3 ms·

Giving money to parents might result in the rent getting paid; it might not result in better nutrition for kids. Thing is, you can't learn if you're hungry. Yo

Giving money to parents might result in the rent getting paid; it might not result in better nutrition for kids. Thing is, you can't learn if you're hungry. You can't even sit still in class - you disrupt the education of other kids, and you make life hell for the teacher. If schools are required to educate kids, and the kids are hungry, then the schools will fail to educate those kids. That is, if they're not ensuring they're fed, then they're doing it wrong.

giantg2 4y ago
What scenarios are the needs-based USDA programs, SNAP/WIC, and food banks missing?
- denton-scratch 4y ago
  I am not well-informed about the inadequacies of the USA's means-testing of "welfare" (a term that is clean in the UK, but in the USA it's regarded as either plain wrong, or as evidence of bad character). Being forced to fall back on a food bank is considered demeaning here. From what I've read upthread, a lot of food banks in the USA are church-run. Many people will be ultra-reluctant to essentially beg for help from churchy people, however careful those people are are to keep their churchiness out of their aid provision.
  - giantg2 4y ago
    Many food banks are not associated with churches. Why is it a problem that asking for free food is "demeaning"? Seems like that's more of a perspective or attitude issue than a functional one.
    - denton-scratch 4y ago
      It's a problem, because people avoid demeaning postures. I'm an old man, but you'd have to punch me quite a few times before I'd be prepared to grovel at your feet. The simple fact is that there's enough food in the world for everyone. So if people are going hungry, that can only be because either (a) the system is broken; or (b) the system is fine, and it's fine for people to go hungry. You seem to be a proponent of (b).

3 ms·

Giving money to parents might result in the rent getting paid; it might not result in better nutrition for kids. Thing is, you can't learn if you're hungry. Yo

by denton-scratch 4y ago

giantg2 4y ago
What scenarios are the needs-based USDA programs, SNAP/WIC, and food banks missing?
- denton-scratch 4y ago
  I am not well-informed about the inadequacies of the USA's means-testing of "welfare" (a term that is clean in the UK, but in the USA it's regarded as either plain wrong, or as evidence of bad character). Being forced to fall back on a food bank is considered demeaning here. From what I've read upthread, a lot of food banks in the USA are church-run. Many people will be ultra-reluctant to essentially beg for help from churchy people, however careful those people are are to keep their churchiness out of their aid provision.
  - giantg2 4y ago
    Many food banks are not associated with churches. Why is it a problem that asking for free food is "demeaning"? Seems like that's more of a perspective or attitude issue than a functional one.
    - denton-scratch 4y ago
      It's a problem, because people avoid demeaning postures. I'm an old man, but you'd have to punch me quite a few times before I'd be prepared to grovel at your feet. The simple fact is that there's enough food in the world for everyone. So if people are going hungry, that can only be because either (a) the system is broken; or (b) the system is fine, and it's fine for people to go hungry. You seem to be a proponent of (b).