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I decided to pay off a school’s lunch debt

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Re: I decided to pay off a school’s lunch debt

#421

Post by nkrisc »

graemep wrote: post #407
nucleardog wrote: post #396

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The tricky thing is, if you let anyone just choose not to pay, there will be plenty of people who are capable of paying who don't bother. In your case, it sounds like your dad was maybe capable of paying but wanted to freeload. I say this as an IT worker making what most would consider an absurd amount of money and pays 0.55*absurd money in taxes, a dad, a human, etc... what the fuck does any of this matter. If a c…

I agree the child should be fed, but we also need to think about the other wide of this. It sounds as though the dad in this case was able to pay but refused to pay. What sort of person puts their own child through this to make a point? It is neglectful or abusive.

Yeah, it is abuse. But feed the child if the parents won’t or can’t.

Re: I decided to pay off a school’s lunch debt

#422

Post by pertymcpert »

graemep wrote: post #407
nucleardog wrote: post #396

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The tricky thing is, if you let anyone just choose not to pay, there will be plenty of people who are capable of paying who don't bother. In your case, it sounds like your dad was maybe capable of paying but wanted to freeload. I say this as an IT worker making what most would consider an absurd amount of money and pays 0.55*absurd money in taxes, a dad, a human, etc... what the fuck does any of this matter. If a c…

I agree the child should be fed, but we also need to think about the other wide of this. It sounds as though the dad in this case was able to pay but refused to pay. What sort of person puts their own child through this to make a point? It is neglectful or abusive.

You know there are countless parents that abuse their kids, physically, emotionally, sexually. They rape their kids and strangle them until they pass out. They hit them in places where bruises aren't visible. They break bones and threaten the kids with death if they dare tell anyone or show their injury or pain.

Why do we suddenly need to especially think about the other side of this because tax money is involved? Now we need to care?

Re: I decided to pay off a school’s lunch debt

#423

Post by j-a-a-p »

Am I missing something? My kids have to bring their own lunch to school. The school is for education and the parents' job is to feed them. And it gets even better: after 12/13 yo they grow self supporting capabilities, so as parent you only need to replenish the fridge.

Re: I decided to pay off a school’s lunch debt

#424

Post by pertymcpert »

aembleton wrote: post #358
mtnGoat wrote: post #343

As someone who experienced this first hand growing up. I consider how someone feels about free school lunch, a basic test of their humanity. If you think kids should go hungry or be embarrassed at school because of their parents finances… we can’t be friends, nor acquaintances. IMHO, you are subhuman at that point and not worth my time. My dad believed that because he paid taxes he shouldn’t have to pay the school to…

Couldn't you have taken a packed lunch in? Make a sandwich and take it with you.

The fact that you think this is a seriously practical suggestion shows that, very fortunately for you, you have no idea what goes in a household like this. I say this with sincerity, it's a good thing that you don't realize the problem with this suggestion.

Re: I decided to pay off a school’s lunch debt

#425

Post by sigkill »

snkzxbs wrote: post #403
mtnGoat wrote: post #343

As someone who experienced this first hand growing up. I consider how someone feels about free school lunch, a basic test of their humanity. If you think kids should go hungry or be embarrassed at school because of their parents finances… we can’t be friends, nor acquaintances. IMHO, you are subhuman at that point and not worth my time. My dad believed that because he paid taxes he shouldn’t have to pay the school to…

[flagged]

I appreciate your observation. What point are you trying to convey?

Re: I decided to pay off a school’s lunch debt

#427

Post by sparsely »

mlyle wrote: post #353
mtnGoat wrote: post #343

As someone who experienced this first hand growing up. I consider how someone feels about free school lunch, a basic test of their humanity. If you think kids should go hungry or be embarrassed at school because of their parents finances… we can’t be friends, nor acquaintances. IMHO, you are subhuman at that point and not worth my time. My dad believed that because he paid taxes he shouldn’t have to pay the school to…

I don't know what the correct answer is. The tricky thing is, if you let anyone just choose not to pay, there will be plenty of people who are capable of paying who don't bother. In your case, it sounds like your dad was maybe capable of paying but wanted to freeload. So as long as you're going to charge for lunches, you need to have some kind of enforcement mechanism. Embarrassing the kid ideally would not be part o…

If you don't provide lunches for the children then their parents need to pay for them anyway. Just tax more if you don't already have a budget, this isn't a case where there would be radically different spending patterns without government intervention.

Re: I decided to pay off a school’s lunch debt

#428

Post by charcircuit »

nucleardog wrote: post #396
mlyle wrote: post #353

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know what the correct answer is. The tricky thing is, if you let anyone just choose not to pay, there will be plenty of people who are capable of paying who don't bother. In your case, it sounds like your dad was maybe capable of paying but wanted to freeload. So as long as you're going to charge for lunches, you need to have some kind of enforcement mechanism. Embarrassing the kid ideally would not be part o…

> The tricky thing is, if you let anyone just choose not to pay, there will be plenty of people who are capable of paying who don't bother. In your case, it sounds like your dad was maybe capable of paying but wanted to freeload. I say this as an IT worker making what most would consider an absurd amount of money and pays 0.55*absurd money in taxes, a dad, a human, etc... what the fuck does any of this matter. If a c…

>A child is, pretty much by definition, incapable of fully caring for themselves.

This is disrespectful to the intelligence of children.

>we're punishing you with going hungry until he wises up

Not giving people free things is not a punishment.

>as a society, have the means to ensure that no child ever has to go hungry.

Giving away free food is not the only way to achieve that.

>Every decision that leads to hungry children is offensive

I disagree as there may be times where it is fine. This statement to me is equivalent to saying that we shouldn't make children feel sadness or pain. These are just parts of living. People will naturally experience them and later move on.

>punish adults by starving their children

Schools do not starve children. While yes schools prohihit people from leaving, school only last for a part of the day before they are released, and parents can pickup a child at any time. In order to starve someone you need to block access to food for a very long period of time.

Re: I decided to pay off a school’s lunch debt

#429

Post by qmr »

socalgal2 wrote: post #345
kerkeslager wrote: post #290

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Stuff like this seems like such a dividing line to me. Like, in theory when people believe things that are morally wrong, I want to reach out to them with compassion and respect and try to gently persuade them to my side because we're all, in theory, on the same side. But if you don't want kids to be fed, I really am not sure we're actually on the same side any more and I really am not sure what to do with that.

You can want kids to be fed and fully believe that the government giving out free meal to all kids will eventually lead to kids not being feed. I can think of lots of arguments Budgets might be cut directly, so can not feed some percent, budgets might be cut indirectly (less tax revenue). Giving out free food might make people feel entitled and less likely to learn to be self sufficient. The "give a man a fish he eat…

Yes those little shit free loading five year olds.

Whining about lunch when they should be in the mines.

Re: I decided to pay off a school’s lunch debt

#430

Post by [deleted] »

0xDEAFBEAD wrote: post #417
heresjohnny wrote: post #367

As someone from Europe, I had heard before about bankrupting ambulance rides, slavery in prisons, and food deserts. I did not expect to add “lunch money humiliation ritual” to that list. I’ll think of this next time I complain about my 50% income tax.

[flagged]

[deleted]
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