Afghanistan Veteran on Food Stamps Writes Letter to \u2018Caring\u2019 Conservatives<\/a> by Richard Roe in Americans Against The Tea Party.<\/p>\nThe Text:<\/strong> Some people measure a society\u2019s condition by the lifestyles of the rich and famous \u2014 and those people are usually the rich and famous. For the rest of humanity, a society\u2019s success is measured by the living conditions of the poorest. And who exactly the \u201cpoorest\u201d are.<\/p>\nThis letter, posted on September 19th by a combat veteran named Jason, speaks volumes of what American poverty looks like on the side streets of our society, and of the people who sleep on them.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy name is Jason. I turned 35 less than a week ago. My first job was maintenance work at a public pool when I was 17. I worked 40-hours a week while I was in college. I\u2019ve never gone longer than six months without employment in my life and I just spent the last three years in the military, one of which consisted of a combat tour of Afghanistan.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Oh, and I\u2019m now on food stamps. Since June, as a matter of fact.<\/p>\n
Why am I on food stamps?<\/p>\n
The same reason everyone on food stamps is on food stamps: because I would very much enjoy not starving.<\/p>\n
I mean, if that\u2019s okay with you:<\/p>\n
\u2026Mr. or Mrs. Republican congressman.
\n\u2026Mr. or Mrs. Conservative commentator.
\n\u2026Mr. or Mrs. \u201cwelfare queen\u201d letter-to-the-editor author.
\n\u2026Mr. or Mrs. \u201cfiscal conservative, reason-based\u201d libertarian.<\/p>\n
I do apologize for burdening you on the checkout line with real-life images of American-style poverty. I know you probably believe the only true starving people in the world have flies buzzing around their eyes while they wallow away, near-lifeless in gutters.<\/p>\n
Hate to burst the bubble, but those people don\u2019t live in this country.<\/p>\n
I do. And millions like me. Millions of people in poverty who fall into three categories.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s call them the \u201clucky\u201d category, since conservatives seem to think people on welfare have hit some sort of jackpot:<\/p>\n
Those living paycheck to paycheck? They\u2019re a little lucky.<\/p>\n
Those living unemployment check to unemployment check? They\u2019re a little luckier.<\/p>\n
Those living 2nd of the month to 2nd of the month? *ding* We\u2019ve hit the jackpot!<\/p>\n
The 2nd of the month being the time when funds gets electronically deposited onto the EBT card, [at least in NY] for those who\u2019ve never been fortunate enough to hit that $175\/month Powerball.<\/p>\n
I fall into the latter two categories. But I\u2019ve known people recently – soldiers in the Army \u2013 who were in the first and third. <\/p>\n
They were off fighting in Afghanistan while their wives were at home, buying food at the on-post commissary with food stamps.<\/p>\n
And nobody bats an eye there, because it\u2019s not uncommon in the military.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not uncommon \u2013 nor is it shameful. It might be shameful how little service-members are paid, but that\u2019s a separate issue.<\/p>\n
The fact remains anyone at a certain income level can find it difficult from time to time to pay for everything. And when you\u2019re poor you learn to make sacrifices. Food shouldn\u2019t be one of them.<\/p>\n
The whole concept is un-American. People living here, in the greatest country on Earth, with the most abundant resources, should be forced to go hungry because of the intellectual notion of fiscal conservatism and the ideological notion of self-reliance.<\/p>\n
Are you fucking kidding me?<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t risk my life in Afghanistan so I could come back and watch people go hungry in America. I certainly didn\u2019t risk it so *I* could come back and go hungry.<\/p>\n
Anyone who genuinely supports cutting food stamps is not an intellectual or an ideologue \u2013 they\u2019re a bully.<\/p>\n
And nobody likes a bully. Except other bullies.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s time for regular Americans to stand up to these bullies. Not cower in the corner, ashamed of needing help. Because if there\u2019s one thing life has taught me, it\u2019s that you never know when you\u2019ll be the one in need.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Article: Afghanistan Veteran on Food Stamps Writes Letter to \u2018Caring\u2019 Conservatives by Richard Roe in Americans Against The Tea Party. The Text: Some people measure a society\u2019s condition by the lifestyles of the rich and famous \u2014 and those people are usually the rich and famous. For the rest of humanity, a society\u2019s success […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[259],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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![\"Homeless](\"http:\/\/www.prosebeforehos.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/homeless-vets.jpg\")
<\/p>\n