I imagine that you received one of these in the mail, too.
The program is presented at Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive™.
On the surface, this appears to be a very noble effort and cause. Surely the providing of food for those who are hungry is a noble endeavor that I support wholeheartedly. Yet I did not do so through this particular program.
Why not?
For starters, my wife and I are at an income level that would qualify us for the food stamp or “vision” food assistance program. But this really is not a factor, as we do give food and help to others, only not through “programs.” Unless, of course, one counts the government programs paid for through the money that the government and the FED steal from us. But then, that money is not actually used to help people, nor even to pay for the government’s budgeted items. That money goes to the FED. The actual programs and budget are never actually paid as the government just borrows more money from the FED for these.
But to the real reasons that we do not give to such programs as this by the postal carriers, first consider the companies for whom they advertise. Yes, this program is an advertisement for the companies and products displayed both on the post card and on the web site. Of those listed, besides the USPS itself, we do not support any of these companies nor their products. Of the products shown as examples in the Food Drive bag, not one product is one that we consider safe for eating. We do not buy any of these products because of the food additives (toxins) contained within them. Every one of these is loaded with processed glutamates and other toxins. We do not buy these or similar products for ourselves and we will not give them to others. Moreover, every one of the displayed items are overpriced.
Moreover, we have no real knowledge of the workings of this organization. What we clearly can see from their post card and web site is that they promote companies and products and organizations that we do not support.
Additionally, to whom is the credit given for these donated items? Is the love of God in any way declared to the recipients of our gifts if we donate to this organization? Is our own love (generated in us through God’s love at work in us) in any way directly shared with those who will receive these items? Do those who receive these receive them as gifts of love from us, or are these gifts portrayed as coming through this organization that promotes things that we actually oppose on account of the harm that these companies, products, and organizations cause or promote both to people and society? How many of these groups even openly oppose the Gospel and Christ’s Church?
Then also, is the false notion presented by the program that by giving a bag of food items that the problem of hunger is being stamped out or eliminated. This is a scam and a farce. The problem of hunger is not one of people having no food available, but one of their means of providing for themselves being stolen from them by the very companies and government promoting this program! The poor will always be among us, but in this nation with all of its blessings, all of its resources, all of its technology, all of its capable people, most of whom are willing to work, hunger and homelessness should not be a rampant problem. The problem is being manufactured or perpetrated upon our people by those who have been entrusted with protecting us.
When we buy into the notion that through a non-committal form of helping, that through giving a bag of canned goods to be picked up by the letter carriers to be given to a massive distribution center, that through this hunger is being stamped out, this is nothing more than hypocrisy. This is a “washing of one’s hands” of the problem.
Certainly the giving of such gifts is a good effort. But if this is the end of it, then it really amounts to nothing more than attempting to excuse oneself of the responsibility of true love for neighbor and brother. Cain falsely cried, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Cain brought gifts or offerings to the Lord in this same way, as an act of obligation and not an act that flowed from true love of God. Abel acted in response to God’s love working in him so that his acts were also acts of love toward God and toward all. Cain actually rose up in anger and killed his brother on account of this disparity. When we throw a few canned goods at the needy, and turn a blind eye to how our programs and leaders and corporations and banking system are destroying their hope of independence and productivity, are we really doing any differently than Cain? Are we not also murdering our brother?
If indeed we truly want to stamp out hunger, if indeed we do count ourselves as our brother’s keepers, should be not be seeking to stamp out the causes of hunger rather than merely throwing a few cans at the hungry and telling them to go back out into the streets and the unemployment lines? Shouldn’t we be stamping out political parties that speak of effecting change and acting conservatively, while actually promoting the status quo of this unjust and ungodly abuse of widows and orphans and other struggling people? At the current rate, how long will it be before we are those at whom these cans are being thrown?
“Here, have a bag of canned goods and go away.”
To turn to use of a pun, is this not food for thought?
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