There are some things in life that we can be certain of, like death and taxes. You know, the old chestnuts. But in America, the things we can be certain of include death (by guns, obvs), having our insurance premiums double or triple through no fault of our own, and losing SNAP benefits, again, because of nothing we did to deserve it.
As per usual, we can thank the bigwigs in Washington, D.C. for failing Americans on a visceral level, and one user on TikTok, Kayla Christine, pointed this out in a video about the feeling of being hungry. In her TikTok, she tells viewers to try and understand the “uncomfortable feeling” of hunger that those without SNAP benefits and food stamps could endure as a result of the SNAP crisis. I’m not even surprised at this point, but I’m definitely scared.
@kaylachristinesaysstuff We’re pointing our fingers in the wrong direction on this issue #snap #humanity #hungergames ♬ original sound – Kayla Christine
The TikTok user points out the feeling of hunger that people will face amid the SNAP crisis.
In her video, Kayla says that “food shouldn’t be used as a weapon” and “everyone deserves to eat,” regardless of their income bracket. She also jokes that it’s a “woke take.” If that’s woke, then can someone please find out if Congress has narcolepsy, because…
Kayla also goes into the feeling of being physically hungry and how uncomfortable and painful that is for people. According to her (OK, according to all of us, really, who want people taken care of in the U.S.), no one should have to feel that. Kayla also points out that less people shopping potentially means higher prices on groceries for everyone else, so no one is safe from the negative effects of SNAP benefits on pause.
“Somehow, we’ve convinced ourselves that the single moms on food stamps are the problem rather than the one percent who has more money than this entire country combined,” Kayla says.
Other users chimed in under the video in the comment section.
“Cutting food stamps while building a ballroom in the White House is WILD,” one user wrote.
To the same tune, another person commented, “Cutting food stamps while simultaneously forcing women to have babies they don’t want and/or can’t support is WILD.”
“U.S Government gave $181 billion to corporations last year in subsidies,” someone else wrote. “But $500 in food stamps is killing the budget.”
Just in case you need a little refresher, or your social media algorithm is a little too red these days (ahem), the SNAP crisis is in reference to the government shutdown leading to the pause on SNAP benefits in the United States. As someone whose family relied solely on food stamps as a child, I absolutely understand that feeling of hunger. It sucks.
This is about way more than not being able to splurge on a pumpkin spice latte during the holiday season. If you’re fortunate enough to have a mortgage, you might as well get a second mortgage to, oh I don’t know, live. Because we are creeping close and closer to that point.
Losing benefits that were provided by the government for sustenance goes far beyond resorting to ramen noodles and peanut butter sandwiches. Babe, some people would be lucky to get their hands on some Jif in these trying times, and the only reason there is any humor involved is because if we can’t be cheeky during these times, then when can we? Never. The answer is never, given the state of the country.
