We've become obsessed with headlines in our layman's terms, give-it-to-me straight society. We glance through newspapers (hopefully people still read newspapers), skim our online newsfeeds like Google News or Twitter, and check out what's trending on Yahoo.com.
We read the headlines and become outraged. 0 to 60 mph of pure, full throttle outrage. A handful of words are enough to get the juices flowing, making us opinionated and full of all the information needed. Do we dare read the entire article? Not likely and if we do it's more of a light skimming than nitty gritty research because with so much easily accessible news we ain't got the time!
You're outta time!
So, what to my wondering eyes did appear? "Proposed Bill Would Ban Florida Food Stamp Recipients From Buying Junk Food."
Ah government cheese -- Food Stamps, Welfare ... is always a hot topic, especially around election time with the GOP sideshow looking to kick Barry O out of office and take over!
So, what's your reaction to the headline?
Outrage? Food stamp recipients should be able to buy what they want! Right? There is already a restriction on alcohol and tobacco so that's that Mr. That's That! Everything covered. Anyway, this time it's junk food but what's next? How does Big Brother know folks are using a majority of their food stamps on junk food? And how will junk food be defined? One mans cookie is another mans rice cake! Everything in moderation, right?
Let them eat cake!
Or perhaps you agree. Why should government cheese provide these people with junk food? Don't we have a huge obesity epidemic in this country among adults and children alike, especially among the poor and uneducated? They are provided with free money to feed their families and should use it strictly on healthy foods so we don't put a greater strain on our healthcare system, filling up hospitals and doctors offices with obese, unhealthy people who can't afford to pay their bills anyway!
Or perhaps you don't care because you don't live in Florida and aren't on welfare. Bingo bango. Go ahead and eat another Cheeto Sally, just don't get that delicious orange dust on your keyboard!
Would your opinion change if you read the entire article and learned this all started after Republican State Senator Rhonda Storms visited her local grocery and noticed shoppers using their food stamps to purchase unhealthy junk food -- which she defines as non-staple, unhealthy foods like chips, cookies and soda.
Would your opinion change if you read on, learning this demand for restrictions also comes from the deep budget cuts the state is facing? Storms commented, "If we're going to be cutting services across the board, then people can live without potato chips, without store-bought cookies, without their sodas." Naysayers comment this would mean poor kids can't have cake on their birthday (boo hoo!) but Storms responded with how parents can easily purchase flour, eggs and sugar and make a cake! Boo ya! In your face! I should mention these naysayers also include lobbyists for the Corn Refiners of America, the Florida Beverage Association, the Florida Petroleum Marketers and the Convenience Store Association ... * cough cough *
Would your opinion change if you learned there is a companion bill also making its way through the House of Representatives down in ol' Florida, with the primary focus on preventing people from using their government-issued bank cards at ATMs in casinos, Internet cafes or strip clubs. This "junk food, food stamp" portion might need to be edited if there is hope for the ATM card portion to fly because, honestly, it's more important for these folks to not spend their money at casinos, Internet cafes or strip clubs than for them to buy soda and cookies, right?
This article reminded me of the recent outrage over the Florida law requiring welfare recipients to pass a drug test before getting their government cheese. No smokey the crackie if you want free moolah is simple enough. Yeah, the ACLU is pissed because it violates their constitutional rights but ... it makes sense to me. Why should the U.S. government give you money if you are a junkie? Maybe you'd turn your life around and lay off the drugs if you knew you weren't getting paid anymore. I.e. you don't have a job and will never get a job because you can get money from the government, sit at home and do drugs.
Is this too much Big Brother for you? The U.S. government is all up in your Jell-O -- your shopping cart and recreational drug use -- and those bitches don't even know the flavor! They don't know you! These intrusions sound like the beginning of some science fiction thriller ...
It all started with food stamps. People weren't allowed to use them for junk food. Then Big Brother started doing drug testing for welfare recipients and Dr. (insert creepy German last name here) started infecting the drug test takers with a sterilization agent so they could no longer procreate. He never dreamed he would cause A ZOMBIE OUTBREAK!
Or perhaps all of this simply makes sense in a big picture sort of way because isn't that what America is about? Not you, not me, but everybody together?
No comments:
Post a Comment