Comments on: The Social Stigma of Getting Free Lunch http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/03/01/the-social-stigma-of-getting-free-lunch/ DEVISING A SYSTEM FOR REMEMBERING EVERYTHING Fri, 19 Mar 2010 06:37:14 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Chantay Jarmon http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/03/01/the-social-stigma-of-getting-free-lunch/#comment-174572 Chantay Jarmon Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:18:24 +0000 http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=439#comment-174572 Thank-you! I am getting into it more and more! Some days it is hard to find the time though! Thank-you! I am getting into it more and more! Some days it is hard to find the time though!

]]> By: dayton618@yahoo.com http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/03/01/the-social-stigma-of-getting-free-lunch/#comment-157581 dayton618@yahoo.com Fri, 07 Aug 2009 16:45:39 +0000 http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=439#comment-157581 Don't breed unless you can afford to feed your children, Don’t breed unless you can afford to feed your children,

]]> By: John Scalzi http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/03/01/the-social-stigma-of-getting-free-lunch/#comment-141862 John Scalzi Sun, 19 Apr 2009 20:39:49 +0000 http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=439#comment-141862 You're welcome. I think everyone benefits when I snip out the obvious trolls. You’re welcome. I think everyone benefits when I snip out the obvious trolls.

]]> By: Corby Kennard http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/03/01/the-social-stigma-of-getting-free-lunch/#comment-141860 Corby Kennard Sun, 19 Apr 2009 20:19:55 +0000 http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=439#comment-141860 John, I'm glad I reloaded the page before I responded to RAH's nonsense. You saved me a visit from the loving mallet of moderation. John, I’m glad I reloaded the page before I responded to RAH’s nonsense. You saved me a visit from the loving mallet of moderation.

]]> By: RAH http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/03/01/the-social-stigma-of-getting-free-lunch/#comment-141855 RAH Sun, 19 Apr 2009 19:49:14 +0000 http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=439#comment-141855 [Deleted for being a textbook example of stupid, selfish cluelessness attempting to pass itself off as libertarianism -- JS] [Deleted for being a textbook example of stupid, selfish cluelessness attempting to pass itself off as libertarianism -- JS]

]]> By: John Scalzi http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/03/01/the-social-stigma-of-getting-free-lunch/#comment-129450 John Scalzi Wed, 11 Feb 2009 13:48:21 +0000 http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=439#comment-129450 Jill Cort: "How about I provide my own child’s lunch and you do the same?" I'll assume you have the same objection to giving those poor children a free education on your own precious, precious dime as well. I also find interesting your objection to free lunches but not to food stamps, which are also on your precious dime, as well as your general feeling that because the system of apportioning free food at schools is broken, therefore poor children shouldn't be getting free food. Which is a marvelous way of punishing the <i>only</i> people in the entire equation who are totally blameless regarding the process. Also, I'm sure these janitors of which you speak have some sort of special ability to track which food is thrown out specifically by children who are getting free lunches. In all, I don't think much of your objections, which are logically inconsistent, cruel to the people who need the help the most, and largely stupid. Jill Cort:

“How about I provide my own child’s lunch and you do the same?”

I’ll assume you have the same objection to giving those poor children a free education on your own precious, precious dime as well.

I also find interesting your objection to free lunches but not to food stamps, which are also on your precious dime, as well as your general feeling that because the system of apportioning free food at schools is broken, therefore poor children shouldn’t be getting free food. Which is a marvelous way of punishing the only people in the entire equation who are totally blameless regarding the process.

Also, I’m sure these janitors of which you speak have some sort of special ability to track which food is thrown out specifically by children who are getting free lunches.

In all, I don’t think much of your objections, which are logically inconsistent, cruel to the people who need the help the most, and largely stupid.

]]> By: Jill Cort http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/03/01/the-social-stigma-of-getting-free-lunch/#comment-129440 Jill Cort Wed, 11 Feb 2009 03:31:03 +0000 http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=439#comment-129440 When lunch is on the school system, lunch is on all of us. How about I provide my own child's lunch and you do the same? The California free and reduced pay lunch and breakfast program has been so corrupted that it is just a complete joke. Janitors are sickened by how much food they are throwing away every day by children who hardly touch their meals. Schools have no incentive to check on the truthfulness of parent's applications, because once the school reaches a certain level of free/reduced lunches, the school receives increased Title 1 funding. I work in the education system, and I know that this particular system needs an overhaul. I agree that hungry children need food, but aren't we giving the parents food stamps? Shouldn't they be providing their children with breakfast and lunch from the food purchased with the food stamps? When lunch is on the school system, lunch is on all of us. How about I provide my own child’s lunch and you do the same? The California free and reduced pay lunch and breakfast program has been so corrupted that it is just a complete joke. Janitors are sickened by how much food they are throwing away every day by children who hardly touch their meals. Schools have no incentive to check on the truthfulness of parent’s applications, because once the school reaches a certain level of free/reduced lunches, the school receives increased Title 1 funding. I work in the education system, and I know that this particular system needs an overhaul. I agree that hungry children need food, but aren’t we giving the parents food stamps? Shouldn’t they be providing their children with breakfast and lunch from the food purchased with the food stamps?

