WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE, HAD YOU BEEN FACED WITH THE LIFE HE WAS BORN TO?
YOU SEE, BEFORE "SOCIAL SERVICES", BEFORE "FOOD STAMPS", PEOPLE SIMPLY ACCEPTED THEIR FATE AND QUIETLY DIED. THERE WAS LITTLE ELSE THEY COULD DO.
IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT ALL TO DO NOW WHO NEED ANY TYPE OF HELP?
JUST KEEP QUIET, STAY OUT OF YOUR WAY, AND DIE?
IS THAT WHAT CONGRESS EXPECTS PEOPLE TO DO?
IF SO, I CAN DO LITTLE BUT WONDER AT SUCH CALLOUSNESS, SUCH SELF-CENTERED STINGINESS.
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