tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5176006268302183776.post1713559968891962741..comments2024-03-20T10:14:19.071-04:00Comments on The Shipler Report: Invisible Malnutrition and America's FutureDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00305265860388931637noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5176006268302183776.post-56031696442829505302012-06-23T08:24:06.847-04:002012-06-23T08:24:06.847-04:00In this column, David Shipler, almost always persp...In this column, David Shipler, almost always perspicacious, penetrates to the most profound reason for public assistance. Food Stamps (now known as SNAP) are not merely a safety net to prevent hunger. This program expands opportunities as it reduces barriers to fetal and child development caused by malnutrition. This aspect of public assistance is often overlooked and under-evaluated because we think of assistance such as SNAP primarily as a handout to help households that cannot provide for their own needs. Many forms of public assistance are indispensable for more equal opportunity. <br /><br />Examined from this perspective, efforts to reduce the debt by cutting expenditures for nutrition, healthcare, and education for the poorest citizens cannot be defended as denying aid to those who can provide for themselves. Without effective SNAP, Head Start, after-school programs, health education, and healthcare, children from poorer families have little opportunity to fend for themselves. They lack the cognitive, mental, and physical capability to functioning at a reasonable level.<br /><br />When Congressman Ryan and others propose cutting social spending while refusing to return to tax levels of the nineties on high income households, the issue is not merely unfairness or a failure to demand an equal sacrifice for all citizens, as President Obama puts it. The problem is more fundamental. Unless high income households are required to contribute to effective public assistance that expands opportunities, children—and adults— will be denied opportunities because they are malnourished, poorly educated, or lack healthcare. High income households will be complicit in undermining a shared America value. The problem transcends distributive fairness. It is thwarted opportunity.<br /><br />I do not know if the small cuts in SNAP passed by the Senate will jeopardize opportunity for America’s children. However, the cuts in excess of $13 billion annually proposed by Congressman Ryan go beyond demanding self-reliance in order to lower the deficit. They even go beyond unfairly preserving tax breaks for the well-off. They condone an unequal distribution of income that subverts opportunity for all. <br /><br />Harlan Beckley<br />Director, Shepherd Program on Poverty and Human Capability<br />Washington and Lee UniversityHarlan Beckleynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5176006268302183776.post-10854296378834908152012-06-22T20:09:08.469-04:002012-06-22T20:09:08.469-04:00This is such a good piece, Dave. It's just inf...This is such a good piece, Dave. It's just infuriating to watch the Right Wing do so much damage to our country! - over and over again - in almost every way. They are so SHORT SIGHTED!!! It's just infuriating! <br />Well - I just wish they'd read your piece - but I know that they are so well defended, so entombed in their thick walls, they'd just call you a Lying Pinko Commie or something - I've seen that they are INPENETRABLE!! It's amazing - but it does give me insight as to how an entire country of supposedly literate people could vote for Hitler and Nazism! I've had my eyes opened in recent years! The stupidity that abounds in this country at this time is truly astounding - so upsetting. <br />I wish your pieces would chip away at someone, somewhere - many someones, many somewheres - but unfortunately I'm just very pessimistic. (And don't you just love that so many of these callous, cruel Right Wing bigoted idiots are supposedly "religious Christians?!" I just LOVE it!!! What a crock!...)Jonellanoreply@blogger.com