As the debate over Food Stamps receives media attention, once again conservatives, the gullible, and the ignorant do not understand what Food Stamps themselves provide. Whenever this government program is brought up, like welfare, conservative media enjoys reporting on instances of misuse and abuse of the system–except unlike welfare, people cannot purchase anything but FOOD with Food Stamps. Fox News analysts in particular report on instances of people using Food Stamps to buy movie tickets, toys, electronics, cigarettes, even tickets to Disneyland, and the simple truth is that none of these statements are true. Jon Stewart essentially equates this kind of “rumor reporting” to be no better than believing chain emails threatening bad luck if one doesn’t continue the chain.Food Stamps can only provide those who receive them with food. However, as everyone knows, people need more than food to survive day to day, and from many comments I’ve read on tumblr regarding this debate, it often takes scrambling in order to make up money to pay for the inedible necessities. Thus, the prospect of cutting Food Stamps even further only hurts those who need this program in order to survive because it ruins an already strict budget.
The controversy about Food Stamps continues because some conservatives believe that the government should regulate what people should be purchasing. As Jon Stewart jokes, in his segment What Not To Buy: What Would Jesus Soil, poor people shouldn’t purchase junk food because that’s bad for their health, but they’re also looked down upon if they purchase higher quality luxury foods (they’re abusing the system, they don’t really aren’t poor if they can afford those foods). Thus, low income families are being ripped apart by the media with classism, thus perpetuating stereotypes and classist discourse about poverty.
I completely agree with what you have said about this issue. I did a project my freshman year on the effects of the “Welfare Queen” stereotype and it was heartbreaking. Food stamps in particular are so crucial simply because, as you said, people need to eat. But the idea that the American people have such an issue with the notion that someone is getting something for free that they are having to pay for, is an issue of the American mindset and culture that is just going to continue damaging our society. After all of the reading and discussions that we have done about these programs it is obvious to us that they are not necessarily enough, but how would you suggest that people who are not in this class get motivated to learn the truths about these programs and their realities?
Tough to say, but I know from my own personal experience with my grandfather that people don’t really know “how the other half lives” until they experience it for themselves. My grandfather has a pension and has lived a comfortable retirement. A couple of years ago, my great aunt (his step-sister) moved up to this area to live in an apartment. She lives on social security and has expensive medical costs. Through helping my great aunt do day to day budgeting and shopping, my grandfather’s really seen how difficult it is to live within such a tight budget. It’s not a personal anecdote regarding food stamps, but it’s an example in which experience and seeing something directly can really open your eyes. I guess in general the best thing to do would be to educate, educate, educate. People only fall for the Fox News crap if they tune in and don’t know any better–or, alternatively, choose not to listen to the other side.