No Free Lunch in Utah Kids!

[PMLsmom]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...cans-on-food-stamps-its-the-recession-mostly/

We live on one (not very high) income, but do not qualify for ANY assistance...we scrimp and save for EVERYTHING, including DH's school lunch. Meanwhile, others are getting free breakfast, lunch, and in some circumstances a take home backpack of dinner....Oh, and on OUR dime (as thin as it is and as a tax payer)....ETA - and the parent(s) get SNAP!

Just where is the responsibility THERE????

 

[PMLsmom]

Just a FYI on brought from home lunches a year or so ago:

http://www.carolinajournal.com/exclusives/display_exclusive.html?id=8762

 

[Karmady]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...cans-on-food-stamps-its-the-recession-mostly/

We live on one (not very high) income, but do not qualify for ANY assistance...we scrimp and save for EVERYTHING, including DH's school lunch. Meanwhile, others are getting free breakfast, lunch, and in some circumstances a take home backpack of dinner....Oh, and on OUR dime (as thin as it is and as a tax payer)....

Just where is the responsibility THERE????

And free aftercare and, here, there's even a Summer meals program!

 

[PMLsmom]

Same here Karmady! Bejezus - we work (I'm retired) HARD, pay all bills, etc., but yet...do not qualify for ANYTHING...Heat, food, cell phone, rent reductions, NOTHING. And live hand to mouth. What are we doing wrong, at this point?????? Being hard working and honest????

 

[Karmady]

Same here Karmady! Bejezus - we work (I'm retired) HARD, pay all bills, etc., but yet...do not qualify for ANYTHING...Heat, food, cell phone, rent reductions, NOTHING. And live hand to mouth. What are we doing wrong, at this point?????? Being hard working and honest????

Yes, ma'am. Who knew?

jmo

 

[hambirg]

Same here Karmady! Bejezus - we work (I'm retired) HARD, pay all bills, etc., but yet...do not qualify for ANYTHING...Heat, food, cell phone, rent reductions, NOTHING. And live hand to mouth. What are we doing wrong, at this point?????? Being hard working and honest????

I feel you. And I'm not saying that there aren't irresponsible parents out there. I know there are. But there are also a lot of people, some of them parents, who have been blindsided by life. . .had a major change in circumstances . . .divorce, death of a spouse, layoffs, major health crisis, etc. The way I look at that, is be thankful you aren't one of them. At least you can still pay your own way. I don't think most people choose to find themselves in a situation where they can't. And I certainly don't think we, as a society, should make their children suffer more. They are the innocent victims here. They are already affected through no choice of their own.

How many times have there been threads just here at Websleuths where we, as a community, are outraged? How could this happen? Why wasn't anyone looking out for this child? Etc, etc. IMHO, it's because our society doesn't value children enough. We blame them for the crimes of their parents. Just like here in this thread. Who really suffers? The kids! Who cares if it was just a case of a responsible parent's oversight or if the parent is a big friggin loser who is trying to skirt their responsibility? Why should that reflect on the child, who is powerless here, at all?

I knew the animal thing would show up here. It irritates me. . .every. friggin. time! And it's not that I don't think we should have empathy and compassion towards animals. I do. I support my local shelter. I've trapped strays and fostered litters. However, why are some people so generous and compassionate towards animals, but not towards fellow human beings? It usually seems it's because they can place blame on human beings. There is no difference between a homeless puppy and a needy child. They did not have any choice in their circumstance. People like to blame parents of children, but never give a second thought to the irresponsible human that failed the puppy. Why?! :banghead:

I don't understand people that can have more empathy and compassion for an animal than they can for another human being. We should care about BOTH. There is something wrong with our society where people will do everything in their power to help a stray dog, but walk past a homeless person and say, "Get a job." or blame a child for their parent forgetting to top up their lunch account. SMH!

MOO!!!!!!

 

[Karmady]

I feel you. And I'm not saying that there aren't irresponsible parents out there. I know there are. But there are also a lot of people, some of them parents, who have been blindsided by life. . .had a major change in circumstances . . .divorce, death of a spouse, layoffs, major health crisis, etc. The way I look at that, is be thankful you aren't one of them. At least you can still pay your own way. I don't think most people choose to find themselves in a situation where they can't. And I certainly don't think we, as a society, should make their children suffer more. They are the innocent victims here. They are already affected through no choice of their own.

How many times have there been threads just here at Websleuths where we, as a community, are outraged? How could this happen? Why wasn't anyone looking out for this child? Etc, etc. IMHO, it's because our society doesn't value children enough. We blame them for the crimes of their parents. Just like here in this thread. Who really suffers? The kids! Who cares if it was just a case of a responsible parent's oversight or if the parent is a big friggin loser who is trying to skirt their responsibility? Why should that reflect on the child, who is powerless here, at all?

I knew the animal thing would show up here. It irritates me. . .every. friggin. time! And it's not that I don't think we should have empathy and compassion towards animals. I do. I support my local shelter. I've trapped strays and fostered litters. However, why are some people so generous and compassionate towards animals, but not towards fellow human beings? It usually seems it's because they can place blame on human beings. There is no difference between a homeless puppy and a needy child. They did not have any choice in their circumstance. People like to blame parents of children, but never give a second thought to the irresponsible human that failed the puppy. Why?! :banghead:

I don't understand people that can have more empathy and compassion for an animal than they can for another human being. We should care about BOTH. There is something wrong with our society where people will do everything in their power to help a stray dog, but walk past a homeless person and say, "Get a job." or blame a child for their parent forgetting to top up their lunch account. SMH!

MOO!!!!!!

I have just as much compassion for children as I do for animals, certainly. Probably more for animals in certain situations compared to children in certain circumstances and of certain ages-- since the animals never have control over either their behavior or their circumstances.

