Starving Children In America

[mikey4444]

Just seen this on the BBC News website. I could hardly hold back the tears. This, in the worlds richest country, in a city where countless millions of dollars is wasted each year on slot machines :::

http://www.bbc.co.uk/panorama/hi/front_page/newsid_9695000/9695217.stm

[kloofnek]

I totally agree...it is really heartbreaking to think that in this day and age people are going hungry,especially children who can`t help themselves...I blame the governments

[friedgreentomato]

Las Vegas itself has been on the verge of bankruptcy for years, the money put into slot machines is my tourists not local.

I am sure it is not just Las Vegas that suffers from this.

[FredPuli43]

Those are the healthiest- looking "starving children". I was expecting Somalia levels. Evidently, intervention has been speedy.

[Quoi]

Good story but those kids didnt look too starved to me.

[Baldric]

So that's,
The American Dream

[naomi24]

There are a lot of poor people in the US, but I wouldn't take a six year old's claim that she'd eaten rat for dinner too seriously. I noticed the little boy spoke about his mother's new baby. Wouldn't you think that in the western world where sex education is available, people would stop having children they can't afford to keep?

[mikey4444]

Perhaps my use of the word starving was not quite accurate, but my point remains. America has very little, if any welfare arrangements and these kids are clearly at a disadvantage. Whatever is said about Las Vegas, it has untold millions of dollars washing around its streets. How many of the mostly American visitors know that just around the corner there are food banks operating ? I help out at a food bank here in South Wales and we are overwhelmed some weeks.

20 years ago I was on holiday in northern New Hampshire, in the White Mountains and came across a soup kitchen being run by a local church. I was somewhat surprised, to say the least.

You don't have to be black, with flies crawling around your face to be hungry, but it helps if you want to be newsworthy.

[mikey4444]

What a hard-hearted and cynical lot we are on AB...shame on you !

[emmie]

not sure about starving, neglected probably, not cared for more likely, but i did see a high level of poverty on my travels in some parts of the country, which did shock me, shanty towns more akin to SA, strange in the land of free home of the brave.

[naomi24]

//You don't have to be black, with flies crawling around your face to be hungry,//

Those people really are starving. These are not.

[emmie]

they do have welfare, and more than you think, perhaps you are comparing it to UK,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_programs_in_the_United_States

[ummmm]

And they also have the tent cities.

[mikey4444]

And whole families living in their cars....not seen that in Britain yet.

[ummmm]

We don't realise how lucky we are in this country.

[Brenden]

I do ummmm, that is why I am so proud of this country.

[ummmm]

You have to witness things like the OP to appreciate it. There are lots of people walking around in ignorant bliss.

[naomi24]

I've witnessed America - and worse.

[FredPuli43]

Must say, I was astonished that there were food banks in this country. When did they first appear? Are the recipients not in benefits or are the benefits so inadequate that the people actually need, rather than take the benefit of, free food ?

[naomi24]

Fred, no doubt someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I read somewhere (on here I think) that people who use food banks don't have to provide evidence that they are needy. If that's true, I can't help suspecting that some are milking it.

[chrisgel]

Plenty of money in America. It's all in the pockets of multinational companies and financial institutions. It's used to buy politicians who pass laws to enable them to make even more money.
This is the way the world is going I'm afraid. Take a look at our own country with it's utilities owned by foreign multinationals, it's education, health services, prison services etc. all being sold off to put money into the coffers that are so seriously depleted by oops guess who?
Meanwhile, these leeches refuse to pay taxes that they morally owe but spend money on employing multinational companies who tell them how to avoid paying their dues. Aint life grand?