General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: I saw a woman shoplifting a dozen eggs from the supermarket. [View all]frazzled
(18,402 posts)in addition to WIC (for women, infants, and children). 53% of all American infants receive WIC assistance. There is also Temporary Assistance to Needy Families.
I just want to make it clear that not all people living below, at, or near the poverty line are forced to steal, or that we are not a compassionate society without programs. Sure, they are never perfect and can always be improved, but but they help significant numbers of people in this country. And we should applaud those programs, even as we work to raise incomes for lower-wage workers.
I think the problem with this thread is that it is completely anecdotal. We don't know why this woman stole a carton of eggs. Or why she looked scared. Was she unable to get food stamps or was she just mentally unstable? People who have plenty have been known to shoplift, including big-name movie stars whose names we won't mention. The likelihood is that this is a person who has fallen through the cracks for one reason or another. But it could also be a totally different story. We have no way of knowing.
And yet everyone is jumping on a bandwagon to imply that anyone who needs food in American is forced to steal it. It's just not true.