Hungry Children

[Guest nicemac]

Channel 4 News in Nashville last night had a story about Second Harvest Food Bank (worthy cause). It went something like this: Nationally, about 17% of children are going hungry–or a new term I heard for the first time "food insecure." About the same % in TN. More money (half a billion $$ per year for TN) is needed to feed the children, blah, blah, blah.

Two hours later, ABC has a news magazine show that states that nationally, almost a third of kids are overweight. Kids having stomach surgeries to lose weight, etc…

Which is it?

I see a lot of fat kids. They are getting food somewhere.

[Guest kirkosaurus]

Wait...you mean there is inconsistency in the press?

[Jonnin]

I am going with fat. I have not seen a starved kid in the USA -- I am sure it happens, but not on any scale like 10% and higher. What is probably meant by the 10-20% numbers is the kids that get a free lunch/breakfast at school or do without at home some of the time, not a good situation but not starvation either.

[Mike.357]

Inexpensive food like pasta and ramen packs on pounds. To me the two stories jive.

[MacGyver]

Clearly you guys have never been in a public school setting and watched a kid save some of his free breakfast/lunch to take home so that his younger siblings can have something to eat. It will change you. Regardless of how crummy their parents are, no kid deserves that.

It's a lot more common than you think, yet there's a stigma attached to it, so often people don't say much of anything.

Count your blessings.

[Guest nicemac]

They say there are over 16,000 people going hungry in Williamson County alone. I don't buy that.

Map the Meal Gap | Food Insecurity in your county

Are there people who don't necessarily like what they have for dinner? Yes. Are there some people who could use more food? Yes. Are there 16,430 people in Williamson County going hungry? No way.

I have been to Africa and seen starving people. That is not happening on a large scale anywhere in this country. Nowhere near the 50 million they claim to be affected.

[MacGyver]

Here's a good article from a couple of years ago that the Wall Street Journal did as a part of a year long series on poverty in America.

For Hungry Kids, 'Backpack Clubs' Try to Fill a Gap - WSJ.com

I know that Second Harvest runs one of these programs in Nashville. "Want amid plenty" is a real problem. Williamson County is a great example. There are million dollar homes, but if you look, there are plenty that ought to be condemned as well. 16,000 people out of 394,000 is 4%. I see that as a pretty realistic number.

I have been to Africa and seen starving people. That is not happening on a large scale anywhere in this country. Nowhere near the 50 million they claim to be affected.

There's a difference between starvation and hunger. You're right. We don't have starvation due to famine, civil unrest or food being used as a weapon here. But we certainly have hunger issues. Nicemac, I think you guys home school, but I would be willing to bet that if you went to your local public elementary school and asked the administrators, they would tell you that they have plenty of kids that don't get enough to eat.

I would argue that the problem amongst children specifically is especially limiting. Hungry kids don't learn as well - it's hard to concentrate when you stomach is in a knot and you've got a headache or are dizzy. The sad thing about this is that by being hungry, it's a lot harder to break the cycle of poverty.

I would say again, if anyone has not had contact with hunger in America, you either are extremely sheltered (which certainly happens), very naive, or you simply haven't looked. It's a real problem.

[monkeylizard]

Clearly you guys have never been in a public school setting and watched a kid save some of his free breakfast/lunch to take home so that his younger siblings can have something to eat.

Or eat almost none of it on Friday so they can have something over the weekend.

Backpack programs are a very rewarding way to get involved without a major time commitment. If you can bag groceries, you can do this. How about a TGO volunteer day at the Nashville Second Harvest Food Bank?

Second Harvest» Volunteer

[Guest nicemac]

16,000 people out of 394,000 is 4%. I see that as a pretty realistic number.

Williamson County population was 183,182 in 2010. That makes the number 9%. Second Harvest numbers say 9.9% Do you believe 1 in 10 kids in Williamson County is not getting enough to eat?

[MacGyver]

Williamson County population was 183,182 in 2010. That makes the number 9%. Second Harvest numbers say 9.9% Do you believe 1 in 10 kids in Williamson County is not getting enough to eat?

You're right on the population. I apparently pulled Williamson County, TX.

Before we had kids, my wife taught at Walnut Grove Elementary in Franklin- one of the wealthiest schools per capita in the state. Even so, there are some really poor people - even there. I can count at least three that my wife helped with coats, food and other simple stuff that they needed. No one asked. But a large part of their problem was that they weren't learning because they were hungry.

