Tennessee Representative: The Bible says not to feed the “unwilling to work,” so we should cut food stamps to kids

As the GOP keeps looking for somewhere to cut government spending that won’t affect their pockets at all, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, is now in their sights for cuts that could potentially devastate families who need it most.

Almost 47 million Americans are now receiving benefits under SNAP, also known as ‘food stamps’, and many of those are children, elderly, disabled, or working poor. As expected in troubled economic times, enrollment in the program skyrocketed and with it the costs of the program, which more than doubled to $80 billion. What many people don’t know is that food stamps are funded under the Farm Bill, the same bill that funds Federal subsidies for farmers.

So as the House Agriculture Committee debated this week over how much to cut from SNAP, it was not surprising that Representative Juan Vargas, a California Democrat, would remind the committee to follow the example set forth by Jesus, who said that how we treat the least among us is how we treat him. Of course, not to be out-Bibled, Representative Stephen Fincher, a Tennessee Republican, came back with his own Bible verse, quoting the Old Testament when he said, “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.”

I believe your Jesus very much disagrees with you.

Luke 14:12-14 “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.

Luke 3:11 And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.”

And the rest of the New Testament disagrees with you too.

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

(Source: addictinginfo.org)

Oklahoma Senator: Tornado aid “totally different” from Sandy aid

Sen. James Inhofe, a Republican from Oklahoma, argued that there is no comparison between Hurricane Sandy relief, which he voted against last fall, and aid for his state in the wake of Monday’s devastating tornado because the two are “totally different.”

Inhofe contended on Tuesday that the Hurricane Sandy relief bill was different because it was filled with pork. “They were getting things, for instance, that was supposed to be in New Jersey,” he said on MSNBC. “They had things in the Virgin Islands. They were fixing roads there, they were putting roofs on houses in Washington, D.C. Everybody was getting in and exploiting the tragedy that took place. That won’t happen in Oklahoma.”

In the past, Inhofe has also voted against additional funding for FEMA, though in 2008 he praised relief from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to Oklahoma counties affected by “severe weather.”

Inhofe’s senate colleague, Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, also a Republican, said he would push for federal aid to Oklahoma to be offset by cuts elsewhere. Coburn also voted against the relief package for Hurricane Sandy.

lesshumansmorecats:

fandomsandfeminism:

sebuttstian:

storieswithinastory:

If you’re “mature” enough to have sex, you’re mature enough to deliver the baby you’ll possibly create, abortion isn’t an option.

if you’re “mature” enough to own a gun, you’re mature enough to die from being fucking shot. medical care isn’t an option.

If you’re “mature” enough to eat, you’re mature enough to get food poisoning. Going to the hospital isn’t an option. 

If you’re “mature” enough to go swimming, you’re mature enough to drown. Having a lifeguard save you isn’t an option.

If you’re “mature” enough to drive, you’re “mature” enough to get in a deadly accident, medical assistance is not an option.

Report: 1 in 5 US kids suffer from mental health disorders

breakingnews:

CBS News: Millions of U.S. children are living with mental health disorders, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC rounded up rates of various mental health conditions among U.S. children for its first comprehensive report on the state of mental health among U.S. children between 3 and 17.

About one in five children of these ages have a mental health disorder, according to the CDC, and estimates appear to be increasing.

Childhood mental health disorders include attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorders, behavior disorders, mood and anxiety disorders, substance use disorders and Tourette Syndrome.

More from CBS News here.

Ending the stigmatizing around mental illnesses is so critical, especially as the rates of mental illnesses rise.

Gender-Neutral Restrooms Become the Law

transqueery:

When Mayor Michael Nutter signed legislation Thursday to afford equal rights to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, he said he hoped Philadelphia would become “the most LGBT-friendly” city in the world.

One piece of that comprehnsive legislation will forever alter the restroom options in city-owned buildings.

The legislation requires that new or renovated city-owned buildings include gender-neutral bathrooms in addition to traditional men’s and women’s restrooms.

There is more to the bill than just a neutral place to relieve oneself. Nutter, city and state lawmakers and gay rights advocates said the legislation makes Philadelphia the first city in the U.S. to offer tax credits to companies that extend the same health care coverage to LGBT employees’ domestic partners and their children as they provide to heterosexual spouses and their children.“It can be an awkward and embarrassing situation” for anyone who may “feel more like a woman, but can’t use the women’s room,” said Councilman Jim Kenney, the bill’s sponsor.

Officials said the legislation also makes Philadelphia the first city to offer businesses tax credits as a way to encourage providing transgender-specific health benefits.

“My goal is for Philadelphia to be one of, if not the most, LGBT-friendly cities in the world and a leader on equality issues,” said Nutter, adding that the signing struck a personal note because his friend, the late City Councilman John Anderson, was a gay man and a mentor who inspired him 30 years ago to pursue a life of public service.

In addition to the business tax incentives, which were backed by the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce as well as LGBT advocacy groups, and the gender-neutral restrooms, the legislation revises Philadelphia’s anti-discrimination law to include transgender people, extends decision-making rights to life partners on medical and other issues, and changes city forms and websites to offer options for same-sex couples and transgender people.

“Equal protection under the law means equal protection under the law,” said. “It doesn’t mean sanctioned by religion or custom or anything else.”

Kenney called the bill, which the City Council passed easily last month, “the next iteration of civil rights and freedom in the United States.”

“This is a city that is truly respecting all its citizens,” said state Rep. Brian Sims, a Philadelphia Democrat and the first openly gay candidate to be elected to the Legislature. “It is because of that respect that we are indeed a first-class city and we will continue to shine.”

Neither gay marriage nor civil unions are legal in Pennsylvania, and the state has a law that defines marriage as between a man and a woman.