First responders are no doubt aware of the dynamic of successful, cheerful, ‘confident’ adults who go home after work and for one mysterious sick reason or another abuse their hapless family. Wives doing secretive make up sessions prior to work the next day to hide the damage. Children, hungry, and confused showing up on the school step sullen and shut down. But the business day of the abuser is defined by the roles they play. All is well as long as the smile is broad or the clothing well branded. But at home, domestically, everything is coming apart. Wait a minute! Are we talking about the United States here?

Our leader is a powerful, blustering world stage player and even suggesting he is the greatest peacemaking President ever to be. When the going gets tough though he gets on a jet plane to be luxuriously hosted by the trembling world order. At home though there is no room for anything but his agenda . Yet when even a minor infraction or form of resistance occurs in the home out comes the fisticuffs. Wrong race or accent out comes the tears, tear gas and deportation. A city wants to maintain some part of their own value system; out comes the military. Our Congress seems to want to take cover in the role of the sullen, abused, confused, and frightened children held hostage, paralyzed, and without power. So when true suffering in the form of food shortage and possibly even starving of the vulnerable citizens is eminent for this wealthy nation, the message is: let them starve for we have games to play.

An Unapologetic Proposal for Good

Yes, this writer is angry about what is happening with SNAP. The standoff in Congress is abusive and unnecessary. The President could have said, “we will solve our problems, but starving citizens would bring shame to our wealthy nation and we will not let that happen”. Congress is composed of adults who don’t get the moral pass we offer to children finding their way in this world. Good in this case would be to fund a net of safety around the children, disabled, and care givers. We could solve some of the bigger issues of this hopelessly confusing federal budget without punishing the helpless. This standoff is clearly is not the work of a Christian nation, or any other major religion for that part. We must have better angels to show ourselves and the world. That would be a very good decision.