There’s a lot of conversation about the SNAP benefits that are expected to expire on November 1st. There’s a lot of conversation about the huge increases in health care premiums (mine have also increased). Everyone from news pundits to community advocates are screaming, “People need help! Kids, disabled, and elderly people need help!” However, it seems as though people are screaming into the void. There is a terrifying truth that lingers in the ether of this discourse: People in positions of power believe that poor people are inherently immoral.

Poverty is not a “circumstance” to wealthy people, but rather a choice informed by laziness and a lack of good values. Poverty carries a heavy presumption of wickedness and dishonesty- the idea is that they are taking advantage of a system and that they’re lying about their ability to grow in wealth. Poor people are seen as “freeloaders” and thieves, stealing from the economy of America. This kind of vilification impacts Black and Brown people the most-even though white people represent the greatest number of recipients (35.4%). In fact, there are now AI videos illustrating black women crashing out about their SNAP/EBT cards… completely fake, but poverty has a brand and a face. This is not a new notion. In 1887, President Cleveland (Democrat) said, "though the people support the Government, the Government should not support the people". Reagan’s infamous “welfare queens” phrase ignited a fire of suspicion around people who received government assistance. The list goes on and on.

““The war on the poor is well-funded”.”

We know that’s not true. In fact, we’ve seen today-now, more than ever- that money is NOT trickling down and that good, hard-work doesn’t pay off in society. “The war on the poor is well-funded”. CEO’s are taking home nine figure salaries while their employees are paid minimum wage. The bottom line increases, but the hard laborers do not enjoy their hard-earned fruit. That’s why the new “merit-based” presumption propaganda is a laughable joke. Billionaires spend millions of dollars to stomp out unions and pro-worker political campaigns, but refuse to provide their employees with adequate health care, working conditions and wages. The richest men in America own our media companies- exploiting the messaging we see on a daily basis (Elon=Twitter/X, Besos=Washington Post, Ellison=controlling major media companies like Paramount, Warner Bros. Discovery, and CNN). The richest man in the world spent $250,000,000 toward our current president’s campaign. The cards are stacked.

I’ve heard lots of people say things like, “the congress members should not get paid during a government shutdown.” I agree, however, only symbolically. The truth is, congress members are typically paid a salary just above $100,000 a year. However, approximately 48% of them have a net worth of $1million or more. That means, almost half of congress are incredibly removed from the day to day hardships of the average American. I’m not rooting for anyone to BE poor. However, we’ve seen that most of these people are career politicians (never the intention of the role) and have more fidelity to their comforts than their constituents.

Our faith as followers of Jesus, however, is in complete contrast with this current administration’s policies. While the White House is filled with an exceptional group of sociopaths, the demonization of the poor is as old as BC. I don’t have the answers, but I have the compass. If you, like many Americans, feel gaslit or crazy… try to find comfort that the true God of the Bible is on your side. You’re not toxically empathetic for caring about the poor, hungry and disenfranchised. You’re not irrational for your anger towards the greed and cruelty of our leaders. While this is not the time to be self-righteous, it IS the time to decide where you’ll hang your hat.

Proverbs 14:31 “Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him.”

Deu 15:11 “For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’”

Psalm 140:12 “I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and will execute justice for the needy.”

1 John 3:17 “But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?”

Proverbs 31:8-9 “Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.”

Jeremiah 22:3 “Thus says the Lord: Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place.”

MORALITY and POVERTY.

THE COST OF COWARDICE.