On the front page of the June 15th edition of the Chicago Tribune are the words, "Hunger doesn't go on summer break." Of course this is referring to Chicago Public Schools being out for the summer. The article raises the question as to where will the 84% of Chicago Public School children who receive free breakfast and lunch eat during the summer?
There are summer feeding programs in Chicago and around the country that do a wonderful job. At my last pastorate we fed children every day during the summer months with meals subsidized by the government and private support. Our involvement in feeding so many children however gestated a strange and disturbing truth: Urban populations across this country don't have enough food to eat in a country that pays farmers not to grow food.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has a Huffington Post article entitled, "Attacking Hunger at its Roots." Her article deals with hunger as the devastating global issue that it truly is. But do you know that 15 million children in the USA will go hungry this summer? Probably not. In America, we rarely like to talk about our own poor -- we would rather talk about the poor children in other countries, the ozone layer, the price of gas...anything but the reality of our nation's poverty.
There is not much media attention or even political attention for the lines which have doubled in number at food pantries around the country, or for the 15 percent increase in families seeking food stamps in this year alone.
What is this reason for this? Why isn't urban poverty an issue that Americans are willing to get behind and champion?
Americans blame the poor. Not only do impoverished families have to suffer hunger pangs, they also have to suffer accusations from those who believe poverty is their own fault. Many people tend to see poverty as a result of laziness, and they resist taking any communal responsibility for the hungry children in their own communities. Poverty is a vicious cycle that most people are unable to escape. It is often a situation someone is born into, not a situation someone "creates" or a situation for which they should be blamed.
America's businesses turn a blind eye. Mom and pop stores, liquor stores, and bodegas are a dime a dozen in our poor communities, but where is Dominick's, Jewel, Kroeger etc.? Big name grocery stores with affordable food and reward programs are not located where they are needed the most...in the nation's impoverished communities.
America's hungry children do not have a voice. In our country, it is more common to hear about needy animals in shelters or needy children overseas than to hear about the hungry children in our own communities. Urban poverty is a rarely discussed issue in Washington, one that has no voice or political spearhead behind it.
Until the pangs of the hungry begin to forge our moral platitudes into political "will" that structurally develops effective, radical urban policy that understands poverty as bad business and a sin, the cycle of poverty will continue and our children will go hungry for yet another summer...fall, winter and spring.
Follow Rev. Gregory Seal Livingston on Twitter: www.twitter.com/gslivingston
Being an immigrant from a very poor country, I grew up in a very poor slum and used to work when I was 10 years old (cleaning dishes in a canteen in exchange for food and clothing for me and my little brother). Thanks to some good scholarship programs I managed to do well, and even come to US for higher studies. The people in my slum raised and borrowed some money combined with a bank loan, I came USA. In USA, one of the churches near my university found me home and food (even though I did not follow christian faith).
The difference between America and other countries is:
- Others look at Poor as Poor and give hand out and spoil to be poor in the rest of their life. If I am a poor who keep getting handouts I am very comfortable and lazy and I will continue to look for more handouts. Look at the number beggars outside the mosques in Asian countries
In America you have enough opportunity and you get rewarded for hard work. It is better to teach a man how to fish and handout a fishing rod than feeding him a fish.
Instead of stretching your hand for some handout - once should get off their butt and work to get their food.
Often even after they've made the decision that they want in they fact obstacles. Land is often limited in poor urban areas and major retailers need a lot of space. Often they want tax breaks on the land, easing of zoning restrictions, and other assorted considerations.
I have sat in city council meetings where the loudest and most frequent voices were on issues like: Store X will kill off the mom and pops (often they will). Store Y engages in questionable or disagreeable business practices (some do). Store Z will destroy the neighborhood (I've never agreed with the "destroy", but it certainly can change a neighborhood).
There's good and bad trade offs involved. Some of the issues between helping poor urban areas and the larger social agenda cannot be resolved in the current business environment. Large retailers are not a panacea. On the other hand, they bring prices moms and pops cannot match. Often more jobs than the moms and pops provide. And more upward mobility for workers than local business can ever offer.
Just food for thought if you are ever asked to come to a meeting to keep Walmart or Winn Dixie or somebody else out of the neighborhood.
Here, for example, is acts 2 passages 42-47
The Fellowship of the Believers
42And(BV) they devoted themselves to the apostles’(BW) teaching and the(BX) fellowship, to(BY) the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43And awe[d] came upon every soul, and(BZ) many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44And all who believed were together and(CA) had all things in common. 45And(CB) they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46And day by day,(CC) attending the temple(CD) together and(CE) breaking bread in their homes, they received their food(CF) with glad and generous hearts, 47praising God and(CG) having favor with all the people. And the Lord(CH) added to their number(CI) day by day those who(CJ) were being saved.
Hmm "they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need" was that God or Karl Marx that inspired that? That passage is of course not unique, God does not like ostentatious wealth and does like helping the poor, according to the bible. The idea that God is a free market conservative republican is rather laughable. He's to the left of even the most liberal Democrats according to much of the New Testament and the teachings of Jesus.
And I agree...if people are hungry you have to feed them or they won't have enough energy to learn how to feed themselves. But it's more than just teaching people "how to fish". I've run across quite a few people on welfare that refuse to take the steps necessary to improve their lives. We need to give such people a deadline to "learn to fish" after which we will no longer feed them.
I happen to be an atheist, but my grandmother is very involved in these activities through her church, and I've been known to help out on occasion.
I also believe that Americans are less sympathetic to our own poor because the virtue of America is that anyone can make it. Our history is overflowing with examples of people that pulled themselves up by their own bootstraps. Not to mention that we already pay for a excessive number of welfare programs. Since I am already paying to feed the hungry both here and around the world with my tax dollars, why should I pay for it again?
Americans are the most generous people on Earth freely giving of their time and money (My personal favorite cause is the Susan G. Komen Foundation http://www.the3day.org/goto/mcintosh) but we want to give on our own terms and not have our money taken from us by the govt.
Feeding the poor and hungry should be a moral obligation, not a legal one.
Not everyone can make it!!!!!
In an attempt to maintain the fantasy image of America as the "shining light on a hill" we condemn millions to stay trapped in situations they cannot escape?
Sure, SOME do, with luck, opportunity at the right moment and incredible hard work. . .BUT for their sake, we must ignore those who struggle and can't?
When I hear someone mouth the cliche about bootstraps, I gotta reply, "To use my bootstraps, first I need some boots."
Millions in America are born with no boots and little opportunity to earn any.
Why is it my responsibility to pay for everyone that can't make it?
"we condemn millions to stay trapped in situations they cannot escape?"
Life isn't fair.
Something is called "religion".