That said, I think there are large but maybe subtle distinctions between the two situations that make it seem like some care "more about" animals then humans. Maybe there will be a thread someday where that issue is more directly on point. Plus, I don't feel like discussing it in detail today lol. Here, though, I don't think the compassion argument is in play. It's one meal of one day. And there was alternate food supplied (I agree THAT part is really stupid). No one was suffering in this example. jmo

 

[txsvicki]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...cans-on-food-stamps-its-the-recession-mostly/

We live on one (not very high) income, but do not qualify for ANY assistance...we scrimp and save for EVERYTHING, including DH's school lunch. Meanwhile, others are getting free breakfast, lunch, and in some circumstances a take home backpack of dinner....Oh, and on OUR dime (as thin as it is and as a tax payer)....ETA - and the parent(s) get SNAP!

Just where is the responsibility THERE????

I thought all kids in the country were entitle to free breakfast. The schools in my area don't handle the meals. It's done by aramark or some company, but teachers used to provide food for kids on weekends. They said some would have no food for the weekend if they didn't.

 

[lisalei321]

No free breakfasts here (unless you qualify), if DD wants breakfast at school, I pay for it!

Sent from my Galaxy s3 using Tapatalk

 

[Wolfie]

That said, I think there are large but maybe subtle distinctions between the two situations that make it seem like some care "more about" animals then humans.

I have seen people admit this on other boards, and on FB. It's horrifying to me.

 

[Wolfie]

I thought all kids in the country were entitle to free breakfast. The schools in my area don't handle the meals. It's done by aramark or some company, but teachers used to provide food for kids on weekends. They said some would have no food for the weekend if they didn't.

The only thing I've seen consistantly free for all children in the areas where I've worked is the summer lunch program. In the very low income schools, I've seen free breakfast for all, but most it's only free for those on free lunch.

 

[SuziQ]

I'm not saying that's never the case, but I have been an American all my life and have never heard of a school where you couldn't bring a sack lunch. jmo

eta: so long as it doesn't have a peanut butter sandwich or one of the ever increasing number of taboo items in it

A lot of school districts have banned home lunches. there's a thread about it somewhere here.

 

[Karmady]

I have seen people admit this on other boards, and on FB. It's horrifying to me.

Admit what? That they care more about animals, in general, v. adult human beings? If so, what's "horrifying" about that. Who cares whether some people feel more compassion toward animals than people, in general?

Were these people saying that between a baby left to starve chained to a post in the backyard and a dog in the same circumstance, they feel more sorry for the dog than the baby. If so, I'd agree with you. But I hope and believe that most people are "horrified" by both and that the people who have "admitted" preferring people to animals, as I think you're saying, are among them. jmo

 

[Karmady]

A lot of school districts have banned home lunches. there's a thread about it somewhere here.

I haven't seen that thread. Why, if you know?

 

[lisalei321]

I haven't seen that thread. Why, if you know?

I don't know why, but DD is not allowed to bring sack lunches

Sent from my Galaxy s3 using Tapatalk

 

[mikkismom]

Just a FYI on brought from home lunches a year or so ago:

http://www.carolinajournal.com/exclusives/display_exclusive.html?id=8762

LOL! I pack my kid's lunch to this specification because of this! My 'Picky Mikki' won't eat bread. I make sure she has 1 bread(ing), 1 milk, 2 fruits and 1 veggie.

jmo etc.

 

[Wolfie]

Admit what? That they care more about animals, in general, v. adult human beings? If so, what's "horrifying" about that. Who cares whether some people feel more compassion toward animals than people, in general?

Were these people saying that between a baby left to starve chained to a post in the backyard and a dog in the same circumstance, they feel more sorry for the dog than the baby. If so, I'd agree with you. But I hope and believe that most people are "horrified" by both and that the people who have "admitted" preferring people to animals, as I think you're saying, are among them. jmo

Yes, this is what they say. They also say that in an emergency they would rescue animals before humans.

I really hope that if they were ever faced with it, it would be different.

 

[SuziQ]

I haven't seen that thread. Why, if you know?

It was actually a thread about kids going hungry with the smaller lower calorie lunches. To add insult to injury, parents were banned from sending food from home. Below is an article about Chicago. But it was happening all over the country.
To encourage healthful eating, Chicago school doesn't allow kids to bring lunches or certain snacks from home — and some parents, and many students, aren't fans of the policy


Read more:
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/...120110410_1_lunch-food-provider-public-school

 

[Sonya610]

Admit what? That they care more about animals, in general, v. adult human beings? If so, what's "horrifying" about that. Who cares whether some people feel more compassion toward animals than people, in general?

Guess that comment was partly directed at me. It isn't about "admitting" that I have far more empathy for animals, I will openly state that I do.

And the situation with animals is FAR FAR more serious than a kid getting a down scaled "free lunch". We don't have euthanasia facilities to dispose of MILLIONS of unwanted kids in this country annually so there is NO comparison between the two.

To speak up and say one wishes more funds were used for animals seems to be akin to running around "abusing and starving children". I don't abuse anyone's kid and I can have a preferences regarding who I feel most sympathetic to in this society and where I wish my tax dollars went.

 

[lisser]

These lunches that were taken away from the kids were never meant to be "free", and had they been charged to the parents accounts, regardless that the account was already in arrears, the majority of those lunches would have, in the end, been paid for by the parents, no tax dollars required.

Instead, they were thrown away, costing tax dollars, and then those same kids were provided the "free" lunch, costing more tax dollars.

I just can not wrap my head around the decision to throw out all that food, while upsetting and humiliating young children who had no control over the funds in the first place. There was definitely a better way to deal with this, that didn't include wasting the food and the money it cost to make it and then replace it with an "alternative".