Wednesday, October 09, 2013

The Poor - Another Target Of the GOP Forced Governement Shutdown


The Republican Party wraps itself in both the flag and religiosity and professed Christian values even as we witness it trying to subvert the constitutional structure of the nation's government and turn the Gospel message of aiding the poor, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and giving shelter to the homeless.  The GOP/Tea Party approach to the poor is to kick them to the gutter, cut off all support and basically hope they will cooperate and die.  As I have noted many times before, the Pharisee condemned in the New Testament look like pretty nice folks compared to today's "godly Christins" of the Christofascist ranks and their political whores in the GOP.    Andrew Sullivan cites two columns that look at the increasingly desperate situation of the poor in America.  Here are exceprts:

Adam Serwer worries about the shutdown’s effects on food aid:
If the shutdown lasts into November, Americans reliant on SNAP could find themselves without aid, depending on the fiscal health of the state or the priorities of state leadership. A spokesperson for the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration told MSNBC that “If the shutdown continues beyond October, the State of Indiana will assess its resources and consider its options for continuing to provide SNAP benefits.” Similarly, a spokesperson for Mississippi’s Department of Human Services said they would look to the USDA for guidance.
Sasha Abramsky considers the mental toll this takes on the poor:
We don’t know how long the shutdown will last, and that uncertainty, too, is harder on the poor. The stress of not knowing what tomorrow will bring can be debilitating.
If you’re on food stamps, the fact that the Department of Agriculture believes that it can fund the program through the end of October is better than nothing—but the prospect of not being able to pay for food in November is anxiety-provoking in a way that puts even more pressure on families that already have their fair share of it.
What I find most disturbing is the fact that the Tea Party/GOP simply do not care about the less fortunate.  One only need remember the GOP primary debate when the audience cheered at letting the uninsured go without health care and die.  These people aren't Christians, they are monsters.  I've asked before how a moral person can remain a Catholic in light of the sex abuse scandal and cover ups by the Church hierarchy.  I ask a similar question now: how can a truly moral person be a part of or vote for today's Republican Party and its candidates.  The GOP is utterly immoral in my view and its "conservative" elements are among the most despicable.

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