I know what it means to be hungry.  I know what it means to be cold.  I know what it means to have to decide between medication and food.  I know what it means to go without.  How about you?

There is a sitting president in the White House who cannot relate to anything that I listed above.  Oh, he has seen what poverty looks like because he and his father made a point of excluding anyone who did not look like them or were not in their preferred financial bracket from living in their houses.  He ran on the platform of anger and fear.  Unfortunately, there are people in this country who agree with Trump and here we are.  We are living in a time when the truth is considered a lie and a lie is considered to be truth regardless of evidence or lack of evidence.  “Do what you want and forget the consequences” is Trumps’ mindset and he believes that this mindset will “make American great again.”  WELL, HIS SUPPORTERS HAVE JUST REALIZED THAT THEY ARE IN THIS NIGHTMARE ALONG WITH THE REST OF US.

Trump says that cutting the Meals on Wheels program is “compassionate.”  WHAT THE WHAT?

“2) Trump’s proposal cuts many programs that are more intuitively valuable to coal miners in West Virginia — and single mothers in Detroit — than a 10 percent increase in defense spending. The president’s budget cuts funding for early-childhood education, public housing, transit, food assistance, and job training — all programs that disproportionately benefit single mothers in cities with low median incomes. And it also abolishes the Appalachian Regional Commission and Rural Business-Cooperative Service, while shrinking the Labor Department — all moves that disadvantage coal miners.”

LET’S LOOK AT SOME NUMBERS, SHALL WE?

The following information was obtained from The  Center for American Progress, 2015  Talk Poverty article.

“The data below reflect the national averages for essential poverty and wellbeing statistics. For data that is specific to states and congressional districts, see our poverty by area tool.

Poverty Rates ¹

Overall Poverty Rate: 13.5% (43.1 million people)

Percent of people who fell below the poverty line—$24,250 for a family of four—in 2015

Twice the Poverty Level: 31.7% (100.9 million people)

Percent of people who fell below twice the poverty line—$48,500 for a family of four—in 2015

Half the Poverty Level: 6.1% (19.4 million people)

Percent of people who fell below half the poverty line—$12,125 for a family of four—in 2015

Child Poverty Rate: 19.7% (14.5 million people)

Percent of children under age 18 who fell below the poverty line in 2015

Women’s Poverty Rate: 14.8% (24.1 million people)

Percent of females who fell below the poverty line in 2015

African American Poverty Rate: 24.1% (10.0 million people)

Percentage of African Americans who fell below the poverty line in 2015

Hispanic Poverty Rate: 21.4% (12.1 million people)

Percentage of Hispanics who fell below the poverty line in 2015

White Poverty Rate: 9.1% (17.8 million people)

Percentage of non-Hispanic Whites who fell below the poverty line in 2015

Native American Poverty Rate: 26.6% (700,000 people)

Percentage of Native Americans who fell below the poverty line in 2015

People with Disabilities Poverty Rate: 28.5% (4.4 million people)

Percentage of people with disabilities who fell below the poverty line in 2015.”

Think about it folks.  What the sitting president intends to do will hurt EVERYONE in this country that we say we love.  When people are voted into office with the determination to make one group of people superior to another group of people, everyone suffers.  However, when a person is put into office who seeks equality for EVERYONE regardless of color, creed, gender, or religious belief, then AND ONLY THEN, can we ALL be successful.  Think about the collective!  Today it is Meals on Wheels.  A program that sustains you WILL be next.

~~~Malinda Gwyn~~~