i was taking the A train how from work today and when i was changing a song on my ipod i overheard something that reminded me of this class. there was three women and the train and they were talking and i heard one say to the other that “I’m on foodstamps.” they were talking about “public assistance” at least that is the words they used. i couldn’t get the whole conversation even though im sure it was an interesting one because i didn’t want to seem like a crazy person listening in to their conversation so i only heard a small part. but the thing i did notice is that the one lady had two children, they were calling her mommy that is how i know they were her kids. these kids were young probably 7 and 3 but they both were wearing nikes and the mother had a cell phone. these things are things i consider luxury goods but these people are on foodstamps. Is there anything wrong with this, what do you guys think? i dont know anything about these people and im not trying to judge them but i was just making observations.
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My observation is that to some extent to provide a benefit of the doubt. Foodstamps and lots of bling? Noooo. Foodstamps and nike sneakers? Eh.
I guess I don’t know. I perceive that if I buy sneakers at Kmart for $30 they will last half as long and make my feet hurt three times as much as if I buy sneakers on sale at Paragon for $60-75. Am I right? Well I don’t know because I never bought sneakers at Kmart. I have gotten my underwear there though!
For kids, I have no idea if the price difference between Kmart & Nikes is $10, 20 or $40.
🙂
I’ll never forget the year that my mom decided to buy me a pair of cheap sneakers for the entire school year rather than the yearly investment she would make on a pair of Reebok’s…
The result, well I had a hole in one of my sneakers. Imagine the humiliation! Maybe because I was never a drama queen or spoiled brat, I took it with a grain of salt and waited till the next pair… See my family has never been rich, specially back when we first got to this country. At the time, my mother and father both worked 10 -12 hours shifts in low paying jobs, just to make ends meet, so sacrifices had to be made. They weren’t on “welfare”, but maybe, had they been on it, I would of been able to get my pair of Reebok and wouldn’t have to worry so much about the hole on the top of my sneaker, right where the big toe stop (LOL… wow, I can’t believe I’m sharing this). What that did to me as a person, wearing handy downs and cheap shoes, is push me to work as young as 11 (babysitting), and later, lie about my age to get jobs to make sure I could provide myself with what I need. This of course sounds good, except that I have always sacrificed school to make a living. When education is the only shot some of us got!
I don’t think nobody wants to see children go through any experience where they are being deprived of essential things. Even if that means that their mother receive temporary assistance.
I’ll never forget the year that my mom decided to buy me a pair of cheap sneakers for the entire school year rather than the yearly investment she would make on a pair of Reebok’s…
The result, well I had a hole in one of my sneakers. Imagine the humiliation! Maybe because I was never a drama queen or spoiled brat, I took it with a grain of salt and waited till the next pair… See my family has never been rich, specially back when we first got to this country. At the time, my mother and father both worked 10 -12 hours shifts in low paying jobs, just to make ends meet, so sacrifices had to be made. They weren’t on “welfare”, but maybe, had they been on it, I would of been able to get my pair of Reebok and wouldn’t have to worry so much about the hole on the top of my sneaker, right where the big toe stop (LOL… wow, I can’t believe I’m sharing this). What that did to me as a person, wearing handy downs and cheap shoes, is push me to work as young as 11 (babysitting), and later, lie about my age to get jobs to make sure I could provide myself with what I need. This of course sounds good, except that I have always sacrificed school to make a living. When education is the only shot some of us got!
I don’t think anybody wants to see children go through any experience where they are being deprived of essential things. Even if that means that their mother receive temporary assistance.
Sorry for leaving the same comment twice….
How do I delete a comment I made????
I think being on food stamps and welfare is something that makes you think…hmmm I can’t afford food for my kids, yet I can afford monthly cell phone bills and Nike sneakers. Its sad how some people abuse programs like this. When my parents first came to this country they worked hard to put food on the table and clothes on our backs, they didn’t rely on government aid, or welfare or even friends and family to care for us. They did it on their own, what I am saying is that their pride and hard work took us far in life. At least they didn’t collect welfare…I mean my parents never had cell phones, until a month ago when I decided to add them to my plan. We all need to work hard in life, to pay off our bills, to survive daily, till then can we only think about Nike sneakers and cell phones.
I just dont see the big deal in the woman having a cell phone, and her children wearing nike sneakers…I dont know… its just that I feel a cell phone is a neccessity in todays world, a source of communication, maybe they dont have a house phone. The nike sneakers that the child had on could have been a pair of sneakers that they have had for a couple of years, or maybe someone gave the child nikes as a gift? we really dont know the situation, so I dont want to judge and say that its wrong to have a cell phone and have your kids wear nike sneakers when your on food stamps. Sometimes parents make sacrifices to make their children happy, and I cant imagine not having a cell phone.I feel it’s not even a question of not being able to afford it but thats just me.
err.. i have to take the A train too sometimes all the way to the last stop.which is in queens..
i always end up seeing young moms with strollers and kids..
but i think we cant judge others so. who knows how much the mom saved to get the nikes?
i agreed with comment 7 you people don’t know what these mothers go through to get these “luxury items”. in the times we live in some people have the desire to buy things that they can’t really afford, these actions are influence by their environment or friends. many mothers do deserve food stamps to get to survive, but what we don’t don’t know is how they can afford these luxury goods.
what i’m trying to say is that there are many ways to get by in America besides working and reporting your earnings, so many of these women see the food stamp program as ANOTHER way of getting by in America. THE MORE THE MERE.