]]> By: Official http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/03/01/the-social-stigma-of-getting-free-lunch/#comment-18392 Official Wed, 11 Jun 2008 10:12:59 +0000 http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=439#comment-18392 I got free lunch as a kid. If anybody talked shit about it I would punch them in the face. This is good for the kids. There is too much pussification of kids nowadays. Being singled out as poor is not a big deal and will not ruin kids lives. It will make them better people. It is good for kids to experience minor difficulties or discomforts like these so they can learn to deal with them on their own. It will prepare them for the future shitstorms they will face in life without crying and expecting someone to come up with some ridiculous elaborate plan to spare them from the slightest negative feelings. After dropping out of high school to work I went on to be homeless a few times for 2-3 month periods, I got food stamps, lived in section 8 housing got my ged and got student grants and loans. It tought me to bust my ass and not cry and bitch that some imaginary person is somewhere is rich and has an easy life. I always felt blessed to live in a country where the government would give me the basics allowing me to have a reasonable means to succeed. If I lived in a different country I would have probably stolen food and gotten my hands cut off so I never really sweated if someone looked down on me for being poor. Instead I went on to work hard and be self-reliant and now I own several small businesses and make enough money to donate large chunks to charity. Paying taxes makes me happy cause I know some kid out there can eat lunch and go to college. Stop being so sensetive and over-protective of your kids, it will be far more damaging to them in the long run than allowing them to experience their natural human emotions of sadness and frustration. Be greatful for what you have, because it really is a lot in comparison with billions of other people in the world. I got free lunch as a kid. If anybody talked shit about it I would punch them in the face. This is good for the kids. There is too much pussification of kids nowadays. Being singled out as poor is not a big deal and will not ruin kids lives. It will make them better people. It is good for kids to experience minor difficulties or discomforts like these so they can learn to deal with them on their own. It will prepare them for the future shitstorms they will face in life without crying and expecting someone to come up with some ridiculous elaborate plan to spare them from the slightest negative feelings. After dropping out of high school to work I went on to be homeless a few times for 2-3 month periods, I got food stamps, lived in section 8 housing got my ged and got student grants and loans. It tought me to bust my ass and not cry and bitch that some imaginary person is somewhere is rich and has an easy life. I always felt blessed to live in a country where the government would give me the basics allowing me to have a reasonable means to succeed. If I lived in a different country I would have probably stolen food and gotten my hands cut off so I never really sweated if someone looked down on me for being poor. Instead I went on to work hard and be self-reliant and now I own several small businesses and make enough money to donate large chunks to charity. Paying taxes makes me happy cause I know some kid out there can eat lunch and go to college. Stop being so sensetive and over-protective of your kids, it will be far more damaging to them in the long run than allowing them to experience their natural human emotions of sadness and frustration. Be greatful for what you have, because it really is a lot in comparison with billions of other people in the world.

]]> By: RAH http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/03/01/the-social-stigma-of-getting-free-lunch/#comment-18391 RAH Mon, 24 Mar 2008 17:00:09 +0000 http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=439#comment-18391 [Deleted rather retroactively for teh stupid -- JS] [Deleted rather retroactively for teh stupid -- JS]

]]> By: Mark W. Tiedemann http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/03/01/the-social-stigma-of-getting-free-lunch/#comment-18390 Mark W. Tiedemann Tue, 04 Mar 2008 14:22:42 +0000 http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=439#comment-18390 There's a simple fix for this that many districts used to do until Reagan came along and gutted as many entitlement programs as he could. Everyone gets a free lunch. No division of spoils. Kids go to school, rich or poor, lunch is on the school system. This would not only take care of "additional stigma" it would also put just a bit more control of what kids eat in the hands of the school. When everyone gets something, it ceases to be controversial. There’s a simple fix for this that many districts used to do until Reagan came along and gutted as many entitlement programs as he could. Everyone gets a free lunch. No division of spoils. Kids go to school, rich or poor, lunch is on the school system. This would not only take care of “additional stigma” it would also put just a bit more control of what kids eat in the hands of the school.

When everyone gets something, it ceases to be controversial.

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