1st Draft
It Could Be You
Those who need food assistance in America are not lazy freeloaders; they are hardworking Americans like you or me and deserve our help and sympathy. Hunger in the United States is a massive problem; a crisis. One in six Americans do not get enough to eat and fifty million Americans are food insecure. That means they do not know where there next meal is going to come from. Also, 44 million Americans participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), basically these people need food-stamps to live. Furthermore, 23.5 million Americans live in food deserts. A food desert is a place where affordable nutritious food is hard to come by. These are alarming statistics, especially considering America is the most developed nation in the world. In fact, the U.S.A ranks worst among advanced economy nations for citizens living with hunger and food insecurity. These statistics are unacceptable, and one can’t help but wonder why? Why is American letting its people go hungry? Why doesn't the United States do more to help its starving citizens? One huge reason is the stereotype placed on the needy. Many feel people who use SNAP and or food banks are lazy freeloaders or drug addicts who don’t deserve help or sympathy. It is thought that these people in need of assistance are too lazy to get a job and prefer relying on the government and charities to support them. However, this is not the case. People using SNAP and food banks are hardworking individuals who simply do not make enough to eat.
Take for example, food stamp applicant Valerie Dean Belew. She is a 58 year old woman with a master’s degree in divinity. Due to budget cuts in the state government she no longer makes enough to eat. Instead of taking her bad-luck lying down Ms. Belew took four more jobs to try and compensate. Valerie works as a contract writer, part time assistant, professional online writer, substance abuse assessment counselor and even has her own creative writing business. Obviously, Ms. Belew is not lazy. She is simply a woman on hard times who needs help. She could be anyone’s neighbor, aunt or mother. Valerie did all the right things in her life. She went to school and got not just an undergraduate degree but a graduate degree as well. She works as hard as she possibly can to get by and has lived her life by the book. Needless to mention, working five jobs leaves little time for a drug addiction. Basically, Valerie does everything Americans are told to do to be successful and she doesn't have the money to eat. If any American does not feel sympathy towards her and if her story does not motivate them to do something about the hunger crisis in America, they must be mentally deranged. Valerie Dean Belew is not a one off either. Unfortunately stories like hers are much too common.
The documentary A Place at the Table spotlights a police officer, a teacher, and a rancher whole are all food insecure. These hard working American citizens deal with hunger on a daily basis. Police officers exist to protect and serve the community. An incredibly difficult job that often requires long hours and great physical risk. Teachers are charged with educating our young people. A job that’s importance cannot be stressed enough. It is very easy to argue that teachers and police officers are two of the most important jobs in any community. These people are far from lazy free loaders or drug addicts; they are hungry! A rancher’s job is never ending. Their land is in constant need of maintenance and ironically there job is often associated with food production. Again, this is a person who is hard working not freeloading. That a teacher, a police officer and a rancher can go hungry in America is very alarming. How can our streets be adequately patrolled if officers are hungry? How can we count on teachers to educate are children if they are hungry? How can we live with ourselves as a nation if we allow a hard working rancher to be food insecure?
Perhaps at this point in reading you are saying to yourself you know people who need food assistance are not just drug addicts and freeloaders. Good for you. However, most Americans get there knowledge from cable news programs. Some of which have misinformed their viewers about the kind of people needing food assistance. Unfortunately, these programs have been perpetuating the stereotype only the lazy freeloader or drug addict is in need of food. For example, Sean Hannity, a fox news anchor is quoted asking, “are people better off on food stamps or better off with a job?" Obviously implying to his viewers people who are in need of food don’t have jobs. It is these kinds of reports from cable news programs that take away sympathy and therefore help to the 50 million Americans who are food insecure.
Americans are hungry and they are not freeloading drug addicts. They are hardworking educated individuals like Valerie Dean Belew. They are our police officers, teachers and ranchers. The food insecure in this country are everywhere. They could be a neighbor, teacher, friend, family member. The hungry are deserving of our help and sympathy. They work as hard if not harder than their fellow Americans. Next time someone says people on food stamps are lazy, say no they are not. Call into T.V stations when you hear them generalized as freeloading drug addicts and scold them for inaccurate reporting. It is vital we see this nations hungry as they are, real people with jobs who have fallen on hard times because only then will we really want to help them. Just think if a police officer can be food insecure so can you. Would you call yourself a freeloader or a drug addict?
