If you have any doubt that the milk of human kindness is curdling these days, go read this post from Michele; start with the two earlier ones she references, and don't miss the comments. (The first post answers some guy who railed against free lunch programs for needy kids). To their credit, most commenters seem to think kids should get free lunches if needed; however, some don't. It takes me back to the premise of the first article I posted a link to here.
Posted by Linkmeister at September 15, 2003 04:06 PMIt was that series of posts that sucked me in to reading her again.
Posted by: Scott Rogers at September 15, 2003 04:47 PMI was trying to leave a comment on this last night, when that 20 year old came in, late as usual and interrupted me.
Anyway ... Some folks have never known poor and hungry. It's an association I'm not proud of myself. Yet, having met with them both on occasion does make me and others like me more empathetic.
And I wouldn't wish the intimate knowledge of either on anyone, not even the privileged rich. But, until you've been there, it's difficult to imagine or understand how this can happen to good folks, making it much easier to begrudge others a free meal, including a child.
Posted by: Lee at September 16, 2003 12:49 AMIt boggles my mind, it really does, that anyone would begrudge a child being able to eat lunch.
Posted by: jadedju at September 16, 2003 07:57 PMWell, Jill, you obviously don't hang out at RightWingNews; that's where the original post came from.
I agree with you completely, as did most of Michele's commenters.
Posted by: Linkmeister at September 16, 2003 08:07 PMLet me state from the outset that I'm too chicken to post this in any connection with the original article, but that said:
The school my kids attend, in a military housing area, has more than 70% of its students receiving free or reduced lunch. We're enlisted military families, which makes us broke by definition, I guess. My kids are entitled to free lunch (E6, no sea or sub pay, ten years in, three children). The income cutoff is set by the gubmint; last year, making exactly the same amount, we were denied altogether, and the year before that, we got reduced, but not free. Go figger.
My dad, for one, thinks we're a bunch of spineless leeches suckling at the taxpayer's teat by virtue of being in the military. But that's a whole 'nother rant altogether.
Posted by: Sue at September 30, 2003 08:00 AM