I’ve seen a lot of people replying to/quote tweeting that person yelling about poor people using EBT to buy cake and crab legs. It’s awful, and representative of how we don’t view people as people once they accept some kind of government assistance.

There’s a couple things going on here. We infantilize people we view as “poor”, as if we need someone to step in and help them make “good” decisions, without acknowledging that sometimes bad things happen and people get caught in tough circumstances.

People frequently end up in situations that qualify them for assistance because of structural disadvantages or generational poverty, not because of some moral deficiency. We have an illusory vision of lazy people suckling at the government teat, but really the help is meager.

My sister is a VERY judgmental person, and I think it was good for me to see that in another person growing up. I saw the way she looked down on people, and the way my father would challenge her. “What do you know about that person’s life? How does it affect you?”

Imagine even noticing that someone uses EBT to enjoy a few fleeting moments of joy. Something sweet, a little bit of a luxury? Man who cares. Would you want someone judging your purchases? Asking you if all your debt was paid off? If you’ve saved for retirement?

What people but with EBT is none of your business. In fact I would scrap the whole concept and just give people cash. Let them spend it as they please and remove that stupid stigma. Remove that anxiety of people looking over their shoulders and judging their purchases.

Someone will inevitably go “what if they spend it all on alcohol or drugs??”. What if I spend my whole paycheck on alcohol or drugs? Treat people like adults. Give them a little dignity and structure programs to help them, not to make them feel like shit.