That is why we have government programs

Two stories came together on Common Dreams this morning – that pissed me off.

The first one written by one of my favorite writers/speakers Jim Hightower about a veteran arrested for dumpster diving in the great red state of Texas.

In March, James Kelly, a 44-year-old Navy veteran, was passing through Houston on his way to connect with family in California. Homeless, destitute, and hungry, he chose to check out the dining delicacies in a trash bin near City Hall. Spotted by police, Kelly was promptly charged with “disturbing the contents of a garbage can in the [central] business district.” Seriously.

“I was just basically looking for something to eat,” he told the Houston Chronicle. But, unbeknownst to both this indigent tourist and the great majority of Houston’s generally generous citizens, an ordinance dating way back to 1942 says that “molesting garbage containers” is illegal.

“I was just basically looking for something to eat,”

“I was just basically looking for something to eat,”

“I was just basically looking for something to eat,”

 And then you have the story of Representative Fincher of Tennessee “who was named one of the "Most Corrupt Members of Congress" by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics” and “who is the second largest recipient of farm subsidies in the United States Congress” (an USDA program) who want to cut money to SNAP (food stamps -an USDA program)

The Tea Party caucus member from Tennessee's 8th district justifies taking food out of the mouths of millions of hungry children and their parents by quoting the Book of Thessalonians:

"The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat."

He also quoted, a verse from the 26th chapter of Matthew, which says the "poor will always be with us."

"The role of citizens, of Christians, of humanity is to take care of each other," the congressman concedes,

but quickly adds "not for Washington to steal from those in the country and give to others in the country."

Let's break this statement down a bit:

"The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat."

"poor will always be with us."

But this visual I found on #UniteBlue tells it all from a Republican standpoint

  

"not for Washington to steal from those in the country and give to others in the country."

Isn’t that what corporate subsidies are?

Isn’t that what corporate welfare is?
Isn’t that what the bailouts were?

Isn’t that what Representative Fincher’s farm subsidies are?

"The role of citizens, of Christians, of humanity is to take care of each other,"

Well – it’s evident from the Jim Hightower story that THAT is NOT happening

and that is why we have government programs.
“I was just basically looking for something to eat,”
 

"The role of citizens, of humanity is to take care of each other,"

and that is why we have government programs.