She kept snacks in her classroom so that some of the students she helped could get something to eat before she worked with them on whatever they needed help with.

So yeah, I can buy that number. I would guess there's some room on either side of that 10% number by a couple of points, but looking at the technical brief of the organization you referenced, I expect it's close. Williamson county has Brentwood and Franklin, but it's also got Fairview.

[MudBugjr]

I know there is quit a few kids on the backpack program at my daughters school. I worked at Second Harvest for about 5 years driving a truck. It is amazing the children you see that need help. There is another sideI saw too with people taking advantage of the service too. Thats whats real sad.

[Caster]

So yeah, I can buy that number. I would guess there's some room on either side of that 10% number by a couple of points, but looking at the technical brief of the organization you referenced, I expect it's close. Williamson county has Brentwood and Franklin, but it's also got Fairview.

Ahh yes, cheapside. Williamson county's ghetto.

It's no wonder with the city officials. Always trying to be a big carp in a little pond.

Fairview would be a wonderful place to be if it wasn't for Fairview.

Jackasses for city officials, and the chief of police should star in a Cheech and Chong sequel (dope head).

Schools are better, marginally. I went to school with several people who graduated and STILL can't read.

I dare say there's hungry kids here, but the majority of school and city officials would be too busy trying to turn this town into a "Little Brentwood" to notice.

BTW: Not that it matters but my family has lived in this same area for over century.

[peejman]

MacGyver is right on... Every community has the "haves" and "have nots" regardless of the primary demographic.

Mom was a high school teacher in the Chattanooga area for 20-ish years. Kids not having enough to eat has been a problem for a long time. Lots of kids on reduced price or free lunch. I remember it when I was in high school. The cafeteria workers knew and certain kids would always get bigger portions.

As stated, cheap food (for parents too lazy to cook a decent meal for their kids) typically isn't very healthy.

I make a reasonable living and I wonder how I'm going to afford to feed my two boys when they're teenagers. I remember how much I ate in high school and talk to friends with older kids and it's staggering. My grocery bills already seem high and my kids are little. That's one of the reasons why I'd like to begin hunting.

[MacGyver]

Ahh yes, cheapside. Williamson county's ghetto.

It's no wonder with the city officials. Always trying to be a big carp in a little pond.

Fairview would be a wonderful place to be if it wasn't for Fairview.

Jackasses for city officials, and the chief of police should star in a Cheech and Chong sequel (dope head).

Schools are better, marginally. I went to school with several people who graduated and STILL can't read.

I dare say there's hungry kids here, but the majority of school and city officials would be too busy trying to turn this town into a "Little Brentwood" to notice.

BTW: Not that it matters but my family has lived in this same area for over century.

Why is it that our city officials, regardless of where you live, always seem to concentrate on the wrong things? I've got a friend who teaches high school in Fairview and talks about being pressured to pass students so that they don't weigh down the county averages. That's not helping anyone except the administrators.

I used Fairview as a community that many people in middle Tennessee would notice, but I know that there are far worse within Williamson county. The kids that my wife helped were in rock throwing distance of million dollar homes. The poor are among us, and as someone else once said, will always be.

My personal problem is that it is way too easy to go about my daily business and not notice them. I'm really not okay with that.

[Guest TresOsos]

First nobody wants to see children suffer or be mistreated or go hungry.

We have the richest poor in the world, of those kids going jungry, I wonder how many of those homes have Flat Screen TV's, cable, internet access, a car in the drive. How many have plenty of beer and cigarettes etc.

We have welfare, we have food stamps, we have the WIC's program. There is no need for any child to go hungry.

If the parents don't want them or can't provide for them, maybe they should not have them. I should not have to pay (be taxed) to take care of them. Maybe what we need is manditory sterilization for those on government assitance who cannot provide for their offspring.

[Caster]

My personal problem is that it is way too easy to go about my daily business and not notice them. I'm really not okay with that.

Well, that bothers me too. If I only knew there were children going to bed hungry in my backyard, I'd be feeding them every evening. That said, I'm quick to judge the grown man that says he's hungry. No job, well, there a lot of that going around, you have my sympathy. BUT I see people everyday claiming no job, but they can afford the gas to stroll up and down the road goofing off, smoke two packs of marlboro everyday (what's that, $10???) There was a man in here a few weeks ago whining about his job being cut. I asked him if he'd put applications in around town. Know what he said? "Ain't no real work here, and I ain't flippin no burgers." Well BY GOD you ain't hungry, and you ain't down on your luck if you can afford to pick and choose! A real man with mouths to feed will scrape pigeon crap off of underpasses if his kids can eat. Yes, the job market is bad, it's also compounded by lazy arrogance.