Sources:
It Could Be You
Those who need food assistance in America are not lazy freeloaders; they are hardworking Americans like you or me and deserve our help and sympathy. Hunger in the United States is a massive problem; a crisis. One in six Americans do not get enough to eat and fifty million Americans are food insecure. That means they do not know where there next meal is going to come from. Also, 44 million Americans participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), basically these people need food-stamps to live. Furthermore, 23.5 million Americans live in food deserts. A food desert is a place where affordable nutritious food is hard to come by. These are alarming statistics, especially considering America is the most developed nation in the world. In fact, the U.S.A ranks worst among advanced economy nations for citizens living with hunger and food insecurity. These statistics are unacceptable, and one can’t help but wonder why? Why is American letting its people go hungry? Why doesn't the United States do more to help its starving citizens? One huge reason is the stereotype placed on the needy. Many feel people who use SNAP and or food banks are lazy freeloaders or drug addicts who don’t deserve help or sympathy. It is thought that these people in need of assistance are too lazy to get a job and prefer relying on the government and charities to support them. However, this is not the case. People using SNAP and food banks are hardworking individuals who simply do not make enough to eat.
Take for example, food stamp applicant Valerie Dean Belew. She is a 58 year old woman with a master’s degree in divinity. Due to budget cuts in the state government she no longer makes enough to eat. Instead of taking her bad-luck lying down Ms. Belew took four more jobs to try and compensate. Valerie works as a contract writer, part time assistant, professional online writer, substance abuse assessment counselor and even has her own creative writing business. Obviously, Ms. Belew is not lazy. She is simply a woman on hard times who needs help. She could be anyone’s neighbor, aunt or mother. Valerie did all the right things in her life. She went to school and got not just an undergraduate degree but a graduate degree as well. She works as hard as she possibly can to get by and has lived her life by the book. Needless to mention, working five jobs leaves little time for a drug addiction. Basically, Valerie does everything Americans are told to do to be successful and she doesn't have the money to eat. If any American does not feel sympathy towards her and if her story does not motivate them to do something about the hunger crisis in America, they must be mentally deranged. Valerie Dean Belew is not a one off either. Unfortunately stories like hers are much too common.
The documentary A Place at the Table spotlights a police officer, a teacher, and a rancher whole are all food insecure. These hard working American citizens deal with hunger on a daily basis. Police officers exist to protect and serve the community. An incredibly difficult job that often requires long hours and great physical risk. Teachers are charged with educating our young people. A job that’s importance cannot be stressed enough. It is very easy to argue that teachers and police officers are two of the most important jobs in any community. These people are far from lazy free loaders or drug addicts; they are hungry! A rancher’s job is never ending. Their land is in constant need of maintenance and ironically there job is often associated with food production. Again, this is a person who is hard working not freeloading. That a teacher, a police officer and a rancher can go hungry in America is very alarming. How can our streets be adequately patrolled if officers are hungry? How can we count on teachers to educate are children if they are hungry? How can we live with ourselves as a nation if we allow a hard working rancher to be food insecure?
Perhaps at this point in reading you are saying to yourself you know people who need food assistance are not just drug addicts and freeloaders. Good for you. However, most Americans get there knowledge from cable news programs. Some of which have misinformed their viewers about the kind of people needing food assistance. Unfortunately, these programs have been perpetuating the stereotype only the lazy freeloader or drug addict is in need of food. For example, Sean Hannity, a fox news anchor is quoted asking, “are people better off on food stamps or better off with a job?" Obviously implying to his viewers people who are in need of food don’t have jobs. It is these kinds of reports from cable news programs that take away sympathy and therefore help to the 50 million Americans who are food insecure.
Americans are hungry and they are not freeloading drug addicts. They are hardworking educated individuals like Valerie Dean Belew. They are our police officers, teachers and ranchers. The food insecure in this country are everywhere. They could be a neighbor, teacher, friend, family member. The hungry are deserving of our help and sympathy. They work as hard if not harder than their fellow Americans. Next time someone says people on food stamps are lazy, say no they are not. Call into T.V stations when you hear them generalized as freeloading drug addicts and scold them for inaccurate reporting. It is vital we see this nations hungry as they are, real people with jobs who have fallen on hard times because only then will we really want to help them. Just think if a police officer can be food insecure so can you. Would you call yourself a freeloader or a drug addict?
Sources:
- http://valeriebelew.hubpages.com/hub/FOOD-STAMP-BENEFITS-NOT-FOR-THE-LAZY-OR-FAINT-HEARTED
- http://www.takepart.com/place-at-the-table/snap-alumni
- http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/01/26/new-face-food-stamps-working-age-americans/
- http://mediamatters.org/research/2012/09/18/hannity-omits-the-food-stamp-facts-most-recipie/189991
- A Place at the Table