Hey guys, just wanted to write a quick post about a documentary I just watched on Netflix, called A Place at the Table. The documentary is about “food insecurity”, an issue of not knowing where your next meal is coming from. Cameras follow a few families living in America, who are currently dealing with economic instability, and are unable to adequately feed themselves and their children. You see a lot tears, bonding, and even witness a sense of community, as these people and others give us a glimpse of their lives and join together to try to bring change. The families were unique in their problems, as some were on government assistance, some had 1 or both parents unemployed, some were denied government assistance, etc.
For me personally, this documentary really struck a nerve, and I got emotional many times while watching it. Growing up, my mother was on government assistance, and she struggled to feed my sisters & I, make ends meet, clothe us, etc. I was young and so I didn’t understand just how hard life was for her, and in many ways I still don’t. Watching this documentary though, has really given me perspective and brought personal awareness to the issue of hunger in America. There are currently up to 50 million Americans (1 in 4 children) living hungry today. When we think of hunger, why is it that our minds immediately conjure up images of children starving in African countries, or India, or whatever 3rd world nation we can think of? Why is it so hard to accept that there are many people in our country, living this same reality (though probably not as severe as those living in 3rd world poverty)? Why is hunger not spoken of here in America? Is it because we think we are too civilized, or advanced to consider hunger a social issue?
The documentary delves not only into the personal stresses these families and others experience, but it nicely correlates the issue of hunger, with other issues, such as poverty, lack of nutrition, obesity, child development, etc. Also revealed, is the dark reality that those in charge of a large part of our social wellbeing, simply do not make these issues a high priority. You learn that the amount the government spends on the public school food system, and various forms of government assistance, is significantly low, and in some cases has reduced drastically, as money is being allocated to more “important” needs. This means our children are eating low quality food at school, and children of families on government assistance may be eating even less. Food quality, nutrition, and hunger all have a direct correlation in all areas of child development and health.
I am sad, I’m outraged, I’m confused, and I am in complete shock. I never knew that any of this was happening and is continuing to happen day by day. From my understanding, people in America are not hungry because there is not enough food, but because legislation and economic stress prevent people from being able to afford to eat.
To be frank, our policies for welfare/WIC/food stamps/government assistance are fucked up. You have to be at the absolute bare minimum, to qualify for anything. You can’t make even a dollar over the qualifying salary. It’s a system set up for failure. Either you make no effort, remain in poverty and receive government assistance, or you attempt to better yourself, fail, because you are economically unstable, and find yourself back in poverty. Our food system is fucked up. Healthy foods are unaffordable, while the foulest and most nutritionally deprived foods are mere dollars! And you hear constantly about how the rates of childhood disease influenced by lifestyle, are increasing rapidly, but WHAT THE HELL are people supposed to do when they have to survive!? It’s like a never ending cycle of struggle.
The silver lining to this very dark cloud, is the fact that there are many pivately funded organizations, like charities, soup kitchens, and food drives, attempting to combat the problem of hunger in America. An increase from 400 organizations in 1980, to over 40,000 organizations today, is a step in the right direction, but certainly not enough. We need the government to implement change on a national scale, and provide financial backing, in order to see a more profound change.
I think everyone of all ages should watch this documentary. I don’t think the government is totally full of bigots who are unwilling to listen to the cries of those in need of help in our country. But I do think ignorance will keep those cries from being heard. Share this documentary with anyone you know. Let’s work on being more aware of our environment, and making it a better place for the next inhabitants. Especially our children.
Nox
Human Season 