One in Ten Americans Went Hungry Last Year

[babylonsister]

One in Ten Americans Went Hungry Last Year

By Abid Aslam, IPS News. Posted November 28, 2007.


More than one in 10 people in the United States go hungry, according to new official figures that suggest government food programs are falling short in the world's wealthiest country.

More than 35 million people in a country of some 294 million went hungry last year, 390,000 more than in 2005, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's latest Household Food Security report.

Of the total, 12.63 million were children. Put another way, nearly one in five U.S. children either went without enough food during the course of the year or had food but could never take future meals for granted.

The report, released Wednesday, comes as Congress debates the 2007 Farm Bill, a five-year piece of legislation affecting everything from agricultural subsidies to nutritional programmes for the poor.

Anti-hunger activists lamented the findings.

"The U.S. is the only industrialised nation that still allows hunger within its borders," said David Beckmann, president of the advocacy group Bread for the World.

Jim Weill, president of the Food Research and Action Centre, warned the situation likely has worsened since the agriculture department surveyed the populace in December 2006.

more...

http://alternet.org/story/68054/

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

1. I thought I previously read one in six went hungry.

?????

[NMMNG]

2. They're not hungry

They're "food insecure".

[nosmokes]

3. It's inexcusable that we allow anyone to go w/o food and shelter, let alone

children and pregnant women and the disabled, including veterans.

It's a measure of our society that I believe is a hella more important than say the DowJones or the GDP. Maybe I'll take the GDP more to heart when it starts taking into account the value of such thing as clean air and water,constructive after-school programs for at risk kids, parental leave time,universal health care,easy access to the wilderness for urban youth and the myriad other things that may have no immediate cash value but that add immeasurably to the value of society.

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

8. True. The MEASURE of our society IS how we spend our resources.

AT LEAST HALF OF OUR NATIONAL TREASURE IS SPENT ON MILITARY DOMINANCE.

Another quarter is spent on sustaining corporatism.

THE PEOPLE GET A FRACTION IN RETURN for their existence.

I thought EVERY HUMAN LIFE WAS PRICELESS.



I discovered (via the Shiavo SHIT), life is only worth as much as the power/robber-barrons render it, at a fleeting opportunistic political moment.

This political system is so fucking INGRAINED in MONEY/POWER that, I have no imaginations it will change without a massively-backed opposition, one prepared to face something far worse than the revolution of the 60's - 70's.

It is THAT BAD.

[robinlynne]

12. well said.

[nosmokes]

4. kick

[piedmont]

5. I will do my part-- hunt more deer and donate the meat. nt

[aikoaiko]

7. Dibs!

[lame54]

6. i'm hungry now

think i'll go make a sandwich

[babylonsister]

9. You're well-named. nt

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

10. You have bread and meat on hand.

Congratulations.

I am CERTAIN you are NOT beating up on those who are struggling to have what you hold.

[Orwellian_Ghost]

11. That's callous

Please do not make light of others suffering.

[nosmokes]

13. kick for the night occupants.