‘Murica.

The number of American children living in food-insecure households continues to grow at an alarming rate. This is a public health crisis of epic proportions as proper nutrition is necessary not only for a healthy body but a healthy mind.

Hungry kids are at an automatic disadvantage in the classroom. Children who are hungry cannot learn. Through no fault of their own.

It’s become acceptable in this country to punish the children for the perceived sins of their parents, from starving them, leaving them homeless, and denying them healthcare, to ripping babies and kids from their parent’s arms at the southern border.

The practice of using children to intimidate or punish their parents is as old as time, but no modern, civilized society should even consider this barbaric tactic, never mind implement it.

In other words, your unsolicited opinion of someone’s worthiness to receive assistance is completely irrelevant.

It doesn’t matter if you think that a child’s parents are lazy or “cheating the system.” Children are the innocent pawns of adult behavior and a corrupt, hyper-capitalist government. To deny a child the basic necessities of life because you feel the need to pass judgment on familial circumstances beyond their control tells me a lot about you as a human being. And it ain’t pretty.

You don’t take food from a child’s mouth because of an ingrained antipathy towards the poor. In the wealthiest nation on earth, it’s obscene and revolting that we have even one hungry child.

Hero. Photo by: CNN

CNN reports that at least 40% of America’s school children received free lunch in 2017. With numbers that alarming — and growing — denying a child sustenance or handing them a brown bag with a PB&J because their account is in arrears is downright disgusting, and suggesting children perform menial labor tasks at school to “earn” their meal is nothing short of reprehensible.

And please. Don’t even try to justify your cruelty by claiming we don’t have the money to feed our children, because your breath reeks of bullshit. Of course we do.

We don’t lack the resources (see: defense budget and corporate tax breaks) this nation is just totally devoid of conscience and has monumentally screwed-up priorities.

We can do it, we just don’t want to do it.

Many children, too many children, who qualify for free lunch receive their only meal of the day while at school.

Then there are the kids who go without because their family either doesn’t know about or is too proud to apply for the free or reduced lunch program.

Another hero. Photo by: CNN

This is simply not acceptable. ALL school children, regardless of family income, should receive free school lunch to ensure every child in this obscenely rich country is getting at least one healthy meal a day.

Providing every child with lunch (and breakfast as well) also removes the stigma that kids in the free lunch program suffer.

No child should be mocked because of their family’s economic status or endure school officials haranguing them for money owed by their parents, or, even more vomit-inducing, be refused lunch altogether.

The fact that some feel “lunch-shaming” poor, hungry kids is a totally justifiable act shows just how distant a memory American human decency really is.

We’ve all heard that old adage “there’s no such thing as a free lunch.” Well, in a nation that can afford trillions of dollars for a Space Force and hands tax breaks out like candy to the elite class, we can, and should, permanently boot that cliche from the American vernacular.

Heartwarming, isn’t it? Photo by: 12NEWS.com

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