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Originally posted by AThousandYoungI can assure you that there was a history of this in the times of the depression. There is dire poverty there currently for sure. HOwever, people here are not starving to death from lack of food. There are extremely high rates of morbid obesity so they are dying from eating too much of the wrong foods. Very high rates of smoking and lung cancer as well.
My sister claims people are starving in Appalacia and that there are no charities or government offices for them to go to for relief.
Anyone want to convince me that people are starving in the US due to lack of food (not abuse by family or something like that)?
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2005507170344
There is a fatalism to this area as well. They just accept this as God's will. You can go into any pentecostal church in this area on any given Sunday and here preachers rail against progress. They will tell people they don't need to see doctors as God can cure anything. So we have cervical cancer rates that exeed that of rural India and China.
Originally posted by AThousandYoungNo. Your sister is mistaken
My sister claims people are starving in Appalacia and that there are no charities or government offices for them to go to for relief.
Anyone want to convince me that people are starving in the US due to lack of food (not abuse by family or something like that)?
Originally posted by Sam The ShamI agree -- when I used to work for the Federal Emergency Management Agency while in college, once a year we'd cover a disaster in West Virginia. During the interview, I'd ask the caller who their employer was. Generally, they worked for the county or their local school district. However, fully a third of the people were unemployed and on Welfare. I can guarantee you that no one is starving in West Virginia, because even though they may have been on Welfare, the people I was talking to did plenty of hunting and fishing. In fact, that's why most of them didn't work, because it interfered with their hunting and fishing!
No. Your sister is mistaken
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Originally posted by Sam The ShamMistaken, I think, is too strong of a word.. Overly hyperbolic, yes...
No. Your sister is mistaken
"In 2001, the USDA reported that the number of Americans who were food insecure or hungry or at risk of hunger was 33.6 million. In the last year it is estimated that there has been an additional 5-10 million additional people who are now in jeopardy of hunger and starvation. The government has a benign description of this situation, calling the hungry and starving "Food Critical.”
The 2002 survey of 25 cities by the US Conference of Mayors recorded a 19% increase in the requests for emergency food has risen by 19% in 2002. 100% of the cities reported these increases. Requests for food by families increased by 17% while requests for food by the elderly increased by 19%.
48% of people requesting food were families with children. 38% were currently employed at the time of the request.
In 2002, 16% of all food requests went unmet due to lack of resources. 14% of families did not have their requests met adequately.
The leading reason for hunger was high housing costs, along with low paying jobs, unemployment and other employment related issues, economic downturn, medical and health costs, homelessness, poverty or lack of income, substance abuse, reduced public benefits, child care costs, mental health problems, and limited life skills being cited as the other leading causes of hunger."
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Originally posted by der schwarze RitterAnd some say we don't need guns. 😉 These people have their guns to provide them food because, I assume, that they do not want government hand outs and have to pay higher taxes. If we had our own land, that is what we would be doing. Growing our own vegies and hunting or raising our own meat.
I agree -- when I used to work for the Federal Emergency Management Agency while in college, once a year we'd cover a disaster in West Virginia. During the interview, I'd ask the caller who their employer was. Generally, they worked for the county or their local school district. However, fully a third of the people were unemployed and on Welfare. ...[text shortened]... , that's why most of them didn't work, because it interfered with their hunting and fishing!
Edit: Though there are some that go hungry here in the U.S. But I don't think it is because they can't get help. Most are because the parents are taking care of themselves and not their children. I have seen some in this situation. I for one had to go hungry once, my husband and I had to leave the place we were staying in because his mom moved in with a drughead. We had to live in his car and could not find work nor could we get help from the government because we had no address.
Originally posted by Sam The ShamShe never does. Here's one of my favorite quotes from her...paraphrased since I don't remember it exactly.
Why is it up to you to prove your sister wrong? Ask her to prove her statement. She made the claim, ask her what she's basing it on. My guess is she can't.
"The government is failing. They need to fix their programs so we get all our government services effectively."
"OK, what do they need to change?"
"I don't know, I'm not a professional politician, figuring it out is their job. I just know how to tell them what they have to accomplish. They have to figure it out."
And of course what they have to accomplish is the standard liberal fantasy government, and she's not interested in discussing how practical that is.
Originally posted by pritybettaExactly. When people starve here it's because Mommy decided to buy meth instead of groceries.
And some say we don't need guns. 😉 These people have their guns to provide them food because, I assume, that they do not want government hand outs and have to pay higher taxes. If we had our own land, that is what we would be doing. Growing our own vegies and hunting or raising our own meat.
Edit: Though there are some that go hungry here in the U.S. ...[text shortened]... and could not find work nor could we get help from the government because we had no address.
Originally posted by AThousandYoungNext time she complains about how awful America is ask her what country she'd rather live in.
She never does. Here's one of my favorite quotes from her...paraphrased since I don't remember it exactly.
"The government is failing. They need to fix their programs so we get all our government services effectively."
"OK, what do they need to change?"
"I don't know, I'm not a professional politician, figuring it out is their job. I just ...[text shortened]... ral fantasy government, and she's not interested in discussing how practical that is.
Originally posted by pritybettaDid you ever consider shooting the drughead? I think I'm beginning to see why you love guns so much.
And some say we don't need guns. 😉 These people have their guns to provide them food because, I assume, that they do not want government hand outs and have to pay higher taxes. If we had our own land, that is what we would be doing. Growing our own vegies and hunting or raising our own meat.
Edit: Though there are some that go hungry here in the U.S. ...[text shortened]... and could not find work nor could we get help from the government because we had no address.
Originally posted by AThousandYoungObamaians for Change!
She never does. Here's one of my favorite quotes from her...paraphrased since I don't remember it exactly.
"The government is failing. They need to fix their programs so we get all our government services effectively."
"OK, what do they need to change?"
"I don't know, I'm not a professional politician, figuring it out is their job. I just ...[text shortened]... ral fantasy government, and she's not interested in discussing how practical that is.
Originally posted by Sickboydid they give up their pet projects so that there wouldn't be any unmet food requests?
Mistaken, I think, is too strong of a word.. Overly hyperbolic, yes...
"...
In 2002, 16% of all food requests went unmet due to lack of resources. 14% of families did not have their requests met adequately.
The leading reason for hunger was high housing costs, along with low paying jobs, unemployment and other employment related issues, economic ...[text shortened]... alth problems, and limited life skills being cited as the other leading causes of hunger."
unmet food requests seems to be the bottom line in this equation.
note to the poor people:
if you won't ask the government for food, don't complain if you you're hungry. also don't complain if you refuse to eat cheap food.
if you won't ask due to mental illness (drug-induced or otherwise), you've got a complaint there, but the problem is laws that prevent you from being committed against your will.
if you ask for food and the government says they ran out, ask them what they're spending all that money on. why's the governor got such a nice house and car? did he pay for it himself?
if your housing costs are too high, move to where they're lower.
try community gardening. especially if you're on welfare. other people are paying for your income and you ought to feel guilty about it.
try keyhole gardening, like they are doing in Kenya. Africa can teach us something there.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keyhole_garden
"Circular waist high raised beds with a path to the center (a slice of the circle cut out) are called keyhole gardens. Often the center has a chimney of sorts built with sticks and then lined with feedbags or grasses that allows water placed at the center to flow out into the soil and reach the plants' roots. The charity 'Send a Cow' is promoting the creation of these in Africa."