I am not saying that these women should indulge themselves in cheating the government, i think that these women are becoming wiser. “if the rich can cheat the government why can’t we (poor women) do it as well.
i agree with the previous two comments. I dont think its right to judge these people based on what you see on the train. It could be that these mothers are just getting by on food stamps and other assistance, and just decided to buy their kids a nice pair of sneakers. I dont think that makes their decision wrong for buying such “luxury items”, because like Jonas said, we dont know what these individuals go through ………..And who knows, maybe those items were gifts.
I understand how your first reaction to this was that this woman was abusing the program and what not, but like everyone said, you can’t really judge a woman who is on foodstamps just because she happens to have a cell phone and a pair of “nikes” for her kids. Besides, it’s not like i was there or anything to see the shoes myself but maybe they were just old and worn out, or like someboby said just a gift!!! And the the whole cell phone thing… i believe now a days, a cell phone has become more of a necesity instead of a luxury like it used to be. If you think about it, it’s difficult to find somebody who doesn’t have one. If you would have said that she had a very fancy phone and a lot of jewelry and brand new shoes for all of them while being on foodstamps well, anyone would say wtf… you know !!
like i said originally i know that you can’t judge this person just by looking at them and hearing what they are talking about because you don’t know the whole story. but in regard to some of the comments the shoes were brand new. the younger one, no older than 5, had a pair of mostly white and green jordans and they were as white as when they came out of the box. also i agree that her cell phone might be her only phone meaning that she doesn’t have a home phone which in that case is understandable but i guess for me i still feel that a cell phone is something extra but over the years it has seemed to become more and more of a necessity. it was just and interesting situation that i thought had a lot to do what we were talking about in class and that’s why i posted it. it’s cool to read everyone’s ideas and comments.
I have some experience w/ this welfare issue. I grew up living with a single mom and my grandmother in a suburb outside Seattle Washington. Looking back, I never really realized that we were on welfare but after speaking to my mom it was pretty apparent. My Grandmother let us live in her house, my mom worked many temporary jobs but never could find a permanent place of employment, and not because she wasn’t qualified (she had a degree from the University of Washington). I say this just to preface the fact that we were on welfare, but i never had Nike shoes, gameboys, nintendos, cable television, a car or even a cellphone (it was rare to have one in 93), and not because I didn’t want them, but because they were too expensive on a tight budget. I can’t help but think (obviously I don’t know the exact family situation) that kids having these “luxury” items is more because their mothers had kids too early than anything else. My mother had me when she was 31, after she had gained the necessary experience of budgeting her finances. Money management and finances obviously weren’t her forte, but she still could understand when something was a necessity, and when it wasn’t. Young mothers, whether immigrants or citizens of the US I don’t think grasp this subject. Money management isn’t taught in high schools in the US and I doubt elsewhere (though I don’t know). It is learned through years of experience, through balancing budgets and knowing what you can and cannot afford. Buying a pair of Nike’s, or having multiple cell phones (one to text and one for calls), or putting spinners on your mini-van can never be considered a responsible way of spending money, especially if you are supplementing your income through the government.
again, obviously I don’t understand the exact situation, this is just my opinion.
I think that we shouldn’t make assumptions but sometimes we can’t help but wonder whether certain people really belong on welfare. The examples I gave in class yesterday were from my personal experience. I made the comparison of my parents coming from nothing (or at least what most Americans deem as nothing of value) yet achieving their American dream vs. those who don’t do anything to better their situation and abuse welfare. I personally know of people who are of sound mind and body yet rely on the government to sustain them. I’m not kidding when I say that when I go off to school in the morning they already have out their folding chairs and are in the same spot when I get back home. They are persons who I personally know to abuse the system. On the other hand you have those that really need the assistance. My grandmother is in poor health and can no longer work to support. She is elderly and has dialysis several times a week. Her assistance comes in the form of healthcare and food stamps.
I’ve been through tough times myself and don’t think myself above anyone that is dependant on welfare. I would apply too if I had to. Since my divorce I’ve raised and supported my two sons without any financial help from their father. I work AND go to school fulltime. I even managed to save enough money to put my eldest in private school. If somehow I lost my employment and had exhausted all my savings I’d consider applying for assistance but this would not be a long-term plan. I don’t think that we are all born equal or that opportunities are equal for everyone. I’ve faced discrimination along the way but I don’t let that discourage me from achieving my goals. I think that it’s unfortunate that there are people who are physically capable of improving their situations yet are complacent in having government support them.