Cutting food stamps! YES! Very Christian!
I can handle B.S. coming from the Republican Party but as far as Ken Blackwell is concerned, his following statement is enough to make many unemployed Americans in this country throw up and further alienate the GOP from reality:
http://www.examiner.com/...
Former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, now with the inappropriately named source of lunacy known as the Family Research Council, said that the House GOP's massive food stamp cuts that could remove around 4 million people from the program next year was an act of Christian compassion.
Despite the move being denounced by countless churches and Christians organizations, Blackwell told the also inappropriately named Christian Post that there was "nothing more Christian" than depriving low-income families of aid.
Blackwell referred to food aid as part of the "plantation of big government" and said that churches and charitable organization will replace government assistance.
"America is such a compassionate nation," said Blackwell, "nothing in history that suggests that churches and communities and our families would let people die of hunger, there is absolutely nothing."
I've got news for Ken Blackwell, in case both sides of his brain ever come together and focus: Churches alone cannot stop the issue over poverty, unemployment and hunger, at least not nowadays given that so many people are out of work and trying to get back into the work force.
Now in an ideal situation, one where unemployment is barely even a blip on the radar because everyone is employed, not struggling to pay rent and living life just fine, I can see where it might be easier for the church to be a good avenue for one to turn to for help.
However, the problem of unemployment is still very high in the U.S. and even around the world, where in Europe and even in Greece like Spain, it's even harder finding work. Folks out in the world are being increasingly disillusioned and quite a number are giving up on finding work because they just have no faith it's going to work for them. Churches quite frankly won't be able to stop the unemployment rate or income inequality, even while there are good communities of smart Christians out there in the U.S. that genuinely want to help people in need in any way they can.
Look, I'm in the marketing industry in the San Francisco/Bay Area and while I always go out of my way to help people in my industry and others in general get back to work, I also understand even my efforts are not going to do much to stop the every problems of unemployment, access to food that are facing the U.S. right now across the board. Therefore, the U.S. government needs to do more to intervene and assist.
But of course, Blackwell himself may be brainwashed. After all, he is apart of the Family Research Council, also know as the "Conservative" Family Research Council.
Perhaps the more that comes out of Blackwell's month, whether it be in defense of his voter suppression efforts in Ohio like current Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted's or these stupid food stamp statements, the more it confirms why the GOP continues to fight an uphill battle and fails at every chance it can get to attract minority voters of race. A lot of minority voters are very concerned about unemployment and other pressing issued affecting them quite a big deal.
A number of conservatives in the GOP believe they don't need to change their views to attract minority voters. Well, I hate to brake it to them, but they have to.
Let's see: Who else we have in the "minority" part of the GOP?
Senator Tim Scott
Congressman Raul Labrador
Senator Marco Rubio
Senator Ted Cruz
GOP Nominee for Lieutenant Governor for Virginia E.W. Jackson
Former Congressman Allen West
Yep, these are fine examples of the GOP's minority outreach. All listed above are basically examples of folks who offer no real positive, meaningful or inviting agenda and simply attack government as if it's the worst thing in the world.
Well, they aren't making things easier for the Republican Party, certainly not if it's being run by Reince Priebus of all people.
Just ask the Texas GOP Minority Outreach Chairman Bill Calhoun on the state of GOP minority outreach. Even he doesn't have productive ideas.