Bible-Thumping Reverse Robin Hoods
Which of these economic platforms is not like the others?
“The extent that you did it to one of these brothers of mine, even the least of them, you did it to me.”
(Matthew 25:40)
In 2011, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R. Minn.) suggested that Hurricane Irene was God telling us that government spending was out of control. Believing the Almighty to be heavily invested in the U.S. budget and despite Christ’s words on charity, little wonder she just voted with 216 of her Republican colleagues in Congress to slash 4 million people and $39 billion (over the next ten years) from Food Stamps (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP) despite 32,000 fellow Minnesotans benefiting from the program.
Echoing Bachmann’s spiritual imperative, Rep. Kevin Cramer (ND), after voting for cutbacks, cited 2 Thessalonians 3:10: “For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.” Stephen Lee Fincher (R-Tenn.), chimed in with Matthew 26:11: “for you always have the poor with you,” while also referencing 2 Thessalonians.
That nearly 72% of SNAP participants are in families with children and more than one-quarter of them are in households with seniors or disabled was an unavoidable political reality. As for what to do with hungry children whose willingness to work is problematic—since it is illegal—former House Speaker Newt Gingrich had a solution. As a presidential candidate in 2011 he proposed relaxing “truly stupid” child labor laws. Schools, he said, should fire unionized janitors and hire children to do the work.
In an attempt to add God-centric heft to the debate, Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.) offered Ephesians 2:8-9: “…for by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”To clarify, he added, “It always looks good when politicians…say, ‘look what we did for you.’ That’s all someone else’s money. We should be doing this as individuals, helping the poor.” In other words, get government out of the business of handouts to the poor.
While admonishing SNAP, Bible-thumping Representatives Cramer, Fincher, and LaMalfa, along with avowed Fundamentalist Christian GOP Representatives Vicky Hartzler (MO), Kristi Noem (SD), Steve King (IA), and Marlin Strutzman (IN) draw a distinction between a $4.45 per day Food Stamp benefit for impoverished citizens and gigantic farm subsidies for millionaires. Like themselves.
Cramer and King represent districts receiving $10.4 billion and $9.0 billion respectively in agricultural subsidies since 1995 (the first and third largest recipients in the nation), an amount equaling nearly half the SNAP cuts. Perhaps more egregious were theindividual payments to these other proponents of belt-tightening at the expense of the poor. Fisher, who owns a farm, received $3.5 million in subsidies from the government from 1999 to 2012. Hartzler and her husband have collected $774,489. Noem was a partner in a family farm that received $3.4 million. Stutzman: just under $200,000. Even Michelle Bachmann of the God-sends-hurricanes-to-destroy-big-spenders, had a family farm subsidized to the tune of $260,000.
For those Reverse Robin Hoods in Congress who feel no remorse in cutting a government safety net aimed at keeping children from aching hunger yet pay themselves ungodly sums, they should undertake a more careful reading of the Good Book. Maybe start with Matthew 7 Verse 15: “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.”
For the rest of us, I doubt we need fear that God is sending disasters because we’re handing out assistance to those in desperate need. Rather, for those of faith, maybe a more salient warning comes from these words in Matthew 24:11 relating to the Final Days:“And many false prophets will arise, and will mislead many.”
With so many ravening false-prophet wolves in Congress, maybe it’s time to start preparing for the Second Coming. But then, if that were to happen, the son of God shouldn’t expect Congressional Republicans to offer him nutritional assistance or, for that matter, healthcare.
Great article. Thanks so much for posting. Even though the holistic health educator in me could scream when I see the junk food some SNAP recipients load into their shopping carts, I understand how cheap those (overly subsidized) calories are. The Bible-thumping reverse Robin Hoods are sick making.
Great piece Mr. Norris! The hypocrisy of these people is indecent. Makes me want to puke. Makes it easy to be an atheist. Thanks.
Doug LaMalfa is also one of those collecting millions in farm subsidies as a millionaire rice farmer. He holds his “public meetings” in a church where anyone other than tea baggers are not welcome. The press is excluded & if they do show up, can not ask questions, take notes, have any recording devices, including phones with them. If anyone is observed using any of these methods, they are immediately escorted out by two thugs.
Democracy – GOPTP style.
Oh that god fellow. I think he must be shutting down the government, as punishment because we are to tolerant of republicans .
“…and all men beat him,
all men did him down, and even so
he went on laboring away, now, lifting him up,
in his coffin, on our shoulders,
now at least we know how much he didn’t have,
that we did not help him in his life on earth.
Now it dawns on us we are taking on
all that we never gave him, and now it is late;
he weighs on us, and we cannot take his weight. ”
from To the Dead Poor Man
Pablo Neruda
http://radicaljournal.com/poetry/dead_poor_man_pablo_neruda.html
Buncha asshats!
How’s the garden,my friend?
It should have been done and gone a month ago but we have had a very mild autumn so far. I still have some lettuces, kale, assorted other greens and cabbages. Some is under floating row cover- staked down row cover because winds of 35 to 50 mph would send it out to the open ocean otherwise 🙂
I’m already dreaming about next year’s- how bout you?
I planted snake gourds for a friend in May,thinking they weren’t gonna grow. She apparently is no longer my friend and I have snake gourds up the ying-ying. Some are over four feet long,some are curled into circles and they refuse to die off and dry up,the weather has been exceptionally too warm for October. Got some extra large speckled apple gourds as well. Gourds overran about half my garden,especially spuds. Some spuds are rilly large and mis-shapen. Onions quit growing back in August. Harvested dry pole beans yesterday for seed and took trellis down. Like to fall till except gourds won’t cooperate. Yukon gold spuds were a joke this year. Both Grand Girlie apple trees produced apples. Molly’s Macintosh made yummy apple crisp and Clover’s Connell Red produced rilly big apples,they are just late getting sweet. Should make good bakers or pies or something. Like you,I am eager for next year’s garden.:) 🙂
Just found out today that skunks are no longer listed as Mustelids,but have their own family called Mephitids. Apparently rwnj congressweasels are more sensitive than given credit for. Pulled my tomato vines today. They still had green tomatoes and blossoms. god luvs you my brothers and sisters,I don’t know why.
I try tomatoes every year and most year’s i get a bunch of green tomatoes tohang til they turn red or make fried green tomatoes. This year I had a lot of lil melt in your mouth Sungold cherry tomatoes. Still cannot believe it -though I ate every single one. I think it had to be a dream 🙂
Need to go look up (Clover’s) Connell Red apples.
We don’t have critter skunks here- only people skunks.
Senator Cruz- this goes out to you, you pontificating, promiscuous ponce.
Real live, everyday people are being harmed by your horsepunky. I can see Robin Hood, I can see Jesus- they make some kind of sense.
You don’t.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bm-g0p2yTaU
Hum…Robin Hood lived in the forest–wonder how long before our closed down national parks and forest are privatized? I know developers/miners/frackers/loggers would love to get their hands on national forest lands. Just think what a great gated community Glacier National Park would make for the wealthy. I can’t even imagine how many mining companies, logging companies, etc. would line up for Alaska’s national parks and forests. I think a lot of people are missing this as part of the shutdown agenda. What a sad mess.
When plug-ugly rethugs hit the Pearly Gates,god’s gonna tell ’em to go. to Hell Christian my ass.