If The White Witch had EBT!

Let me start by saying that I'm not a libertarian and I have compassion for the poor, being poor myself. A while back, while living in NH, I was out of work and utilized the EBT system . It was a humiliating experience (although I discovered if you went to the self check lane you didn't have to show anyone the card.) So, though I wish the government, especially the Fed. could be gotten out of it, I think that some help to those experiencing hard times is not a bad thing.

On the other hand, In my current Job, working in an Air Force base Commissary, I have had ample opportunity to see the abuse of the System. To shop in the Commissary you have to be active duty military, retired, disabled, or National Guard. {my father was Retired Military I know the rules.}
Now everyone shopping there was making more money than I do yet I've seen people abuse the system in ways I would not have thought possible. I've seen people spend $600 at a time using EBT
cards, Seen people with 3 or 4 EBT cards, Seen people buy $300 dollars worth of chicken wings while handing out flyers advertising their Chicken wing restaurant, seen people buy Huge boxes of Shrimp, Frozen duck, and $100 of snacks bought by a group of ladies for their "movie night". Ive seen the money spent on such food items as energy drinks, Bottled water, and Drink Mixers.{Parenthetically I've also had the opportunity of seeing the equities of Capitalism, such as people spending more money on pet food that I spend on groceries in a week.)

The crowning insult came the other week when three generations of well dressed ladies came in and bought $400 worth of groceries all the while they kept telling me to separate the groceries because half of them had to go to the "lake house". The youngest gal then whipped out the EBT.

The White Witch of Narnia was a fool. She should have realized that if she had just given "sweeties"
to everybody the coming of Aslan might not have been awaited so eagerly. There is a reason the Dark Warlock of Washington has expanded the program so drastically. The demagogues of ancient Rome understood the power of creating dependence, hence the grain dole. Eventually it extended to everyone and wealthy Romans would send the slaves to go pick up their "free" bread.

One of the problems in Reformed Churches is that most of them are composed of the upper Middle class. The poor , whether of the working or the welfare class are as alien to them as someone from another planet. Christian charity like Government welfare has become less about helping the deserving recipient and more about making the giver earn "Spiritual" points. Most Christian charity like the government is indiscriminating in its giving. Giving like this Perpetuates poverty rather than alleviating it. The Church (the stat will not) should reread the didache "1:6 For of a truth it has been said on these matters, let thy almsgiving abide in thy hands until thou knowest to whom thou hast given."