HOT BUTTON: SUPPER AT SCHOOL
A July 7 article at commercialappeal.com reported on a new food-service initiative in Shelby County Schools that will serve free supper to all students who participate in after-school activities. Here are excerpts from comments readers posted on the story:
OMEOMY WROTE:
Soon there will be no reason to send the children home.
PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILITY WROTE:
“Free” is, I suppose, in the eyes of the beholder. To some, it is more accurately “meals paid for by taxpayers.”
GBURGORANGE WROTE:
There they go again. We feed and the parents sleep.
ANNESDALE1 WROTE:
Right-wing kooks love to complain about people getting fed. Go figure.
ERNIESMITH WROTE:
(In response to Annesdale1:) I don’t mind people being fed who need to be fed. I do mind people being fed by my tax dollars when they or their parents could feed them. ...
GOTIGERS75 WROTE:
Who’s going to pay for all these handouts when the taxpayers get fed up and move out of Shelby County? ... Where are the other government handouts going? They get food stamps and free meals? What a deal. How do I get in on it? Oh, wait. I don’t qualify. I’m a taxpayer.
FISHNLAWYR WROTE:
So your solution is ... don’t feed hungry kids who, without the free meals, won’t have anything to eat. And don’t come back with the old nonsense about “feed ’em at home.” If that is your answer then you don’t understand the poverty that is in the world, much less your community. And if you don’t understand what it’s like to be hungry and living in substandard housing then you need to get out more.
THECATSMEOW WROTE:
I have no problem that (food service director Tony) Geraci is meeting a need and doing it extremely well. I commend him on his efforts. My question is why are his efforts needed? We are paying to meet these needs already. It doesn’t matter if it comes out of my left local/state pocket or my right federal pocket, I am paying twice for the same thing.
DOWNTOWNPOPS WROTE:
I guess I should be shocked by some of these comments, but I am not! One question — if, for whatever reason you could not provide for your child, would you still feel the same way about the program?
MCSTHOMASPAINE WROTE:
Hungry kids getting fed nutritious meals because the homes they come from either don’t or can’t provide them is hardly something to get upset about.