Back during the Great Depression my mother’s parents fed everyone. Family, friends, neighbors -they fed a lot of people.
My grandfather was one of the lucky ones who kept his mill job during the depression. It wasn’t a great paying job, but it was steady. My grandmother kept a huge garden and grew a lot of food.
I’m old enough to remember the sizable shed-like building they had on their property. It housed an outdoor kitchen where my grandmother would cook her massive meals. There was a huge long table made out of old wooden doors and sawhorses. That’s where everyone would eat.
Sometimes relatives would come down from Canada with food from their dairy farms. They’d also bring huge crates of salted fish. There were always huge mounds of potatoes -endless potatoes.
My grandparents were far from well off. How they squeezed in all their kids into their small house was a mystery to me. They never owned a car. However, they shared what they had and took care of people. It’s just what you did.
It was a depression, but you didn’t have to be depressed. By everyone sharing what they had they got by. From all accounts they kept their spirits up and had some good times.
-Sixbears
A major difference back then was there was a sense of shame to accept charity. There was no Governmental Safety net. Charity was town, Fraternal Orders Odd Fellows, Elks (etc.) and church level.
ReplyDeleteFolks were EXPECTED to Work for their Charity. They were encouraged to Work themselves OUT of Ward of the Town status.
Some did, some went on the road never to be seen again. Towns DID Post Signs telling homeless to keep moving onward as they couldn't take care of their own charity cases.
Today we "enjoyed" the War on Poverty" from: snip The war on poverty is the unofficial name for legislation first introduced by United States President Lyndon B. Johnson during his State of the Union address on January 8, 1964. This legislation was proposed by Johnson in response to a national poverty rate of around nineteen percent.
And today it's still around 15-20% depending on what massaged numbers you accept.
We created a subclass of Gimme Dats that have Generational Entitlement of Welfare.
Sadly, the crime stats for this Gimme Dat culture makes living in their cities scary.
BUT when the rules of the War on Poverty made HAVING a Father Reduced your Bennies...
What did you expect? Baby daddies and since the Rules made more children = MOAR Benefits.
What did you expect...
Thus, my concern that the Worst Stories I heard from Grandmom and her diaries will surpass the kindness of strangers of the last Great Depression.
Look at the many videos of Black Friday craziness where pregnant women get trampled to death over a Cheap TV.
Wait until the EBT card cannot feed MY BABIES...
With in a known group of neighbors well vetted the sharing of resources (like the Grandparent story above) is a good thing.
I notice visitors to Grandmoms table BROUGHT FOOD with them to share.
Allowing dozens of bring Nothing to the table folks and feeding and stress will be "Interesting" as in Chinese Curse.
Soon enough we will call this messed up 2022-early 23 the Good Old Days.
I bet old lessons will be relearned pretty quickly when the need is there.
Delete. . . at least I hope so.
6 Bears I suspect a lot of blood and smoke will be involved in those lessons.
ReplyDeleteDecades of Gimmie Dat "Culture" is difficult to grow out of.
Unlike old movies, the hungry folks will not simply fade off the left side of the screen.
I'm afraid we have a fair chance of finding out.
DeleteUp here in the Great Northern Woods, we live in a community that has greater than a 56% poverty rate. I work with the kids of these families in the local school system. There is a whole culture about blaming those who have not verses those who have. My Grandfather died at 111 years. He was born in or about 1880 and never spoke about the 30's. My mother was born during that time, but the stories of depression in Northern Montana were silent.
ReplyDeleteJohn it will be interesting to hear your reports later this month.
ReplyDeleteI hear the USDA EBT bonus money for families was chopped in February. Like many things that Trump did was undone by Biden's pen, this also stopped.
I have working poor friends in Wal-Mart here in the Lakes Region that are telling me of trouble at the registers already. Folks seem to blame Wal-Mart that their EBT card isn't going as far as it did last month.
My working poor friends are struggling, even to the point of asking me if I had some yard work to do.
They need cash with the CHANGES in the TAX Code (again Trumps child credits undone or not renewed) has them OWING the IRS.
I do offer work from time to time but when there was plenty of COVID money running around Nobody wanted to do mere yard work at 20 bucks an hour plus gas money.
The Arab Spring started when basic food became too expensive for average folks to feed their families. The French Revolution was a fever dream of a few wealthy revolutionaries until the price of food became a real PROBLEM for the common person.
Remember the propaganda about Marie Antoinette saying "Let them eat cake" when told the pheasants' were revolting about expensive food?
She wasn't talking about cheesecake as "Cake" was the semi-burnt rims from the bread loaf tins. AKA chicken and pig food.
2022 was the good old days.
You're correct about the EBT benefits being set back to where they were originally. Benefits didn't actually get cut, they got reset to pre Covid status. Those budget cuts also effect kids who get free lunch and breakfast from schools. For the past two years all students benefited, now reset and only the children who's families have filled out the paper work and qualify. It is sad, hungry kids don't learn well, they are pre occupied with their stomachs. Politically at this moment I am on the fence. I wait and listen, however I was never a Trump fan. Because of my background and education I have troubles dealing with pathological individuals, but that's just me, and I've been accused of being old and grouchy.
DeleteJohn, I suppose your correct. They were not cut just set back to where they were.
ReplyDeleteAh, before massive food inflation.
So, between "set back" and massive food inflation where does that put so many children?
Micah 6:8 speaks to this:
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly[a] with your God.
Not sure where justice or mercy applies (maybe both) but it hurts my heart to see children do without.
Maybe because I did without and but for the kindness of others, I would have been worse off.
I'm adding to my garden more potatoes for P2P donations.
Michael, Your quote of Micha caused me to look forward. I get these messages from time to time, but: "A Call to Listen O'Lord, to do Justice from Hearts of Mercy through the Compassion of the humility of Christ." an understanding of Micha 6:8 thanks. To look on children whose pain goes beyond plain understanding and not cry out is impossible.
ReplyDelete