I guess it's good I don't know where hungry kids are around here, I'd end up getting in a fight with the parents.

[MacGyver]

Well, that bothers me too. If I only knew there were children going to bed hungry in my backyard, I'd be feeding them every evening. That said, I'm quick to judge the grown man that says he's hungry. No job, well, there a lot of that going around, you have my sympathy. BUT I see people everyday claiming no job, but they can afford the gas to stroll up and down the road goofing off, smoke two packs of marlboro everyday (what's that, $10???) There was a man in here a few weeks ago whining about his job being cut. I asked him if he'd put applications in around town. Know what he said? "Ain't no real work here, and I ain't flippin no burgers." Well BY GOD you ain't hungry, and you ain't down on your luck if you can afford to pick and choose! A real man with mouths to feed will scrape pigeon crap off of underpasses if his kids can eat. Yes, the job market is bad, it's also compounded by lazy arrogance.

I guess it's good I don't know where hungry kids are around here, I'd end up getting in a fight with the parents.

I'm with you.

[Guest nicemac]

Well, that bothers me too. If I only knew there were children going to bed hungry in my backyard, I'd be feeding them every evening. That said, I'm quick to judge the grown man that says he's hungry. No job, well, there a lot of that going around, you have my sympathy. BUT I see people everyday claiming no job, but they can afford the gas to stroll up and down the road goofing off, smoke two packs of marlboro everyday (what's that, $10???) There was a man in here a few weeks ago whining about his job being cut. I asked him if he'd put applications in around town. Know what he said? "Ain't no real work here, and I ain't flippin no burgers." Well BY GOD you ain't hungry, and you ain't down on your luck if you can afford to pick and choose! A real man with mouths to feed will scrape pigeon crap off of underpasses if his kids can eat. Yes, the job market is bad, it's also compounded by lazy arrogance.

I guess it's good I don't know where hungry kids are around here, I'd end up getting in a fight with the parents.

+1

[Will Carry]

Tresosos writes "Maybe what we need is manditory sterilization for those on government assitance who cannot provide for their offspring."

Dude you are one sick MF. Maybe you need to take your head out of you arse and read a book. Start with the Bible.

Edited September 8, 2011 by Will Carry

[Caster]

This should be mandatory instructions for EVERY teacher. Even the good ones. (<--- Just to keep them motivated;))

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4lujnEpoM4

[Caster]

Tresosos writes "Maybe what we need is manditory sterilization for those on government assitance who cannot provide for their offspring."

Dude you are one sick MF. Maybe you need to take your head out of you arse and read a book. Start with the Bible.

It's wrong...SO WRONG.

In shame and secret I sympathize. As wrong as it is to say things like the above; It's equally wrong that ghetto trash breed more trash. Why should we (working folk) be made to feed an ever multiplying hoard of parasites? Pray for divine intervention is the only suitable remedy I can think of and maintain a clear conscience.

[Guest TresOsos]

Tresosos writes "Maybe what we need is manditory sterilization for those on government assitance who cannot provide for their offspring."

Dude you are one sick MF. Maybe you need to take your head out of you arse and read a book. Start with the Bible.

I have read it, I just didn't read the "Social Justice" version.

I must be a real sick MF"er because i would stop all "government social assistance programs".

If they want to keep producing children they can't support, then fine, stop any and all "government assitance" to them if they have another child while on the government dole, that works for me too. It is not my responsibility to support others and there kids and it is morally wrong to use force or the force of government to make me do so.

[Will Carry]

Government sanctioned mass sterilization of the poor? Tell me how that would work exactly.......Einstein.

[trblmkr13]

That sounds like China

[gregintenn]

Government sanctioned mass sterilization of the poor? Tell me how that would work exactly.......Einstein.

I think you misunderstood, or perhaps I did. I think he meant that is is bad policy for the government to reward the generation of more children by people unwilling or unable to care for them. Welfare does just that. The more you breed, the larger your check. I personally do not believe that 1 in 10 children in Williamson county are going hungry. Another stat the threw out was that 1 in 2 children in Perry county are going hungry. If this is the case, I'd be for bringing back the Ku Klux Klan, and paying the parents' of these children visits.

Edited September 8, 2011 by gregintenn