Anyone who knows me or has followed my legislative career even a little is well aware that I care about children. All children.
Children born with disabilities who struggle to have a normal life. Children with the best parents and the most money. I care about children who are born into poverty and have good parents fighting to make a good home. Children who are bullied or have other difficulties because they may not have the tools to learn or the right clothes. I care about children in foster care, group homes or Kinship Care. The abused, neglected or raped children and those victims of incest.
Yes. All of this exists in the state of Smiling Faces, Beautiful Places. All of it and more. And this is not isolated or “sometimes,” it’s epidemic. These tragedies are in every city, town, county, school district and social and economic demographic from the beaches to the mountains. Sadly, most people in this state aren’t aware of the magnitude of these sufferings. Perhaps they don’t care. From my perspective as a state senator and someone involved in juvenile issues for years, I can say with certainty and authority there is rampant disregard for and apathy towards these children in the South Carolina General Assembly.
It is true the state can’t legislate away many of these problems, but it does have the power to at least mitigate circumstances, alleviate suffering and institute consequences for those who perpetrate them. There is one issue in particular the state can solve, and immediately, but it’s not being done because legislators think that all children are as fortunate as theirs. Or it’s not so important. So, it’s ignored, no, fought against by people you put in office to supposedly, represent us. All of us. That issue is feeding our children.
There is absolutely no reason we do not feed our school children K-12 breakfast and lunch at no cost. These are the only meals that some children get all day. Yet, the great state of South Carolina, led by a fine group upstanding citizen statesmen can’t decide it’s a good thing to provide simple nutrition to kids in need. Where are all those sanctimonious politicians who campaign on “God and Country” In Luke 14:13-14, Jesus said when you give a banquet, you should invite the poor, the disabled, the lame, and the blind. He said you will be blessed even though they cannot repay you. If we should include the unfortunate for a banquet, shouldn’t breakfast and lunch at school be a given?
And heaven forbid one child give another an apple or fruit cup off their plate to another child or take leftovers home. You see, there are rules against that. You didn’t know that did you? Even staff isn’t allowed excess food, nor can it be given to homeless shelters. Think about that!
The Department of Education (DoE) currently oversees the school meals program and the millions of dollars poured into it annually. Last year, the House Child Food and Nutrition Services Study Committee recommended the Department of Agriculture take over some of those responsibilities. But, the Secretary of Education wants to keep the program (and funds) in the DoE.
Over $8 billion is allocated to the DoE. If we took just 1% of that money, 1 percent, South Carolina would have an additional $80 million to use for feeding our hungry kids.
One lawmaker in particular finds it absolutely ridiculous we should consider this and has worked every avenue to inflate the numbers just to keep legislation from happening. He went so far as to present cost figures without subtracting what the federal government contributes, intentionally making it seem the state would have to foot the entire bill. I don’t know what he and his research director have against feeding children, but apparently it is serious.
Fortunately, the Chairman of the Finance Committee supports this legislation, so, perhaps, the bill will be allowed to move forward, at least if they could get it moved to his committee.
Part of the argument about not providing meals is because some parents can pay, some can’t, and some won’t. Maybe the parents don’t want or care to sign them up for free lunch out of pride, ignorance or even apathy. Some may well be the same parents that never go to a parent teacher conference, the same conferences teachers are required to attend even though parents don’t. But it’s not the state’s job to make those assessments, so why punish the children? We can’t legislate parenting, but we can legalize ways to relieve the consequences of hardships for which the kids are not to blame.
This is not to say nothing is being done. The School Nutrition Association of South Carolina “is an organization of school nutrition professionals who provide nourishing meals every day to the schoolchildren in South Carolina. In addition to lunch, many South Carolina schools offer breakfast, after school snack programs, milk programs, and more.” As much good work as is done by the SNASC, it’s not a government entity. Why should our schools be augmented by volunteers and non-profits?
It’s time to start calling out legislators who don’t do their job. Trust me, if I didn’t do mine someone was always there to point out that they didn’t get their pothole fixed or make a neighbor stop burning trash. I think taking care of South Carolinas children should be a higher priority than a domestic complaint service center.
We will celebrate Thanksgiving in a few days. There will be feasts at which too much will be eaten in one sitting. Food will be scraped from plates into the trash. More will be put away for later or, too often, forgotten and thrown away after a few days. A University of Minnesota study estimates “305 million pounds of food are wasted from Thanksgiving dinner alone” in the United States. How much of that is in South Carolina? A 5oth (6 million pounds)? A measly 100th (3 million)? And yet, the Monday after Thanksgiving, thousands of our children will go to school hungry and remain so for the entire day.
As my Senate tenure has ended, I no longer have to play nice. I don’t need to concede a point to gain one. I don’t have to compromise or play the political game.
In my closing remarks in the Senate, I asked who would take care of those who could not speak for themselves.
WHILE I BREATHE 