Hunger – the new “non-word”

As everyone knows I am a workaholic.  I rarely have time for the newspaper, except when I’m in a waiting room.  Today, I was waiting to get my oil changed at the Saturn dealership.  I was a little aggravated about my selection of reading material.  One newspaper was dated October 28th.  While I hadn’t read it, I wasn’t terribly interest in ‘old’ news.  The newest addition was yesterdays Star Telegram.  What I read made my blood boil.

The article was written by Elizabeth Williamson from The Washington Post.    Title: USDA to drop ‘hunger’ from its annual report. 

“The U.S. government has vowed that Americans will never be hungry again.  But they may experience ‘very low food security’.”

(WTF?!?!?!?)

“Every year, the Agriculture Department isses a report that measures American’s assess to food, and it has consistently used the word hunger in describing those who can least afford to put food on the table.  But not this year.  “……………..

“The department said that 12 percent of Americans – 35 million people- could not afford to put food on the table at least part of last year.  Eleven million of them reported going hungry at times.  Beginning this year, the Agriculture Department has determined ‘very low food security’ to be a more scientifically palatable description for that group.”………………………..

“……………..The catagory ‘very low food security’ described as experiencing ‘multiple indications of disrupted eating patterns and reduced food intake’ will take the place of hunger.

“Anti-hunger advocates say the new words sugarcoat a national shame.”

“The proposal to remove the word hunger from our official reports is a huge disservice to the millions of Americans who struggle daily to feed themselves and their families”, said David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World, an anti-hunger advocacy group.”

If we take the huge raises that congressmen grant themselves yearly, and the cost of secret service for presidents families after they leave office, we could take a chunk out of the non word (hunger) in America.  Take away 3/4 of their huge retirements and let them live on the social security that they are trying to do away with and we might even be able to house the homeless.  Shhhhhhhh……that will probably be the next ‘non word”.