Be kind

Melissa McEwan of Shakesville quotes a section about The Poor People’s Campaign that staged a protest at the Capitol in Washington and will continue to do so every Monday until mid June. Police had apparently formed a barricade, which protest leaders, including Rev. William Barber and Liz Theoharis, intentionally broke through. They were arrested.

McEwan praises them for their witness and resistance to what the GOP is doing. She then notes we’re one of the wealthiest countries, yet we throw food away rather than “give handouts” to hungry children.

As the GOP is seeking to defund SNAP (formerly called food stamps) McEwan tweeted:

Republicans think people aren't entitled to food.

Let's just be really blunt about this: If you don't believe that people are entitled to food and potable water, you don't believe that people are entitled to live.

Good gracious! The response she got for saying that! Here’s just a couple replies:

So does someone else OWE them the food in question? Did they earn it? Who is handing out the daily rations in the end? Wheres my free stuff?

Let's be clear about THIS: Nothing that must be provided by someone else is, or ever could be, a right. That's called slavery.

Pardon me while I scratch my head. Being forced to give up some of your wealth so others can eat is slavery?

McEwan continues:

My suggestion that we should provide food and water to our fellow countrypeople who don't have access to it was met with aggressive contempt, resentment, selfishness, ignorance, and bigotry. With profound misunderstandings of what the role of government is even supposed to be. With literal arguments about how Jesus Christ didn't give handouts.

Something's wrong in America all right.

The lack of basic kindness was extraordinarily depressing, though entirely unsurprising. That very vacuum lies at the center of modern conservatism.

Jesus didn’t give handouts? I don’t have enough hair to scratch my head too many more times. I’m sure Jesus fed 5000 men (plus women and children) on at least one occasion. He did it because people were hungry, no questions asked or work required. Then there is that little thing of him offering his life for us.

I’ve been thinking: Want to resist the growing authoritarianism? An act of resistance is simple: Be kind. Refuse to take part in all this selfishness. Refuse the contempt, resentment, and bigotry. See those around you as people. Give to ease their needs.

The whole premise of the conservative movement is I’m more important than you, so I refuse to share anything. It’s all mine. They are teaching the nation that we’re supposed to be, that it is American to be, selfish.

Don’t buy into their selfishness. Be kind.