Have you ever read dystopian novels depicting societies such as “Panem” from “The Hunger Games”? What about “The Republic of Gilead” from “The Handmaiden’s Tale” or “Airstrip One” in “1984” and wondered: How did the people in these worlds fall into such a limited society controlled by the few in power? For me the answer would be that those who were appointed by the masses started to only think of the few instead of the well-being of many. And in turn, to push forward their selfish agenda, the powers-that-be presented half-truths, flat-out lies, and/or a misrepresentation to validate their choices. These choices were then fed to the public and enforced until it was eventually accepted as reality. By utilizing these same tactics, the Trump Administration appears to be on a path to eradicate Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). As part of the administration's tax plan to save money, SNAP will lose $200 billion dollars to instead award tax breaks to the top 1%. I encourage those who are in Michigan’s Congressional Delegation to oppose the budget since nearly 1 in 7 Michigan residents rely on this government assistance.
This will not be the first time SNAP has been on the cutting board by the Right-wing. Over the last decade, misrepresenting facts have been told and believed by Right-wing groups such as “The Heritage Foundation”. This group believes that in order for SNAP recipients to receive government assistance, they should be required to work. What many Right-wing organizations don’t realize is that many of the recipients do work and the large majority of SNAP users who don’t work are children or those who find employment hard due to disability. SNAP in Michigan, at least, requires those that receive SNAP to complete a Personal Responsibility Plan and Family Contract which requires abled-bodied adults to find work. If those abled-bodied adults are having a hard time finding secure employment, it further delays their opportunity to receive government assistance and place them even further into poverty.
Oftentimes, we - people on both sides of the spectrum - fail to think about the individuals who rely on SNAP. Many Americans use it because they’re not able to work due to a disability, a senior citizen who needs help to bridge the gap between pension or social security payments to make it through the month, or someone who’s trying to get their family back to a place of financial stability. Also, many families that are victims of a natural disaster use SNAP to help them get back on their feet. Considering those circumstances, the rhetoric behind the effort to cut SNAP shouldn’t be based on the myths surrounding the people who use the program and unnecessarily shaming them. Not to mention the repercussions SNAP would have on the economy if the Trump Administration is allowed to pass these extreme budget cuts. Many businesses would be hit hard if the Trump Administration were to cut SNAP. Stores like Kroger, Target and Wal-Mart just to name a few, would be some of the larger chains affected since more of their clientele rely on SNAP. This would further cause ‘food deserts’ in the U.S. It would deny those in need of an affordable nutritional diet, access to farmer’s markets and grocery stores to feed themselves and loved ones. Without SNAP around 43 million low-income families would suffer from hunger and increase poverty rates.
I for one don’t want to live in a real-life “Hunger Games” and I’m sure many would agree with me. Unfortunately, the current administration plans on forcing those who are most in need to fight over scant resources. The apparent goal is to convince Americans that SNAP recipients are unmotivated and undeserving. So, for the sake of 43 million Americans, we need to save this program.