I am ashamed of myself. Here I am, indolently sitting at my computer typing ineffectual blogs when I should be out in the streets throwing rocks at somebody. But I tell myself, I’m 79 years old. I have diabetes and a heart condition.Besides, I don’t have any rocks, and I wouldn’t know who to throw them at if I did.
“Horsefeathers,” myself relies sternly. “You’re a wimp, a wuss, a passive accomplice to inexcusable abusiveness.”
So, shamefacedly I seek to make amends by signing a petition I received in my email this morning.It’s from a group called Care2, and it urges Congress to stop making America’s kids go hungry.
Imagine that.
Congress needs to be told not to starve the children it is supposed to be protecting! Hand me a rock and point out a congressman or congresswoman – or even an aide. How can I sit still after reading the following complaint from Care 2?
Today, one in five kids in America struggles with hunger.
It’s more important than ever to protect federal nutrition programs that feed our nation’s children, but right now the sequester – which automatically cuts funding for a large number of federally funded programs – includes devastating cuts to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), cutting 600,000 mothers and kids from the program altogether.Sequestration also cuts billions from education funding, including Head Start programming that provides preschool aged kids with important health and nutrition services. More than 70,000 kids would lose access to Head Start under the plan.
I’m sure you know about “sequestration.” If you don’t, you should look it up. It’s a sad testament to the broken government with which America is afflicted.
What’s even worse is that it isn’t even making the news these days. The media are obsessed with the fight to save marriage from the gays. And whether Michele Bachmann misspent her campaign money (of course she did!) and what maternity outfit Kim Kardashian’s wearing now.
Of course hungry kids can’t vote. Mothers struggling with poverty don’t fund political campaigns. So why should Congress care about them?
It’s not as if America were a civilized country where compassion and decency prevail.
Is it?
If it will make you feel better, sign the petition here (or go throw rocks at somebody).
Or you could read about Kim Kardashian’s maternity outfits here.
Click here for information on the sequester.
Click here for effects on WIC program.
