Come November 1, millions of people in the United States will see their ongoing struggle to survive and afford groceries in a disintegrating economy increase tenfold, as the federal government shutdown has ensured that no one will be receiving SNAP benefits. In a year that has already been an uphill climb up a mountain of quicksand and bramble bushes for millions of families, this is like someone at the top of said mountain throwing barrels down at you like Donkey Kong.

Now, before one of y'all chimes in with glee about people you think are "mooching off the system" and being happy that families, children, senior citizens, people with disabilities - hell, anyone - could starve and die I want you to 1) go take a long walk and call up a therapist to figure out and unpack who hurt you to the point where starvation makes you giggle like the Pillsbury doughboy, 2) prepare for your comment to be deleted as well as being added to my block list, and 3) recognize that government assistance isn't some mooching operation as you've decided to believe.

Your friends, neighbors, and colleagues who go to work every damn day are gettin' SNAP benefits too, you cold bastard. And you don't have a clue because you've proven to be someone they can't trust to care about their wellbeing so they have to keep their needs private while being made self-conscious of their need for assistance by the words and actions of people like you.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBBP) released data in January 2025 that shared the following statistics:

- In 2024, over 38% of households receiving SNAP benefits nationally included at least one working family member.
- For SNAP households with children, 55% had earned income in 2023 (2023 is the most recent data available because why do the work to keep accurate statistics on something like this?).

The CBBP also made sure to emphasize that while the percentage of households with a working family member is significant, data snapshots often undercount how many SNAP participants worked over the course of a year, as job market volatility and other factors lead many folx to cycle in and out of jobs. Studies have also shown that non-disabled working-age adults who can work do so, and many rely on SNAP only for temporary support. The CBBP also emphasized that many workers, particularly those in low-wage or service and sales jobs that are impacted by seasonal fluctuations or the health of the economy, rely on SNAP benefits to supplement their income and help afford groceries.

So instead of havin' a good laugh about the misery of others, maybe take a minute to dispel your ridiculously racist and bigoted notions of welfare and government assistance and keep your thoughts to your damn self.

If you're not going to contribute to supporting others and showing up as a empathic human being then do us all a favor and contribute to reducing noise pollution while the rest of us work our asses off to assist others in a time of crisis.