When the richest nation in the world chooses to starve its citizens instead of feeding them, that decision is not about government maladministration; It is morally, and perhaps even religiously, reckless.
As of November 1, millions of Americans, especially black families, may face empty food cards and empty kitchens as the nation’s welfare program, the nation’s welfare program, fills the budget zone in Washington. Republican dealers, led by the rightful members of Congress, refused to pass a clean budget, causing a government shutdown. Their demands can be grasped and cruel
These laws easily allow big corporate breaks and defense contracts but quickly erode the food budgets of working families. They seem more interested in protecting the wrongdoings of billions than making sure America’s children have food on their plates. And although they call it Discal Stricant, we have to see it for what it is: a punishment disguised as a policy.
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Warning signs are already visible in every corner of the country as states unravel and families brace for another storm of uncertainty. In California, more than 5.5 million people who rely on Calfresh, the state’s version of Snap, have been told they may not receive benefits in November if the shutdown continues. In Georgia, about 1.4 million people who depend on food stamps could lose access starting at the beginning of the month. In Maine, officials have announced that federal Snap benefits will not be released unless Congress passes a budget or a new state directive comes in. This is not some distant threat. People are already choosing between medicine and electricity now you have to wonder where their next meal will come from.
We know that this war will not be shared equally because it never has been.
A USDA report highlighted by the Food Research Research and Action Center (Frac) found that 26 percent of consumers are black, even though black people make up only 13 percent of the American population. That number reflects the deep roots of racial inequality in this country, including low wages, fewer job opportunities, housing discrimination, and underserved schools.
Snap’s cutting benefits are a direct attack on black survival – on the elders who make up our communities, on those among us living with disabilities, and on the children who deserve a full plate and a fighting chance. Black seniors, struggling with lower incomes and rising medical costs, will have to stretch their resources further. Black seniors facing chronic barriers to employment will lose one of the few reliable supports they have. Working parents will also face impossible choices: rent or food, medicine or a new product, light debt or school supplies.
If morality guides the country’s legislators and the budgets they produce, feeding people will be seen as a life support activity. But instead, Congress tells us that there is not enough money to pay for SNAP while approving a military budget of $850 million. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) reports that the United States spends more on its military than the next nine countries that include countries such as China, Russia, and the United Kingdom. We pour money into making and spreading bombs while our neighbors eat, and stockpile weapons while children go to school hungry. These decisions represent a moral conflict that says everything about who this country chooses to protect – and who it is willing to ignore.
But there are better ways than those presented to us. Instead of cutting benefits for the snap, Congress could:
- Guarantee StAP as an important currency for spending money that has not been struck for political gain. Food security should not depend on political debates.
- Close corporate tax loopholes. A fraction of what the billions hide in the tax haven could end hunger in America.
- Eliminate penal work requirements. Forcing people to starve does not build character or character; It destroys people’s health and ability to survive.
- Invest in food royalty. Provide more support and resources to farmers, cooperatives, and gardeners who are thinking about difficult communities.
- Protect our elders and people living with disabilities. Promote access to food services, pay for delivery to people with mobility challenges, and make sure everyone can eat with dignity.
And yes, we should definitely expect this kind of care from the government and our tax dollars. But the truth is, those in power rarely serve people unless we do. Policy may be written in Washington, but power always rises from the ground. The only way the budget can move forward without punishing the poor is if we want more, consistently, all at once. We should call our representatives, email them, tag them on social media, and visit their regional offices. We must tell them that cutting food aid to the richest country in the world is unacceptable.
If your senator or representative served on the agriculture committee or agriculture caucus, ask them to protect Snap funding. To find out who is up for it, visit your family representation tool at House.gov and Committee assignments at Congress.Gov. Join local groups like Feed America, Frac, and Social Change to stay informed and connect with others. Share stories, plan a food drive, and keep the pressure off. Collective action is the only thing that has ever changed this country.
We also need to invest in aid networks within the communities that will be most affected by these cuts and delays in confiscation, because while law enforcement is arguing, people still have to eat. If you know someone whose heart has been delayed or cut, visit thoditp.org for food banks, free community meals, housing assistance, and other local resources. Now is the time to confront. Throw away the neighbor’s food. Donate to the community fridge. Sekela ama-an an an an an an an an an an an an an an an an an an an an antio Bheka abadala phansi komgwaqo. Black people have always made abundance out of scarcity, and it’s time for more of us to adopt this tradition.
Food is not a right. It is a human right. And when the government forgets that fact, it is up to the people to remember it. Because when we feed each other, we don’t just stay alive- we live the words of our black mother, Gwendolyn Brooks, who wrote, “We favor each other; we are each other’s business; we are each other’s greatness and responsibility.”
Josie Pickens He is a teacher, writer, cultural critic, and Abolitive Strategist and organizer. He is the director of the UPEVE Movement, a national organization dedicated to ending the family book